Senior Lead

The Senior Lead Coaching Qualifications & Standards is responsible for leading the coordination and delivery of all coaching qualifications across the development pathway. Key to delivering excellence, the role will ensure consistency and connectivity in the alignment and delivery of all coaching qualifications, whilst meeting the required standards set by UEFA. The role is key in maintaining the quality, integrity, and relevance of coaching qualifications, ensuring alignment with the organisation's coaching philosophy and long-term player development objectives. As a critical member of the coach development leadership team, and FA Learning Senior Leadership group, the role will collaborate effectively with colleagues across coach development and learning and innovation.

**What will you be doing?**
- Lead the implementation and management of coaching qualifications, ensuring they provide the very best development experience and meet the standards and requirements of the UEFA coaching convention.
- Alongside the Senior Lead - Learning Experience, oversee the accreditation process for coaching courses, ensuring that all qualifications delivered are compliant with regulatory and educational standards
- Own the development and upkeep of the coach development framework as the central point of truth and reference for all coach development activity across the game, and ensure it is embedded across all UEFA qualifications.
- Lead a team of course directors that will enable a consistent and connected approach to qualification delivery that ultimately enhances the learning experience for coaches.
- Ensure qualifications are fit for purpose for the male and female game.
- Collaborate with the Senior Lead: Learning Experience and external partners to ensure the continuous improvement and modernisation of qualification content, ensuring the curriculum remains relevant and focused.
- Alongside colleagues in strategic insight and learning evaluation, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of qualification programs, gathering feedback and using data to inform improvements and ensure relevance to modern coaching demands.
- Ensure that coaches have a clear qualification pathway, supporting their professional development and progression within the football industry.
- Promote best practices in coaching education across the organisation, ensuring coaches are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver high-quality player development.
- Ensure compliance with safeguarding, equality, and inclusion standards in all qualification programs.
- Collaborate with the coach development leads (male and female) to ensure effective and appropriate deployment of coach developers across all qualifications.
- Assist with the integration of an effective quality development process across all qualifications.
- Manage the budget for qualifications effectively and ensure the optimal utilisation of resources across all coach development activity.
- Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group changing priorities.
- Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing can be maintained.
- As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

**What are we looking for?**
- Essential for the role:

- Undergraduate / postgraduate degree in sports coaching, sports science or sports administration.
- Possession of a relevant coaching qualification or coach developer certification, demonstrating expertise in both coaching and the development of other coaches.
- Extensive experience in designing, managing, and delivering football coaching qualifications at various levels, with a deep understanding of adult learning principles and education frameworks in a football context.
- Strong knowledge of football governing bodies (e.g., UEFA, FIFA) and their requirements for coaching qualifications, ensuring programs meet regulatory standards and compliance.
- Proven experience in leading teams, managing projects, and overseeing the delivery of complex qualification programs. Ability to inspire and support staff in delivering high-quality outcomes.
- Ability to create coaching curriculums that align with the national governing body philosophies, focusing on long-term player development, modern coaching methodologies, and technical standards.
- Excellent collaboration skills with the ability to work across different departments (e.g., coach development, performance teams) and external stakeholders (e.g., football federations, educational bodies) to drive coach education initiatives.
- Strong strategic skills, with the ability to create long term plans for coach education that align with the organisations goals, ensuring sustainability and excel