Academy Auditor (Education & Player Care)

This is an exciting opportunity to work across the Premier League, EFL, and the FA. As part of the Elite Player Performance Plan, the overarching professional-game strategy for the development of youth footballers in England, the Academies of professional football clubs are categorised into four categories (1-4), based on a combination of spend, infrastructure, staffing, and qualitative assessments of their provisions across a range of multidisciplinary areas.

To effectively categorise Academies and to support the continual raising of standards in elite player development, an independent standards organisation has been developed, mandated by the professional game, to monitor safety, compliance and the quality of work being delivered across both the male and female environments. The female talent pathway aims to support the development of more and better home-grown players through two key programmes: The independent standards organisation oversees a multidisciplinary assessment of Academies across Leadership and Management, Coaching, Performance Support, Education, Player Care, Safeguarding, Pathway and Productivity.

As part of the above, the Education and Player Care Auditor will be responsible for auditing organisation and practice across the multidisciplinary areas of the development pathways.

The Role:

• Review and Evaluation of Education and Player Care Programmes: Using the Academy Audit Company assessment framework, assess the quality of Education and Player Care provisions across talent development pathways.
• Accurately and fairly report findings, identifying quality, risk and development areas.
• Manage the end-to-end auditing/quality assurance process, ensuring the operation runs as smoothly as possible for the club and auditing team.
• Ensure a consistent assessment is given, no matter the auditor or club.

General Responsibilities:

• Deliver annual club visits to ensure adherence with Safe to Operate, Compliance guidelines and the Youth Development Rules, and FA Criteria.
• Using outcomes from Club audits to undertake trend analysis to inform future learnings.
• Support the development of a suitable Academy standards framework and auditing practices.
• Meet tight deadlines.
• Ensure the auditing team maintains up-to-date knowledge of education, player care, and safeguarding practices.

Experience:

• Proven experience strategically reviewing, assessing, and developing education, personal development or safeguarding programmes.
• Experience in elite/developmental sports environments (female and/or male football pathway is desirable).
• Experience in navigating complex and highly pressurised working environments and cultures, establishing effective working relationships across a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Experience in implementing identified areas across ‘Duty of Care’ focus areas including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Transition, Player/Parent/Carer Voice, Mental and Wellbeing, Parental Education and Safeguarding.
• Prior leadership and management experience.
• Experience working with children and adults at risk and/or knowledge and understanding of issues that affect their safety and wellbeing.

Knowledge:

• High practical and theoretical understanding of Education, Player Care and Safeguarding demands in elite-level sports (player development, football, dual career).
• Appropriate degree and qualified teaching status; Qualified Teacher Status (QTS)/Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills (QTLS) or equivalent (desired but not necessary).
• Appropriate accreditation in education and/or workplace mental health and wellbeing (Mental Health DfE-funded Lead Training, MHFA, CPD-accredited).
• Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) Training and Legislative frameworks, i.e. KCSiE, Children Act 1989/2004, Working Together to Safeguarding Children is desired but not required.
• Good working knowledge of the best practices of safeguarding and child protection practices is desired but not required.
• Understanding of education across primary, secondary, further and/or higher education.
• Understanding and appreciation of context and cultural differences between clubs of different sizes and philosophies.

Personal Attributes & Other Requirements:

• Person-centred approach and a sound understanding of the rights, needs and best interests of children and adults at risk.
• Demonstrating our commitment to safeguarding and driving continual improvement to promote and protect the safety and well-being of children and adults at risk.
• Motivated by being part of a successful game-wide Academy system.
• Sets and works to high standards.
• Interviewing skills and observational analysis.
• Ability to make sound judgments based on evidence gathered during audit activity.
• Clear and concise verbal communication skills.
• Ability to present written information in a structured and balanced way appropriate to the needs of the reader.
• Comfortable following systems and processes, applies a structured approach to projects and planning.
• IT literate.
• A hunger for continued learning and continuous professional development.
• Ability to regularly travel across the UK.
• Enhanced level DBS Check.

PGAAC is an equal opportunity employer and strives to create an inclusive culture where talent can flourish. We believe in the potential of everyone and open our doors to those who share those values. All appointments will be made based on merit; however, we particularly encourage applications from women, people from minority ethnic communities, LGBTQ+ people and disabled people.

Our commitment to safeguarding includes implementing robust safer recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of individuals applying for roles that involve work with children and adults who are or may be at risk of harm. For further information, please see our Safeguarding Policy and Safer Recruitment Guidance.

To apply please visit our careers page and apply with your CV and a cover letter. The closing date for applications is 13 July 2025.

We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact recruitment@premierleague.com.