Football Development Officer

Southampton Football Club; Southampton; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

2 free match tickets for home games

Staff Health & Wellbeing initiatives (

Discounted club merchandise

26 days holiday per year

Contributory Pension Scheme

Worldwide Travel Insurance

Learning & Development opportunities

Free onsite parking

Cycle to Work Scheme

Job summary

Southampton Football Club is seeking a proactive Football Development Officer to lead planning, delivery and growth of our school holiday football programmes across Soccer Schools, Player Development Camps and partner programmes.

Based at our St Mary's Stadium and Staplewood Campus, you will manage staff, logistics and budgets, build strong partnerships with schools and venues, and help drive participation, revenue and quality aligned with The Southampton Way.

Qualifications

• Commercial football delivery experience in clubs or private providers.
• Experience with quality assurance procedures.
• Understanding of Southampton FC's FDSC programme and Southampton Way.
• Experience in line management of staff and coaches.
• Proven track record of delivering income-generating football/multisport programmes.
• Minimum of 3 years industry experience; UEFA C / FA Level 2 licence.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage school holiday football offers across Soccer Schools and Camps.
• Oversee planning, staffing, logistics, and delivery to ensure safety and quality.
• Develop seasonal programme calendar and monitor budgets.
• Recruit, support, and mentor coaching staff.
• Build partnerships with venues, schools, and delivery partners.

Skills

Commercial football delivery

Quality assurance procedures

Southampton Way values alignment

Line management

Program delivery experience

Stakeholder relationship management

Education

UEFA C Licence / FA Level 2

Job description

Be part of our journey... Location: St Mary's Stadium Hours: Full Time Contract Type: Permanent Criminal Record Check: DBS Enhanced with Childs Barred List

What is the role?

We are seeking an enthusiastic and commercially minded Football Development Officer to help lead the planning, delivery and growth of Southampton FC’s school holiday football programmes. This is an opportunity to shape memorable football experiences for young people, bringing the Southampton Way to life across our Soccer Schools, specialist Player Development Camps and distinctive partner programmes. From our home at Staplewood Campus to venues across Hampshire and the Channel Islands, and our Saints at Sea programme with P&O Cruises, you will help ensure every participant enjoys a high-quality, engaging and well-organised experience while contributing to the department’s participation, revenue and profit targets.

What will you be doing?

You will take a lead role in coordinating and managing our school holiday football offer, helping turn each course into an outstanding Southampton FC experience. This includes our Soccer Schools for children of a range of abilities across Hampshire and the Channel Islands, exclusive courses at Staplewood Campus, and Player Development Camps that give aspiring players an insight into the Club’s Academy environment. You will also support the delivery and development of Saints at Sea with P&O Cruises, taking the Southampton FC experience beyond our usual venues. You will oversee planning, staffing, logistics and delivery, ensuring programmes are safe, engaging, consistent and aligned with the Club’s standards. Working closely with the Head of Football Programmes, you will help shape the seasonal programme calendar, coordinate staffing and resources, monitor budgets and performance, and identify ways to grow participation, customer satisfaction and commercial results. You will build strong working relationships with venues, schools and delivery partners, ensuring commitments are met and that each programme runs smoothly. You will also recruit, support, develop and mentor coaching staff, using observations and feedback to maintain excellent coaching standards and a positive experience for every player. The role offers variety and the opportunity to contribute to wider UK and international football programmes, including delivery away from home when required. You will use customer feedback, quality assurance and programme data to inform improvements, support player progression pathways and contribute to departmental reporting. As a key member of the team, you will help develop new ideas and opportunities, champion high standards and ensure our programmes reflect the values and ambition of Southampton Football Club.

Is this you?

You are a proactive, organised and commercially aware football development professional who is excited by the opportunity to deliver memorable experiences for young players during their school holidays. You enjoy bringing people together, managing the detail behind successful programmes and finding ways to improve and grow a service. With experience of coordinating football or sports programmes, supporting coaching staff and building relationships with a range of stakeholders, you take pride in quality delivery, excellent customer service and creating an environment where players can learn, develop and enjoy their football.

Essential Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge of commercial football delivery, both in professional clubs and private companies
• Experience of quality assurance procedures relevant to the industry sector.
• A strong knowledge of Southampton FC’s FDSC programme and how the Club can use the ‘Southampton Way’ values to promote our paid provisions.
• Experience in line management of staff and coaches.
• Proven track record of implementing football and multisport programmes to generate income.
• Have a good understanding of the components needed to ensure the SFC is the ‘Best in practice’ for football
• Minimum of 3 years industry experience
• Hold a minimum of a UEFA C Licence/FA Level Two

Desirable Skills, Qualifications and Experience

• Have a good understanding of the key sports coaching providers across Hampshire and the services they offer, ensuring SFC is effectively positioned as market leader.
• Line management experience of full time staff and performance processes
• UEFA B License

How this benefits you…

• If you are successful, you can look forward to a healthy benefits package;
• Access to 2 free match tickets for every home league game
• Access to our staff Health & Wellbeing initiatives (Mental & Physical Health).
• Discounted Southampton Football Club merchandise.
• 26 days’ holiday per year excluding bank holidays plus your birthday off each year.
• Contributory Pension Scheme.
• Worldwide Travel Insurance for you and your family.
• Learning & Development opportunities - supporting you to develop your potential and achieve in your career.
• Free onsite parking.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Collaborative & inclusive working culture.

About Us POTENTIAL INTO EXCELLENCE

Southampton Football Club is part of St. Mary’s Football Group, which also includes the affiliated registered charity – the Saints Foundation. We look for people with integrity, compassion and support for those around them; people who take pride in what they do with an honest approach, who embrace a challenge while also being accountable for their decisions; people who have the energy and passion to bring an innovative approach to their role and strive to be different from the rest; people with the aspiration to lead the way and become an example to others.

Within the walls of St. Mary's Stadium, Staplewood Campus, the Bath Academy and our other sites and development centers across the South of England, you’ll be given the platform to work in a vibrant, intelligent and challenging environment with the potential to develop and become the best at what you do. We don’t stand still, we are constantly moving forward. Be part of it…

Southampton Football Club promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation. We have the Disability Confident Award, which we pride ourselves on with regard to the commitment to employing disabled people and judging people on their abilities alone. We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview. We make a commitment to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job vacancy and to consider them on their abilities.

Southampton Football Club is an Equal Opportunities Employer Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Southampton Football Club recognises that the safety and protection of those children and young people in day to day contact with the Club is paramount. We are committed to creating a safe culture for all. As such, you may be subject to a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service and prior to taking up any role.

Southampton Football Club is committed to protecting the privacy and security of every applicant’s personal information. Please see our Recruitment Privacy Notice and Group Privacy & Data Protection Policy on our main careers page for further information.