National Development Manager (Padel)

Organisation: Tennis Wales
Salary: £31,000 to £42,000 per annum
Location: Cardiff, with essential travel required across Wales and the UK.
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 12 July 2026
Interview date: 21 July 2026
Job Description: Tennis Wales is the Governing Body of tennis and padel in Wales. Our vision is tennis opened up across Wales. We aim to transform Welsh communities through tennis and padel. The National Development Manager (Padel) will lead the development of padel across Wales, working with our growing network of clubs, operators, investors, coaches and players to develop a thriving community in one of the world’s fastest growing sports.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & governance

· Grow and develop padel in Wales aligned to the LTA padel strategy for Great Britain, along with Sport Wales and wider Welsh Government policy for sport and physical activity.

· Lead the operational delivery of our Padel Development Plan, working with colleagues across the organisation, our padel working group and county committees to oversee effective integration and accountability for shared outcomes.

· Work with the Operations Manager, CEO and Board to introduce, update and monitor modern and fit for purpose governance, safeguarding, policies and procedures for padel in Wales that ensures the sport is governed to the highest standards in Welsh sport.

· Manage the padel development budget within Tennis Wales, ensuring we invest into the sustainable growth of the game, aligned to our Padel Development Plan.

Account management

· Manage our relationship with registered padel venues in Wales, ensuring we retain great working relationships with padel partners as the sport continues to grow, helping to promote, market and share best practise across the network.

· Work with Local Authorities and Regional Sports Partnerships to help identify opportunities for padel development, targeting an inclusive and accessible range of facility options.

· Manage our relationship with commercial padel partners, sponsors and contractors to ensure we retain a reliable and effective way of working across the sector.

Programmes & pathways

· Lead the development of communications to the padel community, through the introduction of padel e-communications, a dedicated website, social media channels, forums and events that build a Welsh padel community.

· Collaborate with colleagues in competitions and workforce development to define our offer of recreational leagues, junior and adults competitions, padel coaching and ongoing professional development for padel.

· Work with the Head of Performance to establish a player pathway for adult and junior padel players, investing into the performance pathway, aligned to both the LTA and Sport Wales.

· Work with the Safeguarding Officer to ensure all padel activity meets LTA and Tennis Wales safeguarding standards.

· Lead on the marketing plan for padel in Wales, working with colleagues, national media in Wales and investing into paid marketing opportunities that grow and retain participation in padel.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Essential
* Experience working with senior colleagues in partner organisations and stakeholders to build plans and investment strategies.

* Ability to manage projects and time efficiently, working remotely across a large geographic area to deliver agreed outcomes in a focussed way.

* Experience developing action plans, business plans & local strategies using insight in a local area to grow participation & revenue.

* Good communication & presentation skills, with experience delivering presentations to a wide and diverse audience as well as leading 1-2-1 meetings with partners.

* Experience of supporting and implementing good governance within sporting organisations including the promotion of the highest standards of safeguarding for children, young people and adults.

* Experience establishing funding criteria, application processes and distributing funding to partners in a coordinated way to deliver strong outcomes.

* Good IT skills and experience using Outlook, Microsoft packages including co-pilot.

* Full UK driving license.

* Eligibility to work in the UK.

Desirable
* Knowledge & experience of working with Padel venues, operators, coaches and / or volunteers; adapting your approach and communication to each partner.

* Knowledge of the growth and development of Padel in Europe, the role of Padel federations and FIP.

* Good written, reading and verbal Welsh language skills.
How to apply: The closing date for this position is 5pm on Sunday 12th July, with interview planned for Tuesday 21st July in Cardiff. Should you wish to apply, please attach your CV along with a written or recorded covering letter clearly evidencing your skills and experiences aligned to the person specification to this platform. Any queries with the application process please contact maria.rees@tenniswales.org.uk. Tennis Wales is an equal opportunities employer and would appreciate it if you could also complete our Diversity Monitoring Form. If you would like an informal discussion about the role please contact Jamie Clewer, Head of Participation via e-mail jamie.clewer@tenniswales.org.uk Please note that the successful applicant will be required to complete a DBS. All applicants should have the right to work in the UK and will be requested to provide evidence if successful.