D
Chef, Wembley Stadium
Delaware North
Head of Men's Player Recruitment and Retention
Work Model
📍 United Kingdom
Employment
💼 Full-Time Direct
Recruitment Type
🛡️ Direct to HR Pipeline
Role Overview & Responsibilities
The Role
Identify and inspire the next generation...
This role is responsible for leading a team to identify and select players with high potential for the men's pathway in an ever-increasing competitive environment that includes how we engage dual national players, ensuring we retain players and they feel connected with England.
This includes working in a multi-disciplinary way across the various performance teams and men's technical department, club engagement and relevant external stakeholders in the game.
The role also includes supporting the Senior England Men's Manager as the key part of their player selection strategy.
TO APPLY - We are working with Nolan Partners in order to support us with this recruitment, in order to apply please send your cover letter and CV including the 'The FA, Head of Men's Player Recruitment and Retention' in the subject line to thefa@nolanpartners.com
About the Team
Our FA Technical teams support all aspects of Men's and Women's elite performance – including para football, the elite format of disability football that runs parallel to the mainstream game – so we can help England teams to win tournaments.
Our teams manage everything from identifying talent to the development and coaching of multi-disciplinary teams throughout the age groups, up to our Senior England teams. To deliver against our goal we have invested heavily in developing a team of exceptional people capable of creating winning England teams at our world-class training facilities at our National Football Centre, St. George's Park
What You'll Do?
Player Recruitment and Retention
- Lead and develop a high performing team of talent reporters. Set clear standards and foster a high performing culture to ensure the development of a respected and trusted talent reporter population covering the breadth of age groups from U15 to the Senior team.
- Lead the strategic development and operational delivery for Player Recruitment and Retention considering best practice in the use of video, data and multi-disciplinary observations and measurements both on and off England duty to contribute to comprehensive, benchmarked player profiles appropriate to each age group.
- Lead on recruitment and retention decision making with internal stakeholders to ensure regular and effective dialogue bringing together objective and subjective data.
- Continually developing and utilising comprehensive rating systems and depth charts to provide insightful analysis of player status
- Utilising comprehensive player profiles, that inform regular cross-phase player reviews in order to select and benchmark current players.
- Play an integral role in defining and disseminating the core characteristics and benchmarks of Winning England players at all levels with all relevant internal and external stakeholders.
Internal Collaboration
- Develop close and trusted working relationships with Men's national coaches, the Performance Director and the insight and analysis performance staff to ensure a cohesive multi-disciplinary approach at all times
- Lead the creation and delivery of key internal projects and external research associations which support the further development of player recruitment and retention services.
- Support the development of Talent Identification in FA Education through close working links and sharing of information.
Club Engagement
- Build and develop strong relationships with clubs to collate key information on prospective and current players.
- Play an integral role in club engagement to ensure relationships with clubs are maximised and utilised to drive a consistent exchange of key information on prospective and current players, including the recruitment and retention of players throughout the pathway.
Other
- Develop and maintain an extensive network of organisations and individuals outside football with whom to share and develop best practice.
- Planning & management of departmental budget.
- Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group changing priorities
What You'll Need?
Essential for the role:
- Extensive experience of delivering a successful player recruitment strategy
- Understanding the context of the evolving international football landscape and its impact on player recruitment and retention for England
- Skilled in performance data analysis and making evidence-based player assessments and decisions.
- Ability to collaborate and influence leaders across multiple departments
- Outstanding organisational, process, communication, and project management skills.
- Experience of leading and engaging large teams.
- High level of football intelligence
- Operates with professionalism and integrity and values aligned to The FA.
- Excellent written and oral communication.
Beneficial to have:
- A Level 5 Talent Identification qualification
- Detailed knowledge of Research & Development processes
What's in it for you?
We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, in order 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 in 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 encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and wellbeing.
- Free, nutritious lunches, at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
- Free private medical cover.
- A contributory pension scheme.
- An additional Thank You days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave.
- A hybrid working model offering flexibility on where you work.
For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page, https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careers
Our Organisation
The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.
The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, Barclays FA Women's Super League, FA Women's Championship, and Vitality Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.
We currently work within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary.
Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of either Wembley Stadium, St. George's Park or our Processing Centre, unless the role is advertised as a homebased contract. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.
The FA, For All, For You
Our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy forms an integral part of our long-term commitment to using our influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.
https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/about-the-fa/2021/fa_a-game-for-all-strategy.ashx
A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments – Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change – which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come.
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.
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for the Head of Men's Player Recruitment and Retention position at The Football Association?
Click the “Apply for this Position” button on this page to submit your details directly to The Football Association's recruitment pipeline without agency fees or intermediaries.
Is this role eligible for remote work or international relocation?
This position is based in United Kingdom with potential relocation and visa sponsorship considerations for qualified candidates.
Are there any fees to apply through Jobflixs?
No. Jobflixs is 100% free for all job applicants. We strictly prohibit recruitment fees, candidate registration fees, or placement charges.
