Senior Leadership and Workforce Development Programmes Manager

Contract type: Permanent, full time

Reports to: Head of Leadership and Workforce Development

Location: Home based, with regular travel and attendance to Premier League Offices, Paddington, W2 1HQ

Overview

The Premier League’s Football Development team is responsible for the delivery of the League’s strategic plans to support its ambitions to develop the best Players, Coaches, Staff, and Match Officials.

To support the continued implementation of these strategies the Premier League provides individualised professional development programmes and initiatives for football leaders and multidisciplinary staff across the Academy system. As part of this important work, we are looking to recruit a Senior Leadership and Workforce Development (LWD) Programmes Manager responsible for the development, design, delivery, and quality assurance of our leadership and workforce development programmes.

The Senior LWD Programmes Manager is a member of the LWD Team and will work towards meeting individual and team objectives, specifically to support the development of optimal leadership diversity, emergence, effectiveness and influence across the Academy system.

Who we are

The Premier League is home to some of the most competitive and compelling football in the world. The League and its Clubs use the power and popularity of the competition to inspire fans, communities and partners in the UK and across the world. The Premier League brings people together from all backgrounds. It is a competition for everyone, everywhere and is available to watch in over 900 million homes in 189 countries.

We have a wide variety of responsibilities. These include organising the competition and its Handbook as well as managing the centralised broadcast and commercial rights. The work we do in conjunction with the Clubs also goes far beyond the 90 minutes. We support and provide a framework for youth development, we protect the organisation’s intellectual property, support the wider game and community programmes, undertake international development work and liaise with governing bodies and other leagues.

The Premier League is an equal opportunities 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 hybrid-working model also allows you some variety on your place of work, offering you the chance to work from home on some days each week. Where possible, you will attend the office or site visits in line with our company policy. All staff liaise closely with their line manager to manage their time appropriately and according to their work and team requirements.

The role

Strategic Programme Development, Design and Quality Assurance:

• Lead the design and development of core LWD Programmes, and support the Head of LWD in developing the philosophy and overall strategic direction for LWD, ensuring a world-leading approach that learns from best practice Ensure LWD
• Programmes and learning content are appropriate for elite football leaders, through regular analysis of needs and roles
• Audit learning content such as subjects, modes of delivery, and effectiveness, to ensure alignment with Premier League aims
• Ensure the design and content of programmes balances practical relevance and academic rigor appropriately to support each participant in their leadership development
• Lead the development of quality assurance, benchmarking, and improvement processes to ensure we continually offer world-leading standards

Programme Management and Delivery:

• Work with the LWD Operations Manager to ensure the successful management and delivery of LWD programmes Work with a team of consultant Programme Leads to deliver high standard, world-leading leadership development programmes
• Ensure the best and most appropriate expertise is recruited to design and deliver content aligned to the emerging needs of the LWD Team
• Manage relationships with key stakeholders, such as Academy Managers, programme consultants, Mentors, Premier League staff, and other organisations including the FA, LMA, PFA, EFL, and academic partners
• Partner with key internal stakeholders to ensure leadership development activity is aligned to Premier League objectives and values

Leadership and Workforce Development:

• Provide expertise, advice, guidance, and challenge to support and ensure quality improvement of Premier League leadership learning and development, internally and externally
• Ensure a co-ordinated, connected, and innovative educational approach that is sector-leading and aligns with Premier League outcomes
• Ensure world-leading digital learning provision and support the implementation of the Football Development digital learning strategy
• Support the development and delivery of leadership development content for the wider organisation
• Identify and signpost high quality learning opportunities and content from external partners
• Ensure diversity, inclusion, and accessibility are core to any learning innovation, and is aligned to the Premier League Statement of Principles

Requirements for the role:

• Strong academic background, with significant practitioner experience, ideally in a leadership development or management related discipline
• Extensive academic and practical expertise, with cutting-edge knowledge in the field of leadership development, ideally in elite sport
• Track record of delivering innovative leadership development, ideally in elite sport
• Track record of delivering effective blended learning and digital learning support
• Experience of managing quality assurance mechanisms to improve standards
• Industry experience, or in-depth understanding, of football or elite sport (preferred)
• Experience of diversity and inclusion within a leadership development context
• Track record of manging others and delegating workload effectively
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and projects
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal and presentation skills
• Ability to act proactively and independently, with a solutions-focused approach
• Self-aware, curious, and actively seeks feedback to improve self and work
• The confidence to deal with senior internal and external figures in a professional manner
• Self-motivated team player who values and understands the importance of collaboration

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 1 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