Women's England Pathway Head Coach (U15 &16s) - 3 Year FTC in Chasetown

We are looking for a Women's Pathway Head Coach to lead and manage the England Women's WU15 / WU16 squad and provide technical leadership for England Women's talent system. The role will be responsible for developing England's future talent within high performance settings, preparing players for entry to and progression through the pathway in international football. The role will contribute to an aligned world-class performance pathway for England winning teams. The role will also support the development of outstanding coaches in collaboration with FA Learning. This will be a 3 year fixed term contract until 31st July 2029.

What will you be doing?

• Lead the U15 / U16 Team & Performance Culture: Provide inspirational leadership to players and staff, establishing a culture of excellence and continuous improvement in preparation for, delivery of, and review of international camps and events.
• Technical Leadership of Talent and Teams: Provide outstanding technical leadership to players and coaches across U15 / U16 age groups, including talent programmes associated to England teams.
• Develop & Deliver the Seasonal Plan: Design and implement the seasonal plan for U15 & U16 activity, along with all associated Regional and National talent activity ensuring alignment with the talent pathway calendar, and the England Youth Team Strategy – One Pride, Built to Roar.
• Manage Coaching Staff: Line manage the Emerging Talent Head Coach and age group multidisciplinary teams (MDT), ensuring effective collaboration, professional development, and alignment with the team's objectives.
• Lead Planning and Preparation for Development Tournaments and Fixtures: Lead the planning and delivery of UEFA Development tournaments, and a programme of fixtures which ensures development opportunities as well as high challenge opportunities against European and world opposition – in preparation for U17 age group.
• Player Development: Develop clarity on the strengths and performance gaps of high potential players, accurately assessing their readiness for progression in the pathway.
• Talent Identification: Carry out regular talent identification activity, working closely with Talent ID functions across the division, and conduct regular club visits to maintain an up-to-date understanding of player performance and potential.
• Squad Selection & Collaboration: Select squads for England events, ensuring opportunity for a good depth of talent to enter into the England pathway.
• Coach Development & Knowledge Sharing: Support the FA Education Strategy by assisting in the development of outstanding coaches in the female game.
• Safeguarding, Health & Wellbeing Compliance: Ensure full compliance with The FA's Safeguarding Policy and all company policies and procedures, maintaining the highest standards of health, safety, and wellbeing for players and staff.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• Knowledge: UEFA A Licence
• Experience: High level people development skills and experience; consistent, successful experience of management and development of elite players and multi-disciplinary staff; ability to demonstrate inspirational leadership on and off the pitch using a variety of methods and approaches; significant experience of working with youth players with a track record of high performance; demonstrate understanding of international football; experience of working in high performance environments; deep knowledge of technical and tactical components of the game including strategies and tactics; experience of being a Head Coach within the female game; experience of developing detailed game plans and reviews; ability to create and implement a Player Development Plan; understanding of how to apply a ‘Performance Backwards' approach to player development; proficient use of tech applications and systems.

Beneficial to have:

• Knowledge: The FA Advanced Youth Award; FA Talent ID Level 3
• Experience: Teaching experience; experience working in the WSL, Championship and or in an Academy set-up; understanding of the talent system and benchmarks in England; understanding of domestic women's football landscape in England and across Europe; understanding of the top level demands of international football.
• Technical Skills: Basic Project Management skills; basic Analysis skills; previous experience of using Sportscode application.

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 on 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.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional 'Thank You' day's leave, volunteering days, as well as 25 days of annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract).
• A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.

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.