Senior Development Manager (Networks and Programmes)

Join The FA as a Senior Development Manager (Networks and Programmes). Are you passionate about football and its growth at the grassroots level? The Football Association (FA) is looking for an experienced Senior Development Manager (Networks and Programmes) to play a key role in shaping the future of grassroots football across the country. In this exciting role, you will oversee the development of County FA (CFA) networks, ensuring they have the resources and expertise to drive success in club and facility development. You will work closely with stakeholders and partners to equip these networks with the skills necessary to thrive and deliver consistent, high-quality results. You will oversee projects like improving the quality of grass pitches and the development of technical standards, while working with commercial partners to develop and deliver programmes to support football clubs at every level. You will also foster strong relationships with commercial partners, senior stakeholders, and organisations like the Football Foundation, ensuring programme delivery meets established goals and objectives. With your leadership, strategic thinking, and collaborative approach, you will create a high-performing, sustainable network that positively impacts grassroots football.

What will you be doing?

• Management and Partnerships: Manage a team of National Development Managers to deliver on network development and programme delivery initiatives. Foster strong teamwork and collaboration across the clubs and facilities team, the wider FA, the Football Foundation, and CFA networks. Maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders and key system partners, such as the Football Foundation and County FA's. Oversee relationships with commercial partners involved in programme delivery. Manage the FA Facilities Expert Advisory Committee, ensuring effective delivery against its terms of reference.
• Network Development: Oversee the creation and execution of a workforce development programme that equips County FA networks with the skills and resources necessary for success in club and facility development work. Drive clear leadership of the club and facilities CFA network to ensure a consistent and high-quality approach to delivery. Support the identification and resolution of performance issues within the network.
• Programme Delivery: Develop, lead, and manage a range of programmes to benefit grassroots football clubs, working collaboratively with commercial partners and key stakeholders. Oversee the successful delivery of programmes like 'A Greener Game' and 'Howden's Gamechanger Programme'. Ensure that programmes are efficiently set up and delivered against established goals and objectives.
• Operational Oversight - Grassroots Facilities: Oversee the FA's interests in delivering strategic goals such as grass pitch improvement, amongst other goals within the context of the FA's grassroots strategy, including oversight of the FA 3G Pitch Register. Oversee the FA's interests in developing guidance and technical standards for grassroots facilities.
• Other: To manage and oversee all budgets relating to facilities, networks and programmes. Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities. Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained. As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• Knowledge: Extensive knowledge of football facilities development, including 3G pitches, grass pitch improvement and off-pitch facilities. Strong knowledge of sports development, including club development. Extensive knowledge of County FA's and Football Foundation networks. Strong technical and operational knowledge of football facilities. Strong knowledge of equality, diversity and inclusion. Educated to Degree level or equivalent.
• Experience: Senior-level experience in facilities development. Senior-level experience in sports development. Senior-level experience in leading networks in a collaborative manner to ensure that they are high-performing. Senior-level experience in multi-stakeholder environments. Experience in leading a high-performing team and providing effective programme oversight. Strong experience in developing strategies from inception, through to delivery, including the development of implementation plans and progress tracking. Experience in creating or managing workforce development programmes.
• Technical Skills: Strong collaboration skills and ability to influence across an organisation. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Strong data analysis, visualisation and reporting skills. Strategic programme delivery skills, with experience in scoping, delivering and embedding projects and programmes within organisations. Advanced ability to create presentations and present to a wide range of key stakeholders. Strong budget management skills. Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint proficiency.

Beneficial to have:

• Knowledge: Good understanding of the FA's 3G pitch register. Good knowledge of technical and safety standards for facilities, such as goalposts, pitch sizes etc. Good understanding of grass pitch performance standards. Good knowledge of stadia accreditation. Project management qualification (e.g. Prince2).
• Experience: Senior-level experience in developing funding programmes or grant management. Managing large and complex budgets. Senior-level experience in client engagement on strategic projects or programmes. Experience in managing very senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Technical Skills: Programme design and development. Working with commercial partners and stakeholders.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders. We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional 'Thank You' days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract).
• A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page. We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work. We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.