National Referee Manager - Men's Pathway

Organisation: The Football Association
Salary: Competitive
Location: Home-Based
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 2 July 2025
Job Description: The FA is looking for a National Referee Manager to deliver the training, education, and development offer for referees operating at Steps 5 and 6 of the National League System. This includes identifying emerging talent, delivering inclusive learning content, and liaising with appointments officers to ensure match officials are provided with appropriate development opportunities. The role ensures alignment with The FA's Refereeing strategy and supports the overall progression pathway for match officials in the National League System.

What will you be doing?

Deliver high-quality blended learning (face-to-face, virtual, and e-learning) for referees at Step 5 & 6, with regular seasonal engagement touchpoints.
Liaise with appointments officers to ensure referees in Step 5 & 6 pools are provided with match opportunities that align with their development.
Work collaboratively with County FA referee staff to support identification and progression of emerging talent into the FA Talent ID programmes
Collaborate closely with the National Refereeing Officer for Growth & Experience to identify and support the successful transition of newly promoted Level 4 referees
Ensure the referee development programme includes content that promotes well-being, mental resilience, and personal development.
Manage members of the volunteer workforce including matchday coaches & wellbeing coaches
Build strong stakeholder relationships with leagues, clubs, and National League System (NLS) staff to support referee development and create alignment across the football pyramid.
Support the improvement and ongoing monitoring of match official performance in line with development objectives.
Design and deliver referee education that supports underrepresented groups and promotes inclusivity across the pathway.
Support leagues and clubs to increase understanding of the Laws of the Game and refereeing practices.
Develop and share content on The FA Referee digital learning platforms.
Use observational and performance feedback data to shape learning activities.
Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

Strong understanding of referee development pathways and the National League System at Steps 5 & 6.
Awareness of grassroots and semi-professional football structures and how they operate.
Experience in either refereeing, referee education, or sports administration.
Experience planning, developing, and delivering training, development, or educational programmes.
Experience working with referees, clubs, leagues or County FAs to support referee development delivery.
Confident presenting to a variety of audiences and communicating clearly in both verbal and written formats.
Proven ability to influence and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
Experience managing or supporting individuals in learning or development settings.
Competent in Microsoft Office, particularly PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.
Comfortable using digital learning platforms and virtual delivery tools (e.g. Teams, Zoom).
Able to create and deliver presentations clearly and effectively.
Well organised and detail oriented.

Beneficial to have:

Broader understanding of the referee pathway across the English game, including professional game structures.
Familiarity with national referee development strategies, such as the FA Refereeing Strategy and FA CORE.
Awareness of how inclusive practice can be embedded at structural and programme levels.
Experience working with referees from underrepresented groups to support inclusive progression.
Involvement in the coordination or evaluation of national or regional development initiatives.
Experience supporting mentoring or coaching networks for match officials.
Prior involvement