Academy Player Care Manager (U9-U16)

Arsenal Football Club; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid working model

Internal learning & development

Match tickets priority access

Health & wellbeing benefits package

Employee Assistance Programme

Partner discounts

EDI network engagement

Job summary

Arsenal Football Club is seeking an Academy Player Care Manager (U9-U16) to support the wellbeing, development and Academy experience of our young players. You will work with players, parents, schools, host families and colleagues to provide tailored care and contribute to a positive environment on and off the pitch.

The role will lead player care programmes, support transitions through the Academy pathway and maintain confidential records while collaborating with stakeholders to ensure families

Qualifications

• Experience supporting children, young people and families with welfare-focused support.
• Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building with diverse contacts.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to achieve objectives.
• Excellent organisational and administrative capabilities for managing programmes and records.
• Knowledge of safeguarding policies and responsibilities when working with young people.
• Understanding of football development environments and academy operations.
• Confident with IT tools (e.g., Microsoft 365) and maintaining accurate records.
• Caring, proactive, trustworthy approach that fosters team culture.

Responsibilities

• Support our young players and families by building positive relationships and acting as a key contact.
• Lead development programmes and coordinate the Academy Transition Strategy and Lifelong Learner Programme.
• Manage the Host Family Programme, recruiting and supporting host families.
• Promote player wellbeing and coordinate appropriate support initiatives.
• Maintain accurate player care records and support reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with academy staff, families and external organisations to resolve issues.
• Coordinate inductions and transitions and deliver annual induction activities.
• Support academy events and wider player care projects across the academy.

Skills

Experience with children and families

Stakeholder management

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Organisational skills

Safeguarding knowledge

Football development knowledge

IT proficiency

Trustworthy and proactive attitude

Job description

The Role

We're looking for an Academy Player Care Manager (U9-U16) to join our Academy Operations team and play an important role in supporting the wellbeing, development and Academy experience of our young players. Working closely with players, parents, schools, host families and multidisciplinary colleagues, you'll provide individual player care support across the Under 9 to Under 16 age groups while helping to create a challenging and caring environment. You'll lead key player care programmes, support successful transitions through the Academy pathway, and ensure players and families receive the guidance and support they need at every stage of their development. You'll contribute to creating a positive and supportive environment where young players can thrive and develop both on and off the pitch.

Who we are

We are one of the most famous clubs in world football, with a rich heritage and history of success – read more about our history, here. Beyond that, we are passionate about our local community and, behind the scenes, we have a wide variety of opportunities and career paths for all. We have a very defined purpose: to act for a winning team, culture and community. We achieve this by ensuring we are courageous in the pursuit of progress, we champion our community and each other, and that we do the right thing (even when no one is looking).

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

We are committed to ensuring that our environments for children, young people and adults at risk remain safe and inclusive. We therefore require successful candidates to complete a DBS check and other essential background checks prior to starting their employment. Depending on the responsibilities of the role, a DBS will be either a basic, standard, or enhanced check.

Your day-to-day

• Support our young players and families – you'll build positive relationships with players and parents, providing tailored support and acting as a key point of contact when required.
• Lead player development programmes – you will coordinate and deliver the Academy Transition Strategy and Lifelong Learner Programme, providing engaging life skills and personal development opportunities.
• Manage the Host Family Programme – you'll recruit, support and maintain relationships with host families, coordinating placements and ensuring a positive experience for players.
• Promote player wellbeing – you will support wellbeing initiatives, coordinate appropriate support and contribute to an environment that enables players to flourish.
• Maintain player care records – you'll ensure information is accurate, organised and managed confidentially while supporting wider reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders – you will work closely with Academy staff, families and external organisations to support player development and resolve issues effectively.
• Coordinate inductions and transitions – you'll support players and families through key Academy transitions and deliver annual induction activities.
• Support Academy events and wider initiatives – you'll contribute to tours, tournaments and wider player care projects across the Academy.

Position of Trust

As someone in a position of trust role involving regular, direct contact with children or vulnerable adults you will be expected to uphold high standards of conduct to prevent abuse, including sexual, physical, or emotional harm. This role requires you to keep updated with both Club and FA Safeguarding training and education.

What we are looking for

• Experience supporting children, young people and families – you can demonstrate a track record of providing welfare-focused support and building trusted relationships.
• Outstanding stakeholder management skills – you're able to communicate effectively and build positive relationships with a range of internal and external contacts.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams – you're comfortable collaborating with colleagues from different departments to achieve shared objectives.
• Excellent organisational and administrative skills – you can manage programmes, maintain records and balance competing priorities effectively.
• Knowledge of safeguarding practices – you understand the importance of safeguarding policies, procedures and responsibilities when working with young people.
• An understanding of the football development environment – you ideally hold knowledge of the youth development frameworks and Academy operations.
• Confident IT skills – you're comfortable using Microsoft 365 and maintaining accurate administrative records.
• A caring, proactive and trustworthy approach – you build trust quickly, handle sensitive matters with discretion and positively contribute to team culture.

Why choose us

• An exciting reward and recognition scheme
• Generous holiday allowance which increases with your length of service
• Great internal learning and development programmes
• A flexible hybrid working model
• Priority access to apply for match tickets
• A competitive health and wellbeing benefits package
• A leading Employee Assistance Programme
• Great discounts with some of our Partners
• An opportunity to play a vital role in delivering our ED&I strategy by joining one of our Employee Networks

Arsenal for Everyone

Arsenal for Everyone is our commitment to promoting and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, so that everyone connected to the club feels like they belong to the same Arsenal family. We believe that diversity of background, skills and experience drives our success on and off the pitch.

Disability Confident Leader

We are a Disability Confident Leader. We actively welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you need disability-related adjustments to the recruitment process, please indicate this in the application. If you are likely to meet the definition of a ‘disabled person’ according to the Equality Act 2010, you may be eligible to apply for an interview via the Disability Confident Scheme – please indicate this in your application form below. The information you share with us about your health or disability will not be used in recruitment decisions.

Application Closing Date

Sunday 15th November 2026