Chief Football ScoutBlackburn Rovers

Job title: Chief Football Scout

Department: Senior Recruitment

Based at: Senior Training Centre, Brockhall Village, Blackburn, BB6 8FA. Flexibility regarding location is required.

Reports to: Head of Football Operations

Responsible for: N/A

Hours of work: 40 hour per week, plus any additional hours necessary for the performance of the duties. This will include evening and weekend work.

Contractual status: Permanent

Job purpose: To build and lead our recruitment department ensuring it integrates modern data analytics, video scouting, and traditional scouting expertise. This is a key leadership position at the club, with the opportunity to shape the future of our on-field success.

Duties and responsibilities:
 To be committed to ensuring the safeguarding and welfare of all elite players, promoting their well-being needs whilst maintaining professional boundaries;
 Design and deliver a data-led recruitment framework, ensuring alignment with the club’s technical, tactical, and cultural identity;
 Oversee all domestic and international scouting operations, identifying the best talent at every level;
 Drive decision-making based on a combination of quantitative insights and qualitative assessments, setting a new benchmark for recruitment excellence;
 Leverage advanced analytics and modern scouting tools (e.g., Wyscout, Impect, Eyeball, and bespoke systems) to identify and monitor emerging talent;
 Collaborate with the club’s analytics team to translate raw data into actionable insights;
 Ensure player recommendations are backed by a clear blend of data-driven rationale and on-ground evaluations;
 Lead a multi-disciplinary scouting team, fostering collaboration acrosstraditional scouts, video analysts, and data scientists;
 Communicate clearly and persuasively with the club’s leadership insuring alignment on recruitment priorities;
 Inspire a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the recruitment department;
 Build and maintain a comprehensive knowledge of global football markets, focusing on undervalued leagues and untapped talent pools; and
 Stay ahead of recruitment trends by identifying emerging player profiles and adapting to shifts in the market landscape.

Skills required:
 Proven track record in senior scouting or recruitment roles at an elite level, with demonstrable experience in data-integrated scouting operations;
 Advanced understanding of football tactics, player profiling, and performance metrics.
 Proficiency with modern scouting platforms (e.g., Wyscout, Impect, Eyeball) and a deep appreciation for analytics-driven insights;
 Inspirational leader with exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, capable of uniting teams behind a shared vision;
 Open-minded and innovative, with the ability to embrace new ideas and implement forward-thinking solutions;
 Highly adaptable, with a proven ability to work in dynamic, high-pressure environments;
 Relentless work ethic and a willingness to go the extra mile to deliver results.
 Strong industry network and deep knowledge of domestic and international football;
 Passion for building a recruitment structure capable of elevating the club’s competitive edge; and
 Flexible to the needs of the business.

Knowledge required:
 Knowledge of advanced metrics and their application in modern scouting;
 Knowledge and experience in designing or managing data-integrated recruitment systems.

Qualifications required:
 Proven track record of working within a senior scouting/recruitment position within an elite sporting environment;
 Proven track record of designing or managing data-integrated recruitment systems;
 Multilingual abilities to support international recruitment efforts (desirable);
 Coaching qualifications (e.g., UEFA licences) or an academic background in performance analysis or sports science (desirable);
 Talent ID qualifications.

DBS check required: Yes