Academy Recruitment Administrator

Organisation: Derby County Football Club
Salary: Dependent on Experience
Location: Moor Farm Morley Road Oakwood, Derby DE21 4TB ·
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 2 March 2026
Job Description: Working for Derby County Football Club offers a unique opportunity to be part of one of England’s most historic and passionately supported clubs. With a proud legacy, a dedicated fan base, and an exciting vision for the future, Derby County offers a dynamic and rewarding work environment both on and off the pitch. Whether you're joining the team in coaching, administration, marketing, or operations, you'll be contributing to a culture rooted in ambition, community, and progress. Employees benefit from a collaborative work environment and opportunities for professional development.

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of academy recruitment administration, including keeping academy recruitment databases up to date, coordinating safeguarding paperwork for the Talent ID Centres, booking flights and coordinating travel arrangements for scouts, trialists and parents.

Key Role Responsibilities:
• Communication lead on internal processes for trialists across all age groups, including sensitive information requests and data handling, between the age groups of U6 and U21.
• Responsible for sending scout requests and liaising with relevant scouts to confirm access to Academy Fixtures.
• Responsible for sending scout requests and obtaining permission to grassroots fixtures.
• Liaising with scouts and families to formally request permission for all grassroots clubs requesting necessary permissions to trial players. This may need to be sent to multiple clubs and filed for EPPP purposes.
• Key point of contact for trialists and their families.
• Request permission from each trialist’s school before trial commencement to comply with EPPP.
• To support the completion of trialist and schoolboy registrations and administration.
• To book and organise trialists' inductions.
• To book and organise the trialist signing process.
• To liaise with families and agents to arrange all aspects of logistics for trialists, including travel and hotels, and liaison with the Designated Safeguarding Officer for host family accommodation for Local and National recruitment.
• To support the Pre-Academy and Talent ID Centres in ensuring medical forms are completed and documented.
• Ensure EPPP requirements are met and adhered to.
• Comply with the PL, EFL and FIFA rules and regulations when recruiting players.
• Attend and minute weekly meetings with Recruitment staff.
• Propose continuous development ideas and methods to ensure the club is at the forefront of new initiatives to stay ahead.

General
• To be responsible for the health, safety and welfare of customers and colleagues, complying with health and safety guidance and policy.
• Continuously work to maintain, embed and improve the club’s safeguarding provision, ensuring the highest standards for safeguarding children and adults at risk.
• To uphold and promote organisational policies and procedures, promoting those specifically applicable to this area of work and including equality, diversity and inclusion.
• To present and promote an appropriate public image representing the organisation.
• To undertake any other duties as may reasonably be required commensurate with the post.

Personal characteristics and experience:
• Experience of working to deadlines in a high-pressure environment
• Receptionist, Administration and Customer Service experience
• Experience of working within Talent Identification
• Methodical and organised
• Eye for detail
• Excellent communicator
• Team Player
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written
• Excellent customer service
• Outstanding time management and organisation skills
• Ability to work in a fast-paced and demanding environment
• Ability to prioritise and manage own workload
• Work using own initiative and as part of a team
• Attention to detail
• Creating a forward-thinking approach
• Comprehensive IT skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Qualifications:
Desirable
• Level 3 Administration Qualifications or Equivalent
• Full UK Driving License

Salary is competitive, dependent on experience.

This is a full-time role working 35 hours per week, and due to the demands of professional football, there may be a requirement for weekend and evening work.

Who are Derby County…

Derby County Football Club, established in 1884, is one of the founder members of the English Football League and has a rich and varied history, including two First Division titles in 1972 and 1975 and an FA Cup success in 1946. The club are currently playing in the Sky Bet Championship, the second tier of English Football following their promotion from League One in the 2023/24 season and is under the management of Head Coach John Eustace. The club also boasts a successful and respected Category One Academy, a status which has been held since 2014, and a Women’s side competing in the FA Women’s National League Northern Premier Division. Derby County recently embarked on an exciting new era following the change in ownership to Clowes Developments (UK) Limited, in the summer of 2022. Our track record of producing talent is outstanding, and we intend to protect that proud legacy, investing in key roles within the club to build on the foundations in place for success.

Everything we do as a Club is built around the three pillars of stability, integrity and progress. Our core values are:

• We are proud of who we are and what we do
• We are positive, inspired and passionate
• We are ambitious and driven
• We are prepared, honest and humble
• We are the heartbeat of our community
• We are the club of opportunity

Derby County employee benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Two complimentary staff season tickets
• Two complimentary staff away memberships, subject to availability
• 20% discount at DCFC Megastore
• Company Pension with Aviva
• Discounts with select Club partners and sponsors
• Healthshield Cash Health Plan to support employee health and well-being and Perks for great deals and discounts
• Participating in our employee forum, ‘The Herd’ and Staff Events!
• Training and development opportunities
• Access to programmes and volunteering opportunities with Derby County Community Trust
• Subsidised lunchtime meals at Moor Farm

How to apply…

Derby County Football Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
As part of the Club's commitment to providing a safe environment for children and young people, applicants should be aware that this post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Criminal Record Check.

Derby County Football Club is an Inclusive Club for all and is committed to Equality and Diversity.

To apply for this role, please complete an application form, which can be found HERE.

Alternatively, please copy and paste - http://thera.ms/apply - to your chosen browser.

More information can be found at https://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/jobsandcareers

The closing date for receipt of applications is Sunday 01 March 2026. We reserve the right to close the vacancy early.

Strictly no agencies please.

Derby County Football Club’s Job Applicant Privacy Policy can be found at dcfc.co.uk.
How to apply: To apply for this role, please complete an application form, which can be found HERE. Alternatively, please copy and paste - http://thera.ms/apply - to your chosen browser.