Club Developer x 2 (North Wales Area)

Club Developers x 2 - One covering North East Wales, one covering North Wales Coast area.

Purpose of the Job

The FAW Participation Plan 2026–2036 sets out an ambition to grow and strengthen community football across Wales. Clubs are central to this ambition: they bring people together, create opportunities to play and volunteer, and provide welcoming environments in which communities can thrive.

Club Developers will help deliver the Plan’s People and Places objectives. This means putting greater emphasis on the people who make grassroots football happen — particularly club volunteers and administrators — while supporting clubs to become inclusive, sustainable and well-run community assets.

Working as part of a regional development team, post holders will help clubs build their capability, strengthen governance and administration, recruit and support volunteers, and improve the experiences of everyone involved. They will also support clubs to develop their offer, engage with their communities, access appropriate funding and facilities, and progress through the FAW’s Quality Club Programme and wider development journey.

Club Developers will work in close partnership with internal colleagues (including the Regional Development Manager and Grassroots Participation Officer), as well as collaborating frequently with key stakeholders such as the Area Association, Cymru Football Foundation and Grounds Management Association.

The role requires excellent relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to listen, motivate and constructively challenge club representatives. Club Developers will tailor support to each club’s needs and potential impact, helping create safe, welcoming and positive environments where people want to play, volunteer and remain involved in football.

Key Areas of Accountability

• Club relationships: Act as the trusted first point of contact for off-pitch club development within the designated Area Association. Work with Area Associations, FAW colleagues and partners to connect clubs with the right expertise, funding, training and specialist advice.
• Club development planning: Help clubs assess their needs, set priorities and follow a structured development journey, including strategic development plans and progress through the FAW Quality Club Programme.
• Governance and sustainability: Strengthen club leadership, governance, administration and use of digital systems so that clubs are well run, compliant and financially and environmentally sustainable.
• Volunteers and workforce: Help clubs recruit, retain, recognise and develop volunteers and administrators. Connect them with accessible learning, peer support and networks.
• Inclusion and playing offer: Promote safeguarding, respect and welcoming environments. Help clubs remove barriers and widen opportunities for women and girls, disabled people, recreational players and underrepresented communities.
• Community and facilities: Enable clubs to grow and improve their own facilities through aligning facility development projects with strategic development plans, signposting to funding opportunities and supporting operational planning. Help clubs build partnerships with local authorities, schools, community organisations and facility operators to ensure they have appropriate access to existing facilities.
• Good practice: Share good practice, celebrate club and volunteer achievements, and feed learning back into regional and national support.
• Monitoring and reporting: Keep accurate records of engagement, support and outcomes to inform reporting against the FAW Participation Plan
  

Person Specification

Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours

Essential:

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to listen, build trust and adapt support to different needs.
• Ability to motivate, encourage and empower volunteers, recognising their contribution and helping them feel supported.
• Ability to identify workforce and organisational development needs and turn these into practical, achievable actions.
• Ability to influence and constructively challenge, handle sensitive conversations and build effective relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Creative problem-solving skills and the ability to balance competing priorities and manage own workload.
• Good organisational and administrative skills, including accurate record keeping and the use of digital tools.
• Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding and creating safe, welcoming and positive football environments.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of the FAW’s Quality Club Programme or similar club development/accreditation approaches.
• Knowledge of safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion, and approaches to improving behaviour and belonging in sport.
• Knowledge of how grassroots clubs, leagues and Area Associations operate.
• Experience of using data or digital systems to monitor progress, identify needs and report outcomes.
• Knowledge of Welsh language and culture; spoken and written Welsh.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Educated to A level standard or equivalent experience.
• Experience of supporting clubs, community organisations, volunteers or other people delivering grassroots sport or community activity.
• A sound understanding of grassroots football and the challenges faced by volunteer-led clubs.
• Experience of community engagement, relationship-building and partnership working.

Desirable:

• Experience of volunteer recruitment, retention, training, recognition or support.
• Experience of club development planning, governance, compliance or organisational improvement.
• Experience of facilities development, capital projects, funding applications or facility management.
• Experience of budget development, financial sustainability, marketing or communications

FAW Values

Our values underpin the FAW vision and guide all aspects of our work:

Excellence – We approach every challenge with determination and a drive to deliver our very best in all we do.

Family – We promote a welcoming culture of warmth and belonging where everyone is embraced.

Respect – We believe that different ideas, strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds are fundamental for success.

Courage - We act with integrity, doing the right thing on and off the pitch.