Head of Emerging Talent

**Position**:Head of Emerging Talent (U17-U20)

**Location**: Sparrows Lane Training Ground

**Hours**: 40 Hours Mon-Fri (+matchdays as needed)

**About Us**:
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Charlton, south-east London. The club was founded on June 9th, 1905 and has a very storied history from rising to the top-flight of English Football in the 1930s (First Division) and again in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s, to winning the FA Cup in 1947 and to leaving their Valley home in the mid-1980s only to make an impassioned return in 1992. Historically, the women's team played under Charlton Athletic from 2000 to 2007 but were released to become an independently run team in 2007 following the men's team's relegation from the Premier League.

The women's team were originally formed as a non-professional team in 1991 and were highly successful in the early 2000s winning The FA Cup, the League Cup, and the Charity Shield, as well as coming runners-up in the top division in multiple seasons. In February 2021, the club acquired the Charlton Athletic Women's team, turning the team full-time professional, and integrating them to become one club again.

Currently, our men's first team competes in League One, the third tier of English football, and our women's team competes in the Women’s Championship, the second highest division of women's football in England. At Charlton, we are ‘one club’ and can be truly described as a ‘family club’.

**Role Description**:
To work collaboratively with Academy and 1st Team Talent ID and Recruitment staff to identify, recommend and recruit talented young players capable of playing in CAFC’s 1st Team.

**Key Responsibilities**:

- Lead on all emerging talent recruitment strategies and processes ensuring all players are profiled, identified, scouted both live and via video and reported on
- Identify, recommend and recruit high performing U17 - U20 players capable of playing in CAFC’s 1st Team
- Lead on our traditional and non-traditional recruitment sources throughout these age groups
- Liaise closely with Academy Recruitment Manager and PDP Lead Phase Coaches to ensure trialists are inducted professionally and in a timely manner, with relevant documentation completed
- Collaborate with Managing Director, Academy Manager and relevant staff members on potential player decision making process to fit in line with Club’s identified succession planning strategy
- Gather market intelligence to ensure targets are in keeping with set annual budgets
- Develop and maintain a network of contacts that can support the Talent ID of the emerging talent market as well as potential opportunities for external loans
- Ensure you have an excellent understanding of our internal players within the Academy and 1st Team playing squads
- Work closely with Professional Development Phase Scouts to ensure they are viewing games accordingly, as stipulated by yourself and the needs of the department.
- Work effectively with other departments to ensure the Academy operates in a multi-disciplinary environment and to ensure all goalkeeper’s are fully prepared and have a comprehensive development programme.
- Assist with administrative tasks related to the role, including general organisation, recording of games, have an awareness of player individual development plans and ensure all documentation is uploaded to KML
- Contribute to the scouting, recruitment and GAP Analysis meetings where appropriate
- Attend and contribute to meetings as directed by the Technical Director and Academy Manager
- Attend at least five hours of FA in-service training per year.
- To undertake CPD organised by the Club, as well as arrange suitable Talent ID specific CPD events

Any other reasonable duties as requested by the Academy Manager.

**Education/Qualifications/Training**:

- FA Talent ID Level 3 (minimum)
- Extensive experience of WyScout
- Full UK Drivers License
- DBS
- FA Safeguarding Children

**Specific Experience**:

- Experience of working in a 1st Team or Academy Recruitment Department
- Background in football as a player or coach is desirable.
- A UEFA Coaching qualification is desirable
- IT literate with a knowledge of the Player Data & Identification collection systems.

**Abilities/Skills/Knowledge**:

- Competent and personable with good time management skills (E);
- Ability to work calmly under pressure (E);
- Ability to work well as a member of a team and as an individual (E);
- High degree of personal drive and motivation (E)
- Ability to understand and adapt to the culture of a professional football club (E);
- Actively cooperate and communicate with others, fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration (E);
- An ability to review the current operation and identify practical areas for improvement (E);
- Positive about achieving Club, departmental and individual success (E);
- Proactively takes on new responsibilities and seek out opportunities to learn new s