Deputy CEO

Stadium MK Group; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and pension

Generous annual leave

Professional development support

Stadium MK location

Job summary

MK Dons Community Trust in Milton Keynes is seeking an exceptional Deputy CEO to lead Football Development and Education, aligning with its charitable objectives and strategic goals.

You will work with the CEO and senior team to drive growth, manage budgets, secure funding, and deliver measurable social and educational outcomes across the city.

Qualifications

• Significant senior leadership experience in sport development, football or education with measurable impact.
• Proven ability to develop and deliver strategies for football development or education.
• Experience managing budgets, securing grant funding and developing sustainable income.

Responsibilities

• Lead the 3-5 year strategy for Football Development and Education.
• Direct community, grassroots and elite football programmes and academy pathways.
• Drive school and post-16 education programmes with strong learner outcomes.
• Identify opportunities, secure external funding and grow income.
• Oversee staff, volunteers and performance with a culture of improvement.
• Ensure safeguarding, governance and financial compliance across delivery areas.

Skills

Senior leadership

Strategy development

Budget management

Fundraising & grants

Stakeholder management

Communication & negotiation

Team leadership

Education

Degree in Sports Development / Education / Business Management

FA Coaching Level 2 or equivalent

Job description

About Us:

MK Dons Community Trust is a charitable organisation dedicated to making a positive impact on people’s lives through sport and community programmes. We support individuals - particularly young people to build confidence, develop leadership skills, and improve their physical and mental wellbeing, regardless of their background or ability.

We deliver inclusive, high-quality programmes designed to meet the needs of our communities, ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive.

We are building on strong foundations to become a leading force for good across Milton Keynes - reaching further, supporting more people, and working in partnership with organisations across the city to create lasting change.

Together, we can make a lasting difference

A New Chapter for the Trust

This is an exciting time for the Trust as we begin a new chapter in our journey and look to build on the strong foundations, relationships and impact we have established across Milton Keynes.

We are seeking an exceptional and ambitious leader to join our senior team as Deputy CEO, taking strategic and operational responsibility for our Football Development and Education departments.

This is a significant new role within the Trust, providing an opportunity for an experienced leader to help shape our future direction, drive innovation and growth, and ensure we continue to deliver meaningful, measurable impact for the people and communities we serve.

At the heart of everything we do is our commitment to serving the City of Milton Keynes and its communities. Through football, education, participation and personal development, we want to create opportunities, raise aspirations and improve outcomes for children, young people and adults across the city.

Working closely with the CEO and wider senior leadership team, the Deputy CEO will play a pivotal role in turning this ambition into reality. You will lead some of our largest and most impactful areas of delivery, while contributing to the wider strategic leadership, development and sustainability of the Trust.

This is an opportunity to join us at an important point in our development and to help shape what comes next - strengthening our existing provision, developing new opportunities and ensuring the Trust is at the heart of the sporting, educational and community life of Milton Keynes.

Key Responsibilities - Summary

• Strategic Leadership - Develop and deliver the 3-5 year strategy for Football Development and Education, aligned with the Trust’s charitable objectives, MK Dons FC strategy and national governing body requirements.
• Football Development - Lead the Trust’s community, grassroots and elite football programmes, including participation, girls’ and boys’ pathways, talent development, coaching quality and the Academy pathway.
• Education & Employability - Drive the development and quality of school, post-16, vocational, employability, behaviour and engagement programmes, ensuring strong learner outcomes and progression.
• Growth & Income Generation - Identify new opportunities, develop partnerships, secure external funding and increase sustainable income across both areas of delivery.
• People & Performance - Lead, motivate and develop staff and volunteers, ensuring clear performance expectations, effective workforce planning and a culture of continuous improvement.
• Financial & Operational Management - Oversee departmental budgets, resources and operational performance, ensuring value for money, financial sustainability and compliance with funding requirements.
• Safeguarding, Quality & Governance - Ensure the highest standards of safeguarding, health and safety, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, risk management and governance.
• Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement - Build strong relationships with MK Dons FC, The FA, EFL Trust, Milton Keynes City Council, schools, colleges, community organisations and other strategic partners.
• Impact & Accountability - Ensure programmes deliver measurable social, educational and sporting outcomes, with robust monitoring and reporting to demonstrate impact.
• Senior Leadership & Representation - Act as a key ambassador for the Trust across Milton Keynes and nationally, support the CEO with organisational leadership and deputise for the CEO when required.

In essence, the Deputy CEO will be responsible for turning the Trust’s ambition into delivery — leading people, programmes, partnerships and resources to increase participation, improve outcomes, generate sustainable income and maximise the Trust’s impact across the City of Milton Keynes.

Person Specification

Essential

• Significant senior leadership experience within sport development, football, education or a related environment, ideally within a charity, community trust, professional sports organisation or governing body.
• A proven track record of developing and delivering successful football development and/or education strategies with measurable outcomes and impact.
• Experience of managing significant budgets, securing grant funding and developing sustainable income streams.
• Strong knowledge of the UK football landscape, including FA and EFL regulations, safeguarding requirements and player pathway structures.
• A strong understanding of education policy, quality assurance and the delivery of programmes through schools and education providers.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• The ability to lead, inspire, motivate and develop diverse teams of employees and volunteers.
• Enhanced DBS clearance or eligibility to obtain one.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends when required to support fixtures, events, meetings and key organisational activity.

Desirable

• Degree or professional qualification in Sports Development, Education, Business Management or a related discipline.
• FA Coaching Qualification Level 2 or above, or an equivalent teaching/education qualification.
• Experience of working within an EFL Club Community Trust, professional football club or wider professional sporting environment.
• Knowledge of Milton Keynes and its local community, education and sporting landscape.
• Experience of leading organisational change, transformation or significant growth.

What We Offer

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in shaping the future of football, education and community development across Milton Keynes.

• The opportunity to influence the development of football and education across the city and support the next generation of players and young people.
• A competitive salary and pension scheme.
• Generous annual leave and Club benefits.
• Professional development and support to develop your skills and qualifications.
• The opportunity to work at the heart of Stadium MK, with strong links to MK Dons Football Club and its wider sporting community.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to creating an inclusive and welcoming workplace where everyone is valued, respected and able to reach their full potential.

We welcome applications from all sections of the community and are committed to ensuring equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment and employment practices.

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is everyone's responsibility, and we are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for all participants, learners, staff and volunteers.

All employees are expected to uphold and promote our safeguarding policies and procedures.

This role is a regulated position and is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The successful candidate will be required to undergo an Enhanced DBS check alongside all relevant pre-employment screening checks.