Head of Coach Development

Barnsley Football Club; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Fleetwood Town Football Club is seeking a Head of Coach Development to lead coaching practice across the Academy. You will empower full-time and part-time coaches to improve their practice, align sessions with the Club’s philosophies and Performance Plan, and drive player development across all phases.

You will work with the Academy Manager and multidisciplinary teams to deliver high-quality coaching, mentoring, CPD, and a culture of continuous improvement at the Poolfoot Farm facility.

Qualifications

• UEFA A Licence required.
• Advanced Youth Award preferred.
• Significant experience in a professional football academy environment.
• Experience of designing and delivering coach education and CPD.

Responsibilities

• Act as a coach educator, mentor and critical friend to support coaches across all academy phases.
• Develop strong professional relationships with coaches and create an environment of trust and reflection.
• Establish and manage a formal and informal coaching observation programme.
• Conduct Coach Expertise Framework observations and provide high-quality feedback to coaches.
• Use observations and evidence to identify development priorities.
• Ensure every Academy coach has a personalised Development Action Plan with measurable objectives.
• Regularly review Development Actions Plans with coaches.
• Support coaches to take ownership of their development and foster a learning culture.
• Maintain coaching standards aligned with Playing Philosophy, Coaching Philosophy and Academy Performance Plan.
• Attend Academy Management Team meetings and report on coaching standards and CPD.
• Contribute to succession planning and coaching curriculum development.

Skills

UEFA A Licence

Advanced Youth Award

Coaching observation & feedback

Coach education & CPD

EPPP & academy football knowledge

Coaching across multiple phases

Communication & interpersonal skills

Driving licence & transport access

Education

Advanced Youth Award

Job description

Department: Academy
Location:Poolfoot Farm Training Complex
Reports To: Academy Manager
Working Hours:Flexible, as required by the Academy Manager. Evening and weekend work will be expected.

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Length: Permanent

Role Overview

Fleetwood Town Football Club is offering an exciting opportunity for an outstandingHead of Coach Developmentto lead the development of coaching practice across the Academy.

The Head of Coach Development will be responsible for creating an environment in which all full-time and part-time coaches are supported, challenged and empowered to continually improve their practice and maximise their impact on player development.

Working across the Foundation Phase, Transition Phase, Youth Development Phase and Professional Development Phase, the successful candidate will lead the Academy's coach development strategy, ensuring coaches consistently plan, design, deliver and evaluate effective training sessions that are aligned to the Club's Playing Philosophy, Coaching Philosophy and Academy Performance Plan.

The role will have responsibility for establishing and maintaining high coaching standards across the Academy through a combination of formal and informal observation, mentoring, feedback, individual development planning, CPD and reflective practice.

The Head of Coach Development will work closely with the Academy Manager, Phase Leads and the wider multidisciplinary team to ensure that coach development remains central to the Academy's approach and has a direct and measurable impact on player development.

You will be part of a forward-thinking Academy with a strong track record of developing players who progress through the football pyramid and regularly feature in the First Team. The role is based at the Club's £10 million Poolfoot Farm training facility.

Person Specification

• UEFA A Licence
• Advanced Youth Award
• Significant experience working within a professional football academy environment
• Demonstrable experience of developing coaches through observation, feedback and mentoring
• Experience of designing and delivering coach education and CPD programmes
• Strong understanding of the EPPP and academy football
• Experience of developing coaches across multiple phases
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to build effective relationships and provide constructive challenge
• Full driving licence and access to transport
• Experience working within a Category 1 or Category 2 Academy
• Experience of first-team integration and player pathways
• Experience of leading an Academy-wide coach development programme
• Experience of working with a Coach Expertise Framework or similar coaching competency framework
• Experience of developing coaching curricula and/or playing philosophy

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a coach educator, mentor and critical friend to support the individual development needs of coaches across all phases of the Academy.
• Develop strong professional relationships with coaches, creating an environment of trust, openness, reflection and constructive challenge.
• Establish and manage a formal and informal coaching observation programme across the Academy.
• Conduct regular Coach Expertise Framework (CEF) observations and provide high-quality, individualised feedback to coaches.
• Use observations, coach self-reflection, player outcomes and other relevant evidence to identify development priorities.
• Ensure every Academy coach has a personalised Development Action Plan (DAP) with clear, meaningful and measurable development objectives.
• Regularly review DAPs with coaches and ensure actions are implemented, monitored and evaluated throughout the season.
• Support coaches to take ownership of their own professional development and develop a culture of continuous learning and reflective practice.

