Regional Network Manager - EastThe FA

The FA are delighted to offer an exciting opportunity within our Grassroots division for a Regional Network Manager to join our team. Covering the East Region, you will cultivate and strengthen key partnerships to enhance the reach, visibility, and impact of the grassroots game across the area. You will play a leading part in sustaining and growing Women's Football structures in strategic locations, while providing expert development support, guidance, and training to County FAs. Additionally, you will drive delivery of The FA's broader football-for-development and social change initiatives across the region.

This role is a fixed-term contract until the 31st of July 2027, and will require regular travel within the region and Wembley (see attached map for further details).

What will you be doing?

• Advise, Support, Connect and Train
  • Leverage and develop partnerships to achieve greater coverage, reach and profile of the grassroots game across a regional area to ensure maximum connectivity (and best return on football investment), between football and wider sport, health and education stakeholders. Key partners will include Football Club Charities; County FAs; School Partnerships and Local Authorities.
  • Retain and expand Women's Football structures in regional strategic locations connecting football development opportunities to Sport England's priority place work.
  • Provide specialist development support, advice, and training to County FAs within the East region with specific support for the club development network to create sustainable provision for male, female and disabled participants.
• Networks and Structures
  • Grow, retain and evolve Girls Football School Partnership structures, connecting education and community football providers.
  • Support County FAs to create effective cross-stakeholder action plans to achieve their targets and deliver successful football development outcomes for the local area.
  • Design and deliver regional networking and training events for stakeholders.
• Relationship Management
  • Strengthen relationships between the County FAs and wider football providers, connecting and aligning strategies.
  • Represent The FA on regional/local strategy groups and make presentations on the work of the Grassroots Football Division.
  • Champion the perspective of County FAs and delivery partners across The FA and with key partners, elevating their profile and the recognition of the work undertaken at local level.
  • Influence stakeholders' adoption of FA digital communication and products to reach customers across the wider football landscape.
• Influence and Impact
  • Provide specialist advice and guidance to support the development of the male, female and disability pathways in England Football Accredited Clubs.
  • Develop processes that enables local knowledge and insight to inform national strategies.
  • Relentlessly challenge alignment of football strategies across a regional area, including value for money and scale of impact.
  • Ensure the best possible return on football investment across regional projects and interventions.
  • Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
  • Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• Business / Sport development qualification.
• Strong influencing skills in the areas of strategy and policy.
• Experience of grassroots football.
• Track record of creating effective, detailed business plans to achieve a range of outcomes.
• Success in leading transformational change programmes.
• Broad business development skills covering the areas of people management, influencing and negotiating.
• Proven experience in developing successful partnerships and attracting investment.
• Ability to gain buy-in to equality objectives.
• Strategic management, policy implementation and business improvement.
• Evaluating risk, dealing with conflict and managing change.
• Achieving results through performance management.
• Relationship management through coaching and mentoring.

Beneficial to have:

• Knowledge of the FA Grassroots Football Strategy.
• Regional Management or Senior Sport Development experience.
• Working in partnership with football and wider community organisations.
• Experience in political and functional workings of Local Authorities, Sport England and other partners.
• Health and safety skills / qualification.
• Project management skills / qualification.
• Understanding of data analysis.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles. 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 on 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, encourages you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional 'Thank You' day's leave, volunteering days, as well as 25 days of annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract)
• A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.