Professional Play to Coach Scheme – Academy Coach

Organisation: Derby County Football Club
Salary: £31,500
Location: Moor Farm Morley Road Oakwood, Derby DE21 4TB ·
Contract type: Fixed Term (Full time)
Closing date: 17 May 2026
Job Description: 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.

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.

We're offering a 23-month, full-time academy coaching role to the successful candidate to support the development of the next generation of football coaches. The scheme is open to all, and we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, and women, as they are underrepresented groups amongst the coaching roles that exist across the professional game.
The fixed-term employment opportunity will include experience across development phases, including working with multi-disciplinary teams. Successful applicants will enter the Premier League’s Coach Development Programme, accredited by Leeds Beckett University. Coaches will receive a Diploma in Professional Football Coaching upon successfully completing the programme. The development programme includes mentoring, workshops, peer learning, projects and FA/UEFA qualifications, dependent on need.

Key Responsibilities:
• To develop responsibility for the planning, delivering and reviewing coaching sessions for players across the Foundation, Youth Development and Professional Development phases.
• Develop an understanding of performance analysis with individual players, units, and teams to support player development.
• To undertake player review meetings in a Multi-Disciplinary environment.
• To take responsibility for your development through your Development Programme and DCFC Development Action Plan.
• To ensure the Academy’s holistic approach to player development is always adhered to.
• To highlight and celebrate good practice and challenge poor practice where identified.
• To attend player Succession Planning Meetings to support the recruitment team.
• To participate in a review process, including monthly reports and work programmes highlighting progress and development strategy.
• 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:
• A drive to coach in the professional game
• Passion for player development & developmentally appropriate learning environments
• Commitment to fulfilling duty of care for children, young people, and adults in healthy, high-performance environments
• Resilience and commitment to high-performance environments
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• A desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game

Qualifications:
Essential
• UEFA B Licence as a minimum
• No prior full-time 1st Team or Academy coaching role at a Premier League or EFL club
• Experience of coaching in one, or more, of the following environments: grassroots, community, education, development centre or part-time academy football settings
• FA Safeguarding Certificate, Emergency First Aid, and Enhanced DBS (to be completed prior to role commencement)

Desirable
• UEFA A Licence

The scheme is open to all, and we particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, as they are underrepresented groups amongst the coaching roles that exist across the professional game.

This role will be £31,500 per annum.
The role is full-time, for a fixed term of 23 months, based at Moor Farm Training Centre, Derby.

Interviews will take place in two parts: a formal interview and a practical coaching session.

Provisional interview dates are as follows –

• Stage one, practical coaching session week commencing 25th May 2026
• Stage two, formal interview week commencing 1st June 2026

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
• EV Charging 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.

Please ensure you include your PFA Number in the Professional Bodies section of the application form.

As well as your application, please submit a two-part cover letter:

Part 1 (max 500 words) to demonstrate how you fulfil the “What We’re Looking For” criteria.

Please structure your responses under the following headings:
• The essential criteria I fulfil
• The desirable criteria I fulfil
• My desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game.

Part 2 (max 500 words) to answer all the following questions.

Please structure your responses under the following headings:
• My motivations for applying for the PPCS academy coach role and Premier League Coach Development Programme
• How the PPCS academy coach role and development programme fits with my career ambitions
• How my unique expertise, and lived experience, will benefit the club and players

To submit your cover letter and CV, please first submit your application. Once you submit your application, you will be provided with an ‘Application ID’ and a follow-up email regarding submitting additional documents. All additional documents should be submitted with your application ID in the subject line to recruitment@dcfc.co.uk.

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

The closing date for receipt of applications is 17 May 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. Please ensure you include your PFA Number in the Professional Bodies section of the application form. As well as your application, please submit a two-part cover letter: Part 1 (max 500 words) to demonstrate how you fulfil the “What We’re Looking For” criteria. Please structure your responses under the following headings: • The essential criteria I fulfil • The desirable criteria I fulfil • My desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game. Part 2 (max 500 words) to answer all the following questions. Please structure your responses under the following headings: • My motivations for applying for the PPCS academy coach role and Premier League Coach Development Programme • How the PPCS academy coach role and development programme fits with my career ambitions • How my unique expertise, and lived experience, will benefit the club and players To submit your cover letter and CV, please first submit your application. Once you submit your application, you will be provided with an ‘Application ID’ and a follow-up email regarding submitting additional documents. All additional documents should be submitted with your application ID in the subject line to recruitment@dcfc.co.uk.