Job Purpose

An exciting opportunity to join the management team of the charitable foundation of a dynamic Premier League football club. Palace for Life Foundation uses the power of the Crystal Palace FC and Premier League brand to help young people grow through sport.

As the Foundation’s Programme Development Manager, you will be responsible for expanding our programme of commercial Soccer School and Player Development Centres for boys and girls, as well as Primary School provision across South London, setting up delivery in new locations and growing the number of paying participants and delivering a healthy financial surplus to be reinvested in our charitable work.

You will oversee all aspects of creating new Soccer School, Player Development Centre and Primary Education provision delivery, execute an effective promotional strategy in partnership with our communications team, run an efficient booking and customer service process, support the recruitment and up-skilling of full-time and sessional coaches, and ensure a safe and enjoyable experience and ongoing football development pathway for all participants.

Job Summary

• To manage the growth of the Foundation’s Player Development Centres, Soccer Schools and Primary Education provision, organising an expansive programme running throughout the year in venues across south London;


• Identifying new areas for growth and specific venues, negotiating venue hire agreements where relevant;


• Engaging and forming close partnerships with key partners including the Crystal Palace FC Academy, local venues and grassroot teams;


• Coordinating the Foundation’s coaches delivering our Football Development programmes, through regular effective communication and CPD opportunities with engaging content so coaches can effectively deliver the programme;


• To lead staff development within the department, ensuring individual development plans are tailored to get the best out of all staff;


• Leading recruitment of delivery staff across new areas and programmes;


• Utilising the Foundation’s booking system to create efficient methods for tracking and expanding bookings across the department, regularly reporting into the Head of Football Development;


• Managing budgets, updating project expenditure and tracking income to ensure the successful profitable delivery of the programme;


• Create a marketing strategy for new sessions and lead on programme promotion, maintaining a strong relationship with the Foundation’s Communications team and creating impactful case studies;


• Ensuring efficient quality assurance at all sessions, utilising the Foundation’s Safeguarding Manager;


• Supporting the development of an exciting coaching syllabus for use across all programmes;


• Responsible for reporting to the Head of Department on the achievement of a series of key performance indicators and general updates for each programme;


• Liaising closely with other internal colleagues within the Foundation and counterparts at other Club Community Organisations in sharing of good practice and cross working together;


• Support staff in the delivery of special events and campaigns that promote activities delivered by the Foundation;


• Execute additional tasks in order to meet departmental project-related or development objectives.

Job Requirements

Essential

• Sound knowledge and experience of working within Football Development, either through coaching or managing a similar programme, with a proven track record of achievement;


• Knowledge and experience of working within Primary Education setting, including PE delivery, PL Primary Stars and After School Clubs;


• Proven leadership skills, with the ability to provide staff with clear instructions to enable them to achieve desired outcomes and meet the required standards;


• Knowledge of safeguarding reporting processes and procedures;


• A passion and interest in developing a programme to support the development of young players both in School and Football Development settings;


• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to multitask, work to tight deadlines without close supervision, and adapt in a fast-paced environment;


• Experience of working with young people from different backgrounds, and of line management of staff/coaches;


• Commitment to a high-quality community engagement programme;


• Experience forming partnerships with schools, clubs and venue providers, and managing partnerships effectively and concisely so external partners are satisfied with our work;


• Experience of budgeting and forecasting;


• Must be able to represent Palace for Life Foundation in a confident and professional manner, and have the ability to communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders, including coaches, parents, people at all levels within the Foundation, the parent club and high-level outside contacts within schools;


• Ability and willingness to work flexible hours, including evenings and some weekends;


• A positive, "can do" attitude with the ability to inspire and lead a team;


• An enthusiastic, proactive approach combined with a determination to achieve;


• Excellent communication/presentation skills both written and verbal;


• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office.

Desirable

• Possess football coaching qualifications;


• Existing enhanced DBS check;


• Full clean drivers licence;


• Knowledge of the football pyramid and Academy player pathways;


• Understanding of effective quality assurance processes;


• Connections with grassroots teams across South London;


• Experience of managing a programme budget;


• Knowledge of CRM and booking system(s);


• Experience of creating successful promotional campaigns.