Club Development Specialist (England) (Remote)

• Act as the primary point of contact for clubs undertaking an agreed development project, particularly facility development projects.
• Provide tailored support to clubs from project initiation through to completion.
• Help clubs clarify their project objectives, outcomes, scope, and success measures.
• Assess club readiness, capacity, and risk before and during project delivery.

• Support clubs to develop clear project plans and timelines, defining roles and responsibilities within the club

• Support clubs to choose appropriate delivery approaches (phased, pilot, partnership, etc.).

• Help clubs identify and access appropriate resources (funding, volunteers, partnerships, expertise).
• Support the development of funding applications, business cases, or investment proposals where required.
• Help clubs plan for affordability and long-term sustainability.

• Support clubs to put in place appropriate governance and decision-making arrangements for their project.
• Help identify and manage risks (financial, delivery, reputational, safeguarding, compliance).
• Promote good practice in safeguarding, equality, inclusion, and welfare across all projects.

Support clubs to engage effectively with partners such as; Local authorities, Schools and community organisations, National or regional bodies, and Funders and sponsors

• Broker relationships and help resolve barriers where appropriate.

• Monitor progress against agreed milestones and outcomes.
• Provide challenge and support where projects drift, stall, or encounter problems.
• Help clubs adapt plans in response to changing circumstances.

• Support clubs to embed project outcomes into normal club operations.
• Help clubs plan for long-term sustainability beyond the life of the project.
• Support clubs to measure and evidence the impact of their project (participation, inclusion, governance, finances, quality, etc.).

• Maintain records of supported clubs, projects, progress, and outcomes.
• Produce reports for internal teams, partners, and funders.
• Capture learning and case studies to inform future practice and share good examples.

• Stay informed about best practice in club development and volunteer led football.
• Contribute to guidance, toolkits, templates, and resources for clubs.
• Use insight from delivery to inform strategic planning and service improvement.

• Understanding of community and voluntary sector football clubs
• Project planning and organisational skills
• Strong communication and relationship management
• Ability to support, challenge, and enable volunteer-led football clubs
• Problem solving and risk awareness
• Strong written skills for plans, reports, and funding applications

• Demonstrable experience of managing or supporting football clubs realise capital development projects from project initiation through to project completion.
• Demonstrable experience of successfully securing funding for sports clubs for significant capital projects.
• Demonstrable understanding of the community and voluntary sector and volunteer led sports organisations.