National Participation and Growth Manager

Organisation: Swim England
Salary: £41,000 - £46,000
Location: SportPark, Pavilion 3, 3 Oakwood Drive, Loughborough University, Loughborough, Leicestershire, Le11 3QF
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 10 May 2026
Interview date: 22 May 2026
Job Description: Our standard Full Time Equivalent hours are 35 hours per week, unless otherwise specified in the job advert.

Swim England is the national governing body for swimming in England.

We help people learn how to swim, enjoy the water safely, and compete in all our sports.

Our vision is of a nation swimming and we strive to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in the way that suits them. We work with our partners to create engaging programmes that enable everyone to be active, have fun and stay healthy through swimming.

Your application is generated using the information you have provided in your Profile. Your CV and any additional supporting evidence will also be attached and made available to the hiring manager.

- Based at SportPark, Loughborough (Minimum 2 Days per Week) + Occasional National Travel
- 35 hours a week (Mon–Fri)

About the Role

We are looking for a strategic and driven National Participation and Growth Manager to lead the development and delivery of swimming and aquatics participation across England.

This role will play a central part in shaping Swim England’s approach to participation, broadening and diversifying audiences and creating opportunities for people of all ages to engage with swimming and aquatics beyond competitive sport.

You will lead the design and delivery of large-scale participation programmes, working collaboratively with partners across education, community sport, leisure and the wider sector. Your work will support a lifelong journey in water—from learning to swim through to continued participation in later life—ensuring a connected, inclusive and impactful national approach.

Working across the organisation and with external stakeholders, you will help build innovative, insight-led programmes that respond to the needs of new and existing audiences, while contributing to wider organisational priorities and long-term growth.

Key Responsibilities
In this role you will:

- Design, develop and implement a large-scale mass participation programme for swimming and aquatics, targeting young people, adults and families outside of competitive sport
- Work with leisure operators and clubs to build a flexible and holistic participation offer across swimming and aquatic activities
- Collaborate with national and regional education, school sport and community sport networks to connect programmes into extracurricular and community initiatives
- Lead the development and delivery of participation programmes across both pool and open water environments
- Work with internal teams to develop commercial opportunities and partnerships to support participation growth
- Support the integration of participation initiatives into the wider events landscape, helping to modernise and diversify engagement opportunities
- Develop insight and understanding of new and diverse audiences through research and data, informing programme design and delivery
- Use data, research and insight to shape strategy, measure impact and drive continuous improvement
- Ensure participation programmes align with the wider Swim England strategy, supporting progression pathways into clubs, workforce and membership
- Promote Swim England values in all interactions

Skills and Experience

Essential
- Strong understanding of the education and school sport landscape in England, including partnerships and multi-academy trust structures
- Strong knowledge of the wider sport development system and key stakeholders across the sector
- Understanding of how digital systems and processes influence participant behaviour and experience
- Experience developing and delivering large-scale participation programmes with measurable impact
- Experience taking projects from concept through to implementation
- Experience using data, research and insight to inform decision-making
- Excellent stakeholder management and partnership-building skills across public, private and voluntary sectors
- Strong collaboration skills and ability to work effectively as part of a team
- High levels of motivation, drive and personal ambition

Desirable
- Experience of working with National Governing Body participation programmes

Please be advised that we cannot offer visa sponsorship and that you must have right to work in the UK to apply or be considered for this role. If you are a non-UK/EU National, you must have an appropriate working Visa to undertake employment. You must also be working within the UK to apply or be considered for this role, due to the public liability insurance Swim England holds.

Swim England is committed to inclusion and embraces the spirit of equality legislation. As a Disability Confident Employer, disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role are guaranteed an interview. We are also piloting a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for applicants from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Candidates who opt in to the scheme and demonstrate that they meet the essential criteria will be guaranteed an interview. Applicants can indicate if they wish to opt in by answering the relevant question within the application form.

Where possible, Swim England will always make reasonable adjustments for accessibility to anyone who requires it.

If you would like any of the documentation in a different format or would like to apply in a different way please get in touch. All appointments will be made on merit, following a fair and transparent process, in line with the Equality Act 2010. However, the organisation may employ positive action where candidates from underrepresented groups can demonstrate their ability to perform the role equally well.

Swim England is also committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees and volunteers to share this commitment.
How to apply: Please click on the following link: https://sepeople.jobs.people-first.com/jobs/details/recruitment%2Fjobdetails%2F1036c8d0-d802-4306-951e-19d9c0951770