Athlete Pathway Coordinator

The University of Birmingham; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 29,000 - 32,000; Part time

Job summary

A leading UK university in Birmingham seeks a dedicated professional to support the Birmingham Athletic Talent Hub. You will be responsible for program delivery, relationship management, and fostering a positive environment for athletes and coaches. The ideal candidate should have relevant coaching qualifications, strong organizational skills, and a passion for sports development. This role offers a full-time position with potential for progression, emphasizing diversity and inclusion within a dynamic team setting.

Benefits

40 days paid holiday

Occupational sick pay

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• Experience working in athletic programs or coaching environments.
• In-depth understanding of coaching styles in Track and Field Athletics.
• Knowledge of integrated performance sport support services.

Responsibilities

• Support planning and delivery of athlete programs.
• Build relationships with stakeholders and manage communications.
• Monitor and track athlete progress and provide timely updates.

Skills

Coaching skills

Communication

Team management

Problem solving

Organizational skills

Education

A Level standard or equivalent

GCSE grade C or 4 in Mathematics and English

UKCC Level 3 coaching award

Job description

Overview

Location: University of Birmingham Edgbaston Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range 29647 to 31460 with potential progression once in post to 35388

Grade: 5

Part Time (17.5 hours per week)

Fixed Term contract up to October 2026

Closing date: 4th January 2026

This role is also open as an internal secondment opportunity which would need to be agreed by your current line manager.

UK travel may be required for this role

Our offer to you

People are at the heart of what we are and do.

The University of Birmingham is proud to have been a part of the City of Birmingham and the wider region for over 100 years and we are equally proud to be recognised as a leading global institution. We want to attract talented people from across the city and beyond, support them to succeed and celebrate their success.

We are committed to helping the people who work here to develop through our Birmingham Professional programme which provides all professional-services staff with development opportunities and the encouragement to reach their full potential. There are plenty of opportunities for career development across our campuses in Edgbaston and Dubai, with many roles available.

We believe there is no such thing as a typical member of staff and that diversity is a source of strength. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where diversity is at the heart of who and what we are and how we work.

Supporting our people to achieve a healthy work/life balance is important to our employees and to the success of the University. Depending on the role we offer flexible working arrangements. You will receive a generous package of benefits including 40 days paid holiday a year, one paid day a year for volunteering, occupational sick pay and a pension scheme. We also have three high quality subsidised day nurseries.

The University is situated in leafy Edgbaston with excellent transport links to the campus. There are main bus routes and a campus train station, plus a state-of-the-art sports centre, shops, places to eat and drink, our own art gallery, museum and botanical gardens.

Find out more about the benefits of working for the University of Birmingham.

Background

Campus Services (CS) employs over 1000 staff with a turnover exceeding 65m in the last financial year. CS provides services across diverse areas including sporting facilities, food and beverage, cleaning, conferencing, hotel operations, day nurseries, Portering, post, retail outlets, visitor services and attractions. CS is a highly commercial organisation operating within the University context and has an ambitious strategic plan to grow our service profile across Birmingham and Dubai campuses.

Sport & Fitness operates the University of Birmingham's extensive sport and recreation provision, catering for the whole sports continuum. It supports 6500 members, 40 performance clubs, over 50 sports scholars and offers extensive participation and intra-league programmes. It hosts large events and recently hosted national and international competitions and training venues.

Role Summary

The role will operate within the Birmingham Athletic Talent Hub supporting the Head of Athletics (HoA) in key areas of programme delivery for athletes and coaches within and beyond the University, the city and the region.

The position will build strong relationships with the Hub and the University Athletics Club and involve ensuring clear communication, regular updates and motivation to engage with staff, UB Performance Sport specialists and each other. You will build and maintain relationships with NGB and external partners to support the department.

Main Duties

• Work with the HoA to support planning, running and development of all YTP sessions within established procedures including session setup.
• Collaborate with HoA and Local/EA to develop annual plans for YTP delivery, aligning with national, regional and local planning needs.
• Promote an enjoyable and inclusive atmosphere, ensuring good practice is applied throughout all sessions by adhering to NGB and UoB policy and procedures.
• Provide motivation and encouragement to all team members and support the development of athletes and coaches; observe and recommend improvements for individuals and teams.
• Report on tracking documentation with the Pathway Engagement Team to keep records up to date and report issues as they arise.
• Plan with the Head of Athletics, Sports Marketing Team and Club Officers to support the social media presence of all Club and Hub promotional materials, stories and campaigns.
• Be a positive ambassador for the Talent Hub, UoB England Athletics and the Performance Pathway.
• Support recruitment of talented student-athletes to the Hub, including assisting at Open Days and other recruitment events.
• Act as a point of contact to provide accurate and timely information and advice to internal and external stakeholders on Athletics processes and procedures; resolve queries from initial contact to resolution and refer when necessary.
• Process financial tasks related to Athletics budgets, including setting up new suppliers, raising invoices, purchase orders and receipting of goods.
• Make timely and accurate bookings on behalf of the HoA and programme areas (facilities, transport, catering and conferences).
• Monitor NGB report platform for up-to-date records of environment/Hub-based athletes and provide updates on gaps in the programme to HoA.
• Be conversant with and work to UoB’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and Procedures.
• Participate in job chats and personal development reviews; set objectives and work to achieve them within timescales.
• Promote equality and diversity, acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
• Support the University’s sustainability agenda through resource-efficient working.
• Any other duties commensurate with the grade.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications & Experience

• Educated to A Level standard or equivalent level 3 qualification (e.g., Level 3 NVQ, Level 3 national diploma) or relevant facilities work experience evidencing the skills to undertake the role.
• Minimum GCSE grade C or 4 in Mathematics and English at GCSE or equivalent level 2 qualification or relevant work experience evidencing numeracy and literacy.
• UKCC Level 3 coaching award (or equivalent).
• DBS clearance prior to appointment.
• Knowledge of the Equality Act 2010 protected characteristics and ensuring equality and fairness in day-to-day activity.
• Knowledge of integrated performance sport support services and their application.
• Experience of managing a small team and leading others (paid staff and volunteers).
• In-depth understanding of coaching styles and practical delivery in Track and Field Athletics.
• Knowledge of HE/FE environment and dual career management for performance athletes.
• Knowledge of Athletics NGB structure at international, national and regional levels.
• Knowledge/understanding of equality and diversity related to sporting provision.
• Working knowledge of AASE/DiSE qualification.
• Ability to work well in a busy team, under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Commitment to sport development and performance pathway processes.
• IT skills with word processing and spreadsheet software.
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends as required.
• Problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Ability to support athletes and coaches on the Athlete Pathway and foster a winning environment.
• Empathy with working in a student and student-athlete environment.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and to tight deadlines.

Dimensions

This role requires personal initiative, managing recruitment of staff, health and safety, risk assessments and audits, and delivery of training.

Planning and Organising

You will work independently on daily, weekly and monthly tasks, but also on projects with medium-to-longer-term horizons without daily supervision.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

You will work under the direction of a manager, deal with more complex queries, and be expected to resolve problems in your area of responsibility. You may also train others to achieve results.

Internal and External Relationships

You will liaise with internal colleagues across the University and external stakeholders.

DBS required

The University is committed to safeguarding and safe recruitment; pre-employment checks will be undertaken. DBS clearance is required prior to appointment.

Enquiries

Informal enquiries to Andy Paul via email. View our staff values and behaviours on the University website.

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to reflect your own style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack detail.

Diversity and Inclusion: The University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and sustainability; see our website for more information.

Required Experience: IC