Chief Operating Officer

Organisation: Nottingham Forest Community Trust
Salary: £58,000-£65,000
Location: Nottingham
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 30 October 2025
Job Description: REPORTING TO: Chief Executive Officer

SALARY: £58,000-£65,000

CONTRACT: Full-time, permanent

PLACE OF WORK: On-site, the City Ground, Nottingham

This is a senior leadership role and evening, and weekend work will be required.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Nottingham Forest Community Trust (NFCT) will be responsible for the operational excellence of the charity. Reporting to the CEO, the COO will be a key member of the Senior Leadership Team, supporting the development of the charity’s strategy and having responsibility for delivering its impact and outcomes.

The COO will be an ambassador for Nottingham Forest Football Club (NFFC) and NFCT at all times and create and manage a high performing, motivated team that meets all of its stakeholder expectations by delivering outstanding programmes to the highest standards.

JOB SPECIFICATION EXTERNAL LEADERSHIP & STRATEGY

Deputise for the CEO as and when required

Support the CEO and Board of Trustees with the development of the NFCT strategy

Develop and deliver an Operational Plan that clearly links all project delivery to the charity’s strategic objectives

Maintain and develop relationships with external stakeholders to ensure their support for NFCT’s work is unwavering

Work closely with NFFC to maximise engagement between the club and local community whilst ensuring alignment between the two organisations

LEADING THE TEAM

Develop a culture of inclusion, engagement, and continuous improvement and lead the delivery of initiatives that support this

Build and lead a high-performing, motivated, and diverse team and develop a values-led approach to their career journey

Coach and mentor staff as appropriate to develop performance

Develop an effective performance management process for staff incorporating an annual review

GOVERNANCE & FINANCE

Establish and embed a delivery model where the impact of NFCT’s work is clearly understood and communicated

Ensure that all required processes and procedures are in place to deliver the strategy including reporting processes to the CEO, Committees and Board of Trustees

Develop and manage clear governance structures, risk management, reporting and operating models which ensure excellence in governance, compliant with all regulatory requirements and The Premier League’s Capability Code of Practice

Develop and manage clear financial processes to ensure transparency and accuracy of decision making

Ensure Safeguarding and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are embedded across all areas of NFCT

Skills, Knowledge & Experience

Values & Behaviours
Leading by example and acting with integrity
Growth mindset, with a positive attitude towards innovation and impacting others
Committed to the personal development of self and others
Positive attitude to problem solving in all situations

Knowledge
Political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental landscape
influencing the sport for development sector
Governance structures within high performing charities
Delivering, measuring and communicating impact in this, or, a comparable sector
Community development and engagement
Facility development and operations

Skills
Leadership and strategic planning
Excellent communication skills – verbal, written, presentation and non-verbal
The ability to inspire, coach, mentor and manage staff to achieve a high performing
team
Building culture and embedding values
Financial management and budget planning

Experience
Senior leadership within a successful, sustainable charity or business in this sector or a
comparable sector
Negotiating successful outcomes with partners from different sectors
Managing significant budgets
Developing and managing Operational Plans to ensure excellence in delivery
Leading high performing teams
Working with Boards to provide strong governance and oversight of an organisation

APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30 October 2025

The recruitment process for this role is being managed on behalf of Nottingham Forest Community Trust by Evans Coaching & Consultancy Limited.

To apply, please send your CV (maximum 2 pages) and a covering letter (maximum 1 page) explaining why you feel you are the ideal candidate for this role by email to Mike Evans at mike@evanscandc.com.

Applications which exceed these page lengths will not be considered.

The deadline for applications is Thursday, 30th October at 5pm, however early applications are encouraged wherever possible to smooth the process.

A 30-minute online or phone interview will be offered to those candidates whose written applications meet the criteria. These will be scheduled as applications are received and take place no later than Wednesday 5th November.

First face-to-face interviews will be held on Tuesday 11th and Wednesday 12th November.

Stage two interviews will be held on Monday 17th and Tuesday 18th November.

All face-to-face interviews will take place in Nottingham.

If you are unable to make any of these dates, please state this clearly in your application.

EQUALITY OPPORTUNITIES

Nottingham Forest Community Trust is an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.

PRIVACY NOTICE

Nottingham Forest Community Trust is committed to being transparent about how it handles your personal information, to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information and meeting its obligation under the General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018. For more information, please see our Privacy Notice.

SAFEGUARDING

At Nottingham Forest Community Trust, we have a holistic and person-centred approach to safeguarding. Where concerns about any child or adult at risk are raised, NFCT staff will always act with the best interests of the individual at the forefront of all actions. We accept and acknowledge our responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of all participants engaged in NFCT programs and activities. It is the duty of our staff and volunteers at NFCT to ensure that all participants are safeguarded by creating and maintaining activities and environments that protect them from harm. Safeguarding is the responsibility of all.
How to apply: APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30 October 2025 The recruitment process for this role is being managed on behalf of Nottingham Forest Community Trust by Evans Coaching & Consultancy Limited. To apply, please send your CV (maximum 2 pages) and a covering letter (maximum 1 page) explaining why you feel you are the ideal candidate for this role by email to Mike Evans at mike@evanscandc.com.