Coaching Standards & Quality Assurance

• Establish, monitor and continually improve coaching standards across all phases of the Academy.
• Ensure coaching practice is consistently aligned with the Club's Playing Philosophy, Coaching Philosophy and Academy Performance Plan.
• Monitor the quality and effectiveness of training sessions and provide appropriate support and challenge to coaches.
• Identify areas of good practice and areas requiring improvement across the Academy's coaching programme.
• Promote consistency while recognising the individual needs of different age groups, phases, players and coaches.
• Work with phase leads to ensure coaching standards are understood, implemented and maintained.
• Design, implement and manage the Academy's annual Coach Development and Continued Professional Development programme.
• Ensure CPD reflects the Club's Playing Philosophy, Coaching Philosophy, Academy priorities and individual coach development needs.
• Deliver and facilitate a varied programme of formal and informal learning opportunities, including workshops, mentoring, peer learning, practical sessions and reflective practice.
• Identify appropriate internal and external CPD opportunities for Academy coaching staff.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of coaching qualifications, CPD and development activity.
• Ensure all coaches are supported in maintaining their relevant qualifications and licence requirements.
• Encourage coaches to engage with external learning opportunities, governing bodies and wider professional networks.

Coaching Curriculum & Resources

• Support the development and continual review of the Academy coaching curriculum.
• Ensure coaching programmes are age appropriate, progressive and aligned to the Club's Playing Philosophy.
• Develop and maintain a library of best-practice sessions and coaching resources for Academy staff.
• Promote the sharing of good practice across phases and encourage coaches to contribute to the Academy's collective learning.
• Support coaches in planning, designing, delivering and evaluating effective training sessions with clear learning outcomes.
• Ensure coaching resources and documentation are accessible, relevant and regularly reviewed.

Academy Strategy & Player Development

• Contribute to the Academy's decision-making processes relating to player progression, pathways, recruitment and retention.
• Ensure the development of coaches is directly linked to the Academy's wider player development strategy.
• Work collaboratively with phase leads and other Academy staff to ensure coaching practice supports individual player development.
• Contribute to succession planning for coaching staff to support the long‑term sustainability and development of the Academy.
• Support the development of a clear and consistent coaching pathway throughout the Academy and into the professional game.
• Contribute to the Academy Performance Plan and provide appropriate evidence and reporting relating to the coaching programme.

Multi-Disciplinary Working

• Build strong relationships with the Academy's multidisciplinary departments and collaborate effectively to support the coaching programme.
• Promote an integrated approach to player and coach development across technical, tactical, physical, psychological, social and educational areas.
• Work with relevant departments to ensure coaches have access to the information and support required to maximise their impact on player development.
• Attend and contribute to Academy Management Team meetings, providing updates and recommendations relating to the Academy's coaching programme and coach development strategy.
• Work closely with the Academy Manager ensure the Academy's coaching strategy and coach development priorities are effectively implemented.
• Provide regular reporting on coaching standards, coach development activity, CPD and progress against identified priorities.
• Support the wider Academy leadership team in maintaining a positive, high-performance and learning-focused culture.
• Attend all relevant CPD and professional development opportunities as instructed by the Academy Manager.
• Take responsibility for maintaining and developing your own professional knowledge and practice.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties as directed by the Academy Manager.

Fleetwood Town Football Club is fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people, and adults. We expect all staff, volunteers, and applicants to share this commitment and uphold the highest standards of professional behaviour. The post is subject to relevant DBS checks as part of our safer recruitment process.

Closing Date: 16 th September 2026
Interview Date:18 th September 2026