Director of Safe Sport and Governance

Organisation: Archery GB
Salary: £60,000-80,000
Location: Lilleshall National Sports Centre
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 23 January 2026
Interview date: 2 February 2026
Job Description: The Archery GB Director of Safe Sport and Governance is a senior leadership role responsible for developing and delivering the organisation's strategic approach to safeguarding, welfare, and governance across all levels of the sport. The director ensures a person-centred approach, making the welfare of all involved (archers, coaches, clubs, parents, and staff) paramount.

Who are we?

Archery GB is the national governing body for the sport of archery in the UK and the umbrella organisation for the Home Nations Associations. Our remit is to develop the sport in all of its forms through supporting our 700+ affiliated clubs and 40,000+ members, with guidance, safeguarding, welfare, safety and governance support alongside events, coaching and qualifications, competitions, club and partner support, campaigns to increase participation as well as the pathways that allow athletes to reach the highest levels of international representation and competition. Through our independent partner network many more people enjoy archery experiences and courses across the year.
We employ approximately 44 staff and circa 37 athletes on our teams and pathway. About half of our team work within the World Class Performance Programme and England Talent Programme, while the rest contribute to areas of work including Community Development, Membership Services and Operations, We are located at our offices in Lilleshall, Shropshire and across the country through our regional teams. Lilleshall is also home to our state of the art High-Performance Centre.
The organisation receives funding from UK Sport and Sport England, to support athletes with Olympic and Paralympic ambitions and our Talent programmes, alongside income generated from membership, coaching qualifications and partnerships.

Key Responsibilities
The Archery GB Director of Safe Sport and Governance role requires a blend of professional expertise, leadership competencies, and interpersonal skills to drive a person-centred and safe culture. Reporting to the CEO, and a key member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Director will oversee three main areas: the Safeguarding team (including safeguarding, investigations, and complaints), Sport Governance and Data Protection.

Core duties include:
Safe Sport
● Strategic Leadership: Leading, shaping, and delivering a positive, person-centred strategy for welfare and safe sport, ensuring alignment with the organisation's vision and legal/ethical responsibilities.
● Policy and Procedure Development: Developing and implementing robust policies, procedures, and practices to ensure all members, clubs, and the wider community have the necessary tools for a safe environment.
● Case Management Oversight: Managing the overall process for handling safeguarding concerns, complaints, and disciplinary matters effectively and fairly, including referrals to statutory authorities when necessary. Working with the Case Management Panel and disciplinary panels to facilitate outcomes of cases and complaints.
● Team Leadership (internal): Leading and developing a small team of internal experts including a safeguarding officer, discipline/compliance officer and DBS officers and communications lead and secretariat support
● Team Leadership (external): leading, communicating with and being an ambassador for a national network including safeguarding officers, national welfare officers, and complaints resolution officers throughout the sport to deliver safe sport and disciplinary processes at the right level.
● Reform Implementation: Playing a pivotal role in the delivery of Archery GB' action plan to address issues and transform the sport's culture.
● Stakeholder Engagement: Building strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including UK Sport, Sport England, the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), Anne Craft Trust and the Archery community (clubs, parents, athletes).
● Culture Promotion: Cultivating a safe, inclusive culture where individuals feel empowered to raise concerns and know they will be listened to.
● Education and Training: Ensuring that relevant training and education on safeguarding and safe practice is provided to staff, board members coaches, welfare officers, and other personnel. Ensuring that relevant training and education is available to volunteers throughout the sport, and working with others in Archery GB to increase engagement with that training and education.

Governance
● Board Reporting: The Director reports to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and will attend and provide regular, formal reports to the main Board of Directors. These reports cover incident trends, performance data, and strategic progress.
● Committee Participation: The Director typically attends meetings of the Case Management Panel, which provides scrutiny and makes recommendations to the Board on relevant matters, for approval.
● Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring that Archery GB meets all requirements of the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance. This includes adhering to national legislation and best practices regarding child protection and adults at risk.
● Policy Review and Recommendation: Reviewing the effectiveness of the welfare and safe sport operational framework and recommending policy updates to the Board. This ensures that policies are up-to-date and effective in protecting people from harm.
● Strategic Accountability: Leading the organisation with responsibility and accountability to ensure that all governance decisions are driven by a commitment to the safety and wellbeing of participants.
● External Audits: Collaborating with external bodies and statutory agencies (e.g., the NSPCC's Child Protection in Sport Unit) to ensure all procedures and policies are robust and externally verified.
● Annual Reporting: Assisting in the preparation of the narrative regarding the CMP’s work in the company's annual report.

Professional Expertise

● Expert Knowledge of Safeguarding: In-depth understanding of national child protection and safeguarding legislation, guidance, policies, and best practices for children and adults at risk.
● Case Management Experience: Proven experience in managing complex safeguarding cases, conducting investigations, and making referrals to statutory authorities (e.g., police, social care).
● Policy and Strategy Development: Expertise in developing, reviewing, and implementing robust safeguarding strategies, policies, and procedures across a large and diverse organisation/membership base.
● Risk Management: Ability to identify, analyse, and manage critical safeguarding risks, developing mitigation plans and maintaining a risk register.
● Relevant Qualifications: A professional background in social work, law enforcement, education, the legal profession or a similar field, potentially augmented by a professional safeguarding qualification
● Regulatory Knowledge: In-depth knowledge of the UK Sport and Sport England Code for Sports Governance and relevant legal frameworks.
● Strategic Reporting: The ability to distill complex operational data and case information into clear, strategic reports and recommendations for Board-level decision-making.
● Risk Management: Expertise in governance-level risk management, not just operational risk, to protect the organisation's members and reputation.

Leadership and Strategic Skills

● Strategic Leadership: The ability to provide leadership and strategic direction on organisational change, particularly in delivering reform action plans and embedding a safe sport culture.

● Influencing and Collaboration: Excellent influencing and negotiation skills to build strong, effective relationships and work collaboratively with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership, staff, clubs, athletes, and external bodies like Local Authorities, UK Sport and the NSPCC, The Sports Integrity Unit and Sports Resolutions.

● Team Management: Experience in leading and developing a team of safeguarding, welfare, and complaints resolution professionals.

● Training and Education Delivery: Experience in developing and delivering engaging safeguarding training, education, and resources to diverse audiences

Personal and Interpersonal Skills

● Person-Centred and Empathetic Approach: A commitment to placing the welfare and best interests of all individuals at the forefront, demonstrating empathy and compassion when listening to and responding to concerns.

● Strong Communication: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to handle difficult conversations and sensitive information with professionalism and integrity.

● Emotional Resilience: The ability to work with conflict and in emotionally distressing situations while remaining calm and professional under pressure.

● Independent Judgement: Demonstrable ability to work autonomously, exercise sound judgement, and make ethical, evidence-based decisions on complex matters.

● Data Management: Strong administrative and record-keeping skills, with an understanding of data protection and confidentiality principles for case management systems.

● Accountability: A strong sense of personal and professional accountability, operating with fairness, transparency, and integrity.
What do we offer you

Salary: circa £60-80,000 per annum plus contributory pension and benefits (subject to experience)
26 days’ annual leave (plus bank holidays)
A 6% employer pension contribution
Life insurance cover (4 x salary)
Enhanced maternity/paternity/adoption pay
Access to our Employee Assistance Programme
Free Archery GB membership
Career development & learning opportunities

Equal Opportunities
Archery GB is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to equal opportunities for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
How to apply: How to Apply To submit your application e-mail your covering letter (two pages maximum) which demonstrates your vision and motivation for the role and how you meet our criteria and CV to recruitment@archerygb.org quoting the reference ArcheryGB/safe. Timeline: The closing date for applications is 5.00pm Friday 23 January 2026. Initial candidate screening will be undertaken by Archery GB. Following the closing date the Selection Panel will convene to determine a shortlist for interview. First stage Interview First round interviews will be held remotely in early February 2026. The Selection Panel will meet shortlisted candidates where suitability for the role will be examined and experience and competency evaluated . Candidates will have the opportunity to understand the role, culture and expectations of Archery GB by asking their own questions. Second Stage Interview Final interviews will take place in Lilleshall. Successful candidates will be selected for second-stage interviews where they will be asked to prepare a presentation and discuss their approach to the role in more detail. A detailed brief will be provided at the appropriate time.