Sport Development Officer

University West of England; West of England; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university in England seeks a Sport Development Officer to enhance sporting opportunities for students. You'll recruit and support a large team of coaches, manage facility scheduling, and coordinate the Sports Volunteering Programme. This full-time, fixed-term role is based at the Frenchay campus, offering a chance to significantly impact student engagement in sports and physical activities.

Qualifications

• Solid background in sport development or organisation.
• Highly organised and adaptable.
• Experience in a large, complex organisation is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the Sport Experience strategy.
• Recruit and support a team of 70+ qualified coaches.
• Manage facility scheduling across venues.

Skills

Sport development or organisation

Excellent IT skills

Organisational and adaptable

Job description

Overview

About the role

At UWE Bristol Sport, we’re passionate about creating the best possible sporting and participation opportunities for our students. In partnership with the Students’ Union, we proudly support more than 40 student sports clubs to grow, compete, and thrive. As our Sport Development Officer, you’ll play a vital role in delivering the Sport Experience strategy – ensuring UWE Bristol students have access to high-quality sport and physical activity opportunities. You’ll lead on recruiting and supporting a team of 70+ qualified coaches, managing facility scheduling across both UWE and external venues, and helping to shape unforgettable sporting experiences. You’ll also drive our Sports Volunteering Programme, manage budgets, and support students in achieving coaching and officiating qualifications. A highlight of the year will be coordinating our annual sports festival, where you’ll introduce more than 200 local schoolchildren to the excitement of university sport. This is a maternity cover role (up to 12 months) – a fantastic opportunity to make a meaningful impact, inspire participation, and help build a healthier, more active community at UWE Bristol.

Responsibilities

• Deliver the Sport Experience strategy to provide high-quality sport and physical activity opportunities for students.
• Recruit, develop, and support a team of 70+ qualified coaches.
• Manage facility scheduling across UWE venues and external locations.
• Coordinate and oversee the Sports Volunteering Programme.
• Manage budgets related to sport development and activity delivery.
• Support students in achieving coaching and officiating qualifications.
• Coordinate the annual sports festival, including engaging local schoolchildren.

About you / Qualifications

• Solid background in sport development or organisation, with a genuine passion for encouraging participation in physical activity and sport.
• Highly organised and adaptable; comfortable working in a busy environment and engaging with a wide range of people (students, staff, external partners).
• Excellent IT skills and the ability to work across a variety of digital platforms and databases.
• Experience in a large, complex organisation is desirable; experience in the Higher Education sector is a plus but not essential.
• Enthusiasm, expertise, and commitment to supporting student sport and building an active community.

Role details

• Location: Based at the Frenchay campus with access to modern facilities and resources.
• Contract: Full-time, fixed-term up to 12 months (maternity cover).
• Hours: 37 hours per week; role is campus-based for at least 60% of time with some homeworking opportunities.
• Interview date: Friday 14 November 2025 (at Frenchay Campus).
• Other: Standard DBS clearance required; salary offers in line with the University’s guidelines, and eligibility to work in the UK must be demonstrated.

Advice to applicants

We’d love to hear from you — please complete our application form as soon as possible. Tell us how your skills and experience relate to the requirements by describing how you meet each essential and desirable criterion listed in the Person Specification, with specific examples where possible. Shortlisting decisions will be communicated by email.