National Sport Officer - Water Polo in Loughborough

Swim England, based in Loughborough, is seeking a motivated and organised, field-based National Sport Officer - Water Polo, to join our team, to support the delivery of Swim England’s water polo sport and talent plans. Swim England is the national governing body for swimming in England. We help people learn how to swim, enjoy the water safely, and compete in all our sports. Our vision is of a nation swimming and we strive to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in the way that suits them. We work with our partners to create engaging programmes that enable everyone to be active, have fun and stay healthy through swimming.

About the Role

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in developing athletes, coaches and programmes across England, contributing to high-performance pathways and inclusive participation. Working closely with the National Sport Lead – Water Polo and wider stakeholders, you will support the design, coordination and delivery of national programmes, talent pathways and competitions. You will help ensure consistency, quality and impact across all areas of water polo development, while promoting a positive and inclusive environment for athletes and the wider workforce. Your work will directly contribute to Swim England’s vision of “Great experiences in the water. For All. For Life.”

Key Responsibilities

• Support the development, design and implementation of a high-quality England and Great Britain National Water Polo Programme.
• Lead agreed areas of the National Programme, managing planning, delivery and budgets within set timelines.
• Oversee and support the delivery of Talent Centres, ensuring consistency and quality across regions.
• Work with the National Sport Lead to design and deliver the operational sport plan, including the national competition calendar.
• Coordinate training and competition visits to regional and talent centres to support athlete and coach development.
• Embed the national athlete development framework across programmes, ensuring alignment by age and stage.
• Provide education and development opportunities for coaches and the workforce across the pathway.
• Support recruitment and development of a skilled and professional workforce.
• Enhance athlete and stakeholder experience, promoting wellbeing, inclusion and equality across all programmes.
• Collect and analyse data to monitor participation, diversity and performance, supporting continuous improvement.
• Identify and address challenges within the performance pathway using feedback, monitoring and evaluation.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• High level of computer literacy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team.
• Excellent time management and organisational skills.
• Ability to interpret and communicate information clearly through reports and presentations.
• Experience working with talented athletes.
• Understanding of water polo and the talent pathway.
• Experience delivering and managing programmes within a sports environment.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under pressure.
• Flexible approach to working patterns with willingness to travel nationally.
• Self-motivated with the ability to take initiative.

Desirable:

• Degree-level education or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
• Knowledge of Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE).
• Understanding of talent development systems.

Please be advised that we cannot offer visa sponsorship and that you must have right to work in the UK to apply or be considered for this role. If you are a non-UK/EU National, you must have an appropriate working Visa to undertake employment. You must also be working within the UK to apply or be considered for this role, due to the public liability insurance Swim England holds.

Swim England is committed to inclusion and embraces the spirit of equality legislation. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role are guaranteed an interview. We are also piloting a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Candidates who opt in to the scheme and demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. Applicants can indicate if they wish to opt in by answering the relevant question within the application form.

Where possible, Swim England will always make reasonable adjustments for accessibility to anyone who requires it. If you would like any of the documentation in a different format or would like to apply in a different way please get in touch. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process, in line with the Equality Act 2010. However, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

Swim England is also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.

How to apply

Please click on the apply button to be redirected to the Swim England recruitment portal.

Required Qualifications

This vacancy may require the following qualifications:

• Degree or equivalent