Foundation Programme Lead (Youth Mentoring)

Wrexham AFC; Wrexham; On-site; GBP 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Cash Plan

Enhanced holidays

Enhanced pension

Volunteering day

Job summary

Wrexham AFC is seeking a Programme Lead to coordinate and deliver key community projects aimed at engaging young people through football. The role includes managing staff, ensuring high-quality delivery, and building strong relationships with schools and stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership and interpersonal skills, experience in sports coaching, and a passion for creating positive opportunities for youth.

Qualifications

• Experience in coordinating and delivering community projects linked to sport or youth engagement.
• Experience of delivering high-quality coaching or mentoring sessions to children and young people.

Responsibilities

• Lead the operational delivery of assigned projects and ensure high-quality engagement.
• Manage project resources efficiently and monitor budgets.
• Build and maintain relationships with partners and stakeholders.
• Ensure projects comply with safeguarding and regulatory standards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Mentoring

Organization

Problem-solving

Flexibility

Education

Related degree or vocational training

FA/FAW/UEFA Coaching Certificate Level 2

Level 2 Youth Work qualification

FA/FAW Safeguarding Certificate

Relevant First Aid qualification

Job description

Join Wrexham AFC because history doesn't write itself.

The Role

The Programme Lead is responsible for the coordination, delivery, and operations of the following key projects:

• Premier League Inspires: Delivering targeted group interventions and one-to-one mentoring within secondary schools, using the power of football to engage young people, build confidence and resilience, and support positive behaviour, personal development and future aspirations.
• Wrexham AFC Young Leaders: Supporting the Programme Lead (Street Dragons) to deliver our Young Leaders Programme for young people aged 14-25, supporting participants to develop leadership and personal skills through structured group sessions, mentoring, qualifications, memorable experiences and volunteering opportunities.
• Twinning Goals: Coordinating and delivering Kick4Life FC twinning partnership to use football and education to develop cultural awareness, teamwork and global perspectives. Maintaining engagement between exchanges through targeted activities, social action projects, online knowledge sharing and learning opportunities, extending the partnership beyond planned cultural exchanges.

The Programme Lead holds the day-to-day ownership of their project areas, ensuring delivery is safe, high quality, participant centred, and aligned to funder requirements and Foundation priorities. The Programme Lead supports delivery staff, manages project logistics, maintains strong organisation, and contributes to monitoring, evaluation, quality assurance, and continuous improvement.

Main Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of assigned projects, ensuring high-quality participant engagement, effective staffing and logistics, strong stakeholder relationships, and timely, well-organised delivery in line with project objectives and requirements.
• Take responsibility for their own personal and professional development while supporting and supervising the delivery workforce through guidance, mentoring, feedback and onboarding, coordinating volunteers and apprentices, and contributing to a positive, supportive and high-performing delivery culture.
• Ensure consistent quality across projects through effective quality assurance, participant feedback and voice, partner due diligence, continuous improvement, and delivery against agreed KPIs and funder requirements.
• Lead effective monitoring and evaluation of project outputs, outcomes and participant progression, ensuring accurate data collection, supporting staff to use systems effectively, providing insight and reporting to inform continuous improvement and demonstrate project impact.
• Embed and promote robust safeguarding practices across all delivery, providing guidance and support to staff, ensuring concerns are appropriately recorded and escalated, and maintaining safe, inclusive environments through effective supervision, pastoral support and behaviour management.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, schools, community groups and stakeholders, ensuring delivery meets funder requirements, representing the Foundation professionally, and supporting project storytelling, promotion and visibility through effective content and case study opportunities.
• Manage project resources efficiently and responsibly, monitoring expenditure against agreed budgets, ensuring compliant purchasing, and supporting the Programmes Manager with budget monitoring and financial reporting.
• Ensure projects comply with Foundation policies, procedures and regulatory standards, maintaining high standards of safeguarding, EDI, data protection and health & safety, while managing risk, maintaining accurate compliance records, and promptly identifying and escalating operational or staff concerns.
• Contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of projects by using participant and community insight to inform design, supporting innovation and pilot initiatives, identifying opportunities for growth, and contributing to project planning and proposals.

About you

• Outgoing, engaging and confident, with a passion for football, sport and creating positive opportunities for young people.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills, with experience supporting and developing participants, colleagues, coaches and volunteers.
• A flexible, adaptable and reliable approach, with excellent organisation, time management and punctuality.
• A positive, professional approach aligned with Wrexham AFC values, with a commitment to inclusive and participant-centred delivery.
• A creative, solutions-focused approach, with the ability to problem-solve, adapt delivery and respond positively to challenges.
• Confident using technology and IT systems to support administration, recruitment, bookings, monitoring and reporting.
• A positive and proactive approach to professional development and continuous improvement, with the ability to generate new ideas and contribute to the long-term development of the Foundation.

Experience and Qualifications required

• A related degree, further education, vocational training or suitable experience in either sports coaching, sports or community development, sports management, education or youth work.
• FA/FAW/UEFA Coaching Certificate Level 2 (or equivalent).
• Level 2 Youth Work qualification (or be willing to commence this within one month of appointment).
• Level 2 Effective Mentoring qualification (or be willing to commence this within one month of appointment).
• FA/FAW Safeguarding Certificate (or equivalent).
• Relevant First Aid qualification.
• Full driving licence.
• Experience in coordinating and delivering community projects linked to sport or youth engagement.
• Experience of delivering high-quality coaching or mentoring sessions to children and young people in an educational or sports environment.

Why Work for Us

If you are looking for an organisation committed to building a strong, inclusive, high performing workplace where every individual is valued, supported and empowered to grow with fantastic benefits which include:

• Health Cash Plan
• EAP
• Enhanced holidays and long service days
• Enhanced pension
• Death in service
• Enhanced sick leave
• Health and wellbeing time off
• Volunteering day
• Salary sacrifice benefits and retail discounts