Academy Goalkeeper Coaches - multiple roles available

Department: Academy

Direct Reports: N/A

Reports to: Academy Goalkeeper Lead & Academy Director

Location: Cobdown Park, Station Road, Aylesford, Kent, ME20 6AU

Working Pattern: 20hrs per week, evenings and weekends

DBS Level: Enhanced Child Barred List

About Us

London City Lionesses are part of the Kynisca group, setting a vision and building an infrastructure in which all the players and staff can thrive. Our values: We Lead The Way | We Dream Big | We Get it Done | We Innovate | We Inspire our Community.

Role Purpose

The Academy Goalkeeper Coach is responsible for embedding a learning environment for players that is innovative, brave, and creative. The post-holder will help foster an environment that develops player autonomy, critical thinking, adaptability, and unpredictability, encouraging continuous initiative and problem-solving. They will create a dynamic, challenging, and stimulating environment where players take ownership of their decisions and experiment within the game. The post-holder will also provide leadership, alongside other Goalkeeper Coaches, to the dedicated age group goalkeepers, cultivating a culture where creativity and autonomous decision-making are embedded. They will oversee Individual Development Plans, support talent identification, and continuously evolve coaching practices to develop autonomous, resilient, and co-adaptive players.

Main Duties / Responsibilities

• Leadership
  • Lead the development of the dedicated age group goalkeepers.
  • Promote competence through intentional skill development, clear performance feedback, and training that challenges athletes appropriately while reinforcing progress and mastery.
  • Develop strong working relationships with lead coaching staff in the design and delivery of coaching and games programme, on and off the field.
• Player Development
  • Lead player development for the dedicated age group goalkeepers, understanding skill as emerging from the interaction between the player, the task, and the environment, prioritising adaptability, problem solving, and creativity in real game contexts.
  • Design and deliver a training environment that uses representative tasks, well-designed constraints, and strong perception–action connections to encourage players to self-organise and solve problems effectively.
  • Work collaboratively with performance and analysis staff to ensure training reflects the demands of the game, aligning session design, development plans, and progression pathways with these principles.
• Methodology and Continual Professional Development
  • Contribute to the development and evolution of the Academy’s identity, fostering a culture that is brave, innovative, creative, and promotes autonomous, problem-solving players.
  • Collaborate in evolving coaching methodologies, integrating evidence-based approaches to enhance player learning and development.
  • Drive continuous improvement of Academy programs, reflecting on coaching practice and player interactions to enhance creativity, autonomy, and problem-solving on and off the pitch.
• Player Recruitment & Talent ID
  • Support the Lead Recruitment in the process of identifying and assessing high-potential players in alignment with the club’s football identity.
• Player Reporting
  • Take responsibility for the dedicated age group goalkeeper’s IDPs, ensuring IDPs are stored on the club drive and updated a minimum of three times per season.
  • Providing support to the exit/release procedure of Academy players in the most effective manner and in line with any WSL PGA requirements.
• Other Duties
  • Other ad-hoc duties as assigned from time-to-time by management.

Club Accountabilities

• To comply with all club policies, procedures and practices and carry out your role diligently and in the best interests of the club.
• To lead with a proactive, high-performance mindset and actively contribute to a winning culture on and off the pitch.
• To behave in a manner consistent with club values and policies.
• To ensure compliance with all relevant legal, regulatory, ethical and social requirements.
• To keep confidential any information gained regarding the club and its personnel.

What We Are Looking For

Qualifications and Training

Essential

• UEFA B Diploma or ability to work towards it.
• FA National Goalkeeping Course.
• FA Safeguarding.
• FA Emergency First Aid.
• Clean driving licence.

Desirable

• UEFA Goalkeeping B Diploma.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Evidence-Based Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead using contemporary coaching research and principles of Self-Determination Theory, fostering motivation, autonomy, competence, and relatedness among players.
• Player Development Expertise: Proven experience in designing and delivering training environments that promote skill acquisition, problem-solving, adaptability, creativity, and self-organisation in game-representative contexts.
• Collaborative Working Style: Strong experience working effectively with coaching staff, performance analysts, and professional development teams to align training, methodology, and player development strategies.
• Methodology and Innovation: Ability to implement and evolve coaching methodologies, drive continuous improvement, and foster a culture of innovation, creativity, and autonomous learning.
• Performance Monitoring and Reporting: Experience managing player development plans, monitoring progress, maintaining high standards, and contributing to player exit or transition processes.
• Talent Identification and Recruitment: Experience supporting the identification and assessment of high-potential players in line with a defined football identity.
• Communication and Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of building positive relationships with players, staff, and stakeholders, creating a supportive and cohesive environment.
• Commitment to Professional Development: Experience leading, mentoring, and sharing expertise with colleagues, contributing to the ongoing development of staff and the wider coaching culture.

Desirable

• Experience in women’s football.
• Experience in Leadership and Influence: Has successfully led a cohesive team of staff and players, fostering a shared philosophy and culture of excellence.

Characteristics

• Passionate about women’s football and broader women’s sport culture.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and ability to deal with matrix stakeholders and ambiguity.
• High standards of personal integrity and ethics.
• Comfortable and able to work on own initiative.
• Has a learning mindset; keen to continue self-development and keep up to date with best practice and learning opportunities.
• Continually seeks to improve efficiency and performance.
• Seeks out and embraces new ways of thinking and working – not afraid to fail.

Equal Opportunity Statement

London City Lionesses is committed to safeguarding, health and safety, and equality, diversity and inclusion. We prioritise the welfare of children and vulnerable adults, the well-being of all staff and visitors, and fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and supported. All staff are required to adhere to the club’s policies, complete relevant training, and actively contribute to maintaining a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment. This includes timely reporting of concerns, compliance with health and safety regulations, and upholding the club’s zero-tolerance approach to discrimination.