Assistant Private Secretary

The Independent Football Regulator; Greater Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 39,000 - 43,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Flexible/hybrid working

Annual leave 31.5 days

Cycle-to-work

Job summary

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is seeking an Assistant Private Secretary to support the Director, Deputy Director and Head of the Supervision Office in Manchester. The role requires the ability to work at pace, strong organisational skills and strategic thinking to prioritise complex issues.

You will manage calendars, coordinate decision-making forums, prepare briefing materials and assist with regulatory engagement and reporting.

Qualifications

• The ability to work at pace and remain calm under pressure.
• Strong organisational skills to balance competing priorities.
• Strategic thinking to identify key issues and risks before they arise.
• Leadership and ability to form effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders at various levels.
• Strategic analysis to provide fresh ideas during breaking events.

Responsibilities

• Provide support to the Director, Deputy Director and Head of the Supervision Office, understanding priorities and the wider football industry.
• Manage the time and priorities of the Director, Deputy Director and Head of the Supervision Office, ensuring diaries, meetings and travel align with business needs and strategic objectives.
• Coordinate key decision-making forums, preparing agendas and briefing materials, recording decisions, and ensuring actions are delivered.
• Support supervisors overseeing clubs in distress or crisis, helping to prioritise critical issues, assess risks and support effective decision-making.
• Undertake the supervision of clubs when required, acting as a key point of contact and supporting engagement with external stakeholders.

Skills

Work at pace

Organisational skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Strategic analysis

Job description

Assistant Private Secretary

Closing date: 04/11/2026, 23:55
Location: Manchester
Position Type: Full Time
Salary: £38,856 - £43,174

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) has been established to protect and promote the sustainability of English football, for the benefit of fans and the local communities football clubs serve. The IFR will help improve financial sustainability of clubs, ensure resilience across the leagues, and safeguard the heritage of English football. It will operate a licensing regime; set corporate governance standards and monitor, protect, and promote financial resilience. It will also enforce compliance with requirements on financial regulation, club ownership and directors, fan engagement, and heritage protection. The IFR will also have powers to prohibit clubs from joining competitions that are not fair or meritocratic, or that threaten the heritage or sustainability of English football.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide support to the Director, Deputy Director and Head of the Supervision Office, developing a strong understanding of the Football Regulator's priorities, operating environment and the wider football industry.
• Manage the time and priorities of the Director, Deputy Director and Head of the Supervision Office, ensuring diaries, meetings and travel align with business needs and strategic objectives.
• Coordinate key decision-making forums, preparing agendas and briefing materials, recording decisions, and ensuring actions are delivered.
• Support supervisors overseeing clubs in distress or crisis, helping to prioritise critical issues, assess risks and support effective decision-making.
• Undertake the supervision of clubs when required, acting as a key point of contact and supporting engagement with external stakeholders.
• Support the oversight of high-risk clubs, identifying emerging risks, trends and issues requiring regulatory attention.
• Maintain effective collaboration between the IFR and key football competition authorities, including the Premier League, EFL and National League.
• Work closely with colleagues at all levels, representing the Director's Office and helping to drive departmental priorities.
• Build strong working relationships with senior leaders across the Supervision Directorate and the wider organisation.
• Manage complex and sensitive issues relating to regulated clubs and corporate matters, while delivering high-quality reporting, briefings and governance support.

Essential Requirements

• The ability to work at pace, driving progress in the face of a range of competing views and being calm and resilient in pressurised situations.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to balance competing priorities and pressure.
• Strategic thinking to understand the sensitivities of the brief and spot the key issues and risks before they arise.
• Leadership skills and ability to form effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders internally and externally, and at various levels of seniority.
• Strategic analysis skills to provide challenge and fresh ideas across a broad range of issues and in response to breaking events.

Desirable Skills

• Familiarity with Non-Departmental Public Bodies, especially Regulators, and their relationship to Government.
• Some supervisory exposures, ideally from a regulator.
• Knowledge of the football industry.

Terms and Conditions of Employment

If successful, you will join a Non-Departmental Public Body and will be employed as a Public Servant. If you are an existing Civil Servant or a DCMS employee, you will no longer have access to Civil Service benefits including the Civil Service pension. The terms and conditions of employment include:

• Pension 12% - An employee contribution of 5%, with an employer contribution of 7%.
• Flexible Benefit 8% - Employees can choose to invest 8% of their base salary into their pension or take as cash (post tax).
• Reward - We will have a performance-based reward programme.
• 31.5 days annual leave.
• Flexible and hybrid working - 40% in office attendance.
• Occupational sick pay.
• 9 months paid Maternity Leave and generous paternity and adoption leave.
• A bespoke L&D programme to help you achieve your personal CPD, including paid membership fees.
• Cycle-to-work scheme and much more!