Coach Development Manager in England

The Elite Coaching Plan (ECP) is the Premier League's commitment to developing a coaching development system that is unrivalled across all of sport. The ECP provides the best development and support to enhance the skill and expertise of coaches working within the professional game. We focus on collaboration with clubs to support the development of academy coaches, coach developers, and first team coaches. This work is further strengthened through the Pro Coach Partnership, where we work closely with key professional game partners including The Football Association (FA), English Football League (EFL), Professional Footballers Association (PFA), Womens Professional Leagues Limited (WPLL), League Managers Association (LMA), and League Coaching Association (LCA) to continue to elevate the quality of coaching across the professional game.

This role is pivotal in supporting the learning and professional development of Coach Developers within clubs, focusing on enhancing the skill and expertise of coaches. The Coach Development Manager will manage, oversee, and continually refine the design and delivery of the EHOCD (Elite Head of Coach Development) and FCD (Future Coach Developer) programmes.

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 188 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, 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.

The role includes:

• Work closely with the Senior Coach Development Manager to ensure programme objectives align with the Best Development strategy and evolving club need.
• Drive innovation in learning, enhancing the programme's impact, accessibility, and long-term effectiveness.
• Support the Head of Coach Development role in clubs by reviewing its scope, functions, and developmental pathways, ensuring continued alignment.
• Contribute to research efforts on the Head of Coach Development role, generating insights that inform a sustainable and long-term approach to coach development.
• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous enhancement of EHOC and FCD, ensuring a research-informed, evidence-based approach.
• Oversee the quality assurance of programme content and delivery, identifying emerging needs, gaps, and opportunities for refinement.
• Work with professional game partners and clubs to support coach development and the coaching system within the professional game.
• Act as the primary liaison with football professional game partners and other sporting organisations to contribute to the coach developer landscape.
• Ensure EHOC and FCD align with strategic priorities and are positioned to meet future challenges.
• Collaborate with internal departments, developing and maintaining key relationships to support the broader objectives of the business.
• Work in collaboration with the Project and Operations Manager to coordinate logistics, scheduling, and resource allocation for EHOC and FCD.
• Manage external consultants, ensuring their contributions align with programme objectives and deliver impactful learning and development experiences.
• Lead the planning and execution of assessment centres, using expertise-based methodologies to identify and select the most suitable coach developers.
• Ensure recruitment processes for coach developers are rigorous, equitable, and aligned.
• Collaborate with the Premier League Football Department, EFL, FA, LCA, LMA, PFA and PGAAC to review and enhance the governance of coaching within the professional game.
• Support and contribute to the delivery of the Elite Coaching Plan, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.
• Contribute to key areas of work within Football Development by supporting football development objectives.
• Collaborate with academic institutions and strategic partners to establish and maintain robust accreditation pathways for coach developers.

Requirements for the role include:

• Significant experience in coach development within professional football or high-performance sport, with a deep understanding of development principles.
• Degree or master's degree in a relevant subject (e.g., Sports Coaching, Coach Development, Education, or a related field), or equivalent professional experience.
• Knowledge of the football landscape, particularly the coaching workforce, clubs, and the broader system.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive innovation and influence the evolution of coach development.
• Proven track record in designing, delivering, and managing learning programmes in a high-performance environment, ensuring impactful outcomes.
• Expertise in research-informed approaches to coach learning, integrating evidence-based methodologies into practical application.
• Ability to engage and collaborate with multiple stakeholders, including clubs, professional game partners, academic institutions, and wider industry professionals.
• Excellent project management skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple workstreams, maintain operational efficiency, and manage competing priorities effectively.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including high-level presentation capability to engage and influence diverse audiences.
• A strong understanding of safeguarding principles and a commitment to upholding best practice.
• Full driving licence, as frequent travel will be required.