Academy Psychology Lead

Nottingham Forest Football Club; Nottingham; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tickets for City Ground events

Employee Assistance Programme

High street and gym discounts

Club shop discount

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Nottingham Forest Football Club seeks a Lead Psychologist to deliver psychology services across the Academy, with a focus on the Boys Pathway (FP, YDP, PDP), Loans, and Transition. You will work with the Academy Psychologist to support players, parents and staff, ensuring a coherent and complementary psychology service within the Academy.

You will collaborate with Men’s First Team and Academy staff to facilitate pathways to the first team or other clubs, develop Mind Section IDPs, oversee the

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in Psychology or Sport Psychology.
• HCPC registration is required.
• FA Safeguarding Children certification.
• Experience in elite sport environments.
• Experience in academy football.
• Experience supporting athletes, coaches and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience supporting player transitions and long-term athlete development.

Responsibilities

• Lead Psychologist with focus on development and support of Academy players across FP, YDP and PDP.
• Specialist focus on development and performance of B Team players and staff via 1:1s and group sessions.
• Collaborate with Player Pathway Manager on loan players and transitions to 1st team or other clubs.
• Assist with onboarding of new signings and progression of B Team players.
• Lead development and implementation of B Team IDP Mind Sections informing development plans.
• Manage Academy Psychologist (U9s–U18s) and oversee syllabus across FP, YDP & PDP.
• Lead academy-wide transition strategy with MDT collaboration.
• Support retain/release decisions in coordination with Academy leadership and HC psychologist.
• Collaborate on after-care and Alumni programme development.
• Contribute to SWEP team and Shared Space Mental Health Strategy.

Skills

Leadership

Multi-disciplinary teamwork

Education

Postgraduate degree in Psychology or Sport Psychology

HCPC registration

FA Safeguarding Children

Experience in elite sport environment

Experience in academy football

Experience supporting athletes, coaches and MDTs

Experience supporting player transitions and LTAD

Job description

Salary: Please state your expectations within your application

Contract: Full Time, 42 hours a week

Location: The Nigel Doughty Academy, Nottingham, NG2 7SR

Department: Academy Player Care and Wellbeing

Reporting to: Academy Player Care and Wellbeing Lead

Closing Date For Applications: 6th October 2026

About the Role

Lead the strategic delivery of psychology services to our Academy teams with a specific focus on the Boys Pathway (FP, YDP, PDP), Loans and Transition ensuring clarity of strategy and a consistent, complimentary approach for all Psychology services.

Working closely with the Academy Psychologist (U9s - U18s), you will manage the delivery of psychological support and development for all players, parents and staff across the Academy.

You will work closely with key staff within the Men’s First Team & Academy programmes to ensure a support pathway is present for players transitioning into either first team environments or progression to other clubs / career pathways.

The Perks of the Job

• Opportunity to access tickets for events at The City Ground.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Access to high street and gym discounts.
• Discount within our Club shop.
• Free on-site parking.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities

• Lead Psychologist with a focus in the development and support of Academy players throughout the pathway (FP, YDP and PDP).
• Specialist focus upon the development and performances of B Team players and staff through a range of support mechanisms including 1:1s and group sessions.
• Work closely with the Player Pathway Manager in supporting loan players and within the transition to the first team or progression to other professional clubs.
• Assist with any transitional periods for players such as onboarding of new signings and the progression support of current B Team players.
• Lead the development and implementation of B Team IDP’s Mind Sections using Player Grading and observations to inform individual development plans.
• Management of Academy Psychologist (U9s – U18s) and oversee the delivery of the syllabus throughout the FP, YDP & PDP.
• Lead on an academy-wide transition strategy to help support the player journey through close MDT working and excellent departmental collaboration.
• Assist with the preparation of retain and release decisions for all academy players working closely with the Academy Player Care and Wellbeing Lead, and Academy Psychologist (U9s – U18s).
• Work collaboratively with the Academy Player Care & Wellbeing Lead in providing excellent after-care support and the development of an Academy Alumni programme.
• Actively contribute as a member of the Safeguarding, Welfare, Education and Psychology (SWEP) team.
• Contribute through both consultation and delivery of the Shared Space Mental Health Strategy & Action Plan to ensure e ective implementation in the academy.
• Lead the Mental Health Screening process for all PDP players.
• Support academy staff to continually enhance the working culture and promote an environment that supports positive mental health and wellbeing for young people.
• Lead on the delivery of the Academy strategy relating to the Psychology provision ensuring it is live, reviewed, communicated and that strategic pillars, objectives and performance indicators are monitored with appropriate intervention and action where required.
• Work closely with MDT staff to enhance the application of the psychological syllabus and skills through integration within the academy environment.
• Produce monthly, quarterly and annual report in line with the strategy for the Head of Academy and Academy Management Team.
• Responsible for leading academy audit preparation, annual reviews and ongoing compliance across Premier League, FA, UEFA and FIFA regulations within the Psychology area.
• In conjunction with the Academy Player Care & Wellbeing Lead and Assistant Academy Manager lead on an enhanced programme for staff development to support all members academy staff.
• Continued Academy-wide staff and team development through the implementation of Spotlight Profiling.
• Continual professional development through external club visits, best-practice sport experiences and maintaining relationships with International Sports Organisations.

What are we looking for:

Essential:

• Postgraduate degree in Psychology or Sport Psychology
• Member of the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)
• FA Safeguarding Children
• Experience of working in an elite sporting environment
• Experience of working in academy football
• Experience supporting athletes, coaches and multi-disciplinary teams
• Experience of supporting player transitions and long-term athlete development

Desirable:

• Mindflick Spotlight Accreditation
• Mental Health First Aid Qualification
• UK Anti-Doping Introduction to Clean Sport Certificate

Forest For Everyone

We aim to create a culture which embraces and celebrates our differences, enables individuals to feel comfortable, maximise their potential and eliminate discrimination.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital / civil partnership status, pregnancy / maternity leave, race, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is a signatory of the FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code. We are committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities and diversity within our workforce. To monitor our progress against these commitments, we Invite all applicants to provide diversity data during the application process.

Disability Confident Committed Employer

We are a Disability Confident Committed employer. We 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 recruitment process.

If you are likely to meet the definition of being 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 selections.

Our Commitment to Safeguarding

As part of the Club’s commitment to safeguarding, the successful applicant may be required to undergo a Disclosure Barring Service (“DBS”) check. The level of check required will depend on the requirements of the role. Individuals will be asked to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings or bind-overs that they are required to disclose for the level of check applicable to the role, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (as amended) and the DBS filtering rules. The results of any check will be considered on an individual basis, and the Club will act proportionately in deciding whether to proceed with the appointment. The Club reserves the right to carry out risk assessments where content has been disclosed if it feels that it is relevant to the job requirements of the role. Failure to satisfy the Club, FA’s and the PL's safeguarding requirements may lead to the job offer being withdrawn or, if they have already started employment, summary termination of the employment, in accordance with the Club's disciplinary procedures

Health and Safety

Nottingham Forest is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy working environment for all employees, contractors, visitors, and guests. All employees are expected to comply with company health and safety policies, procedures and risk assessments, use equipment and PPE correctly and report any hazards, accidents and near misses. Appropriate training will be provided to ensure everyone understands their health and safety responsibilities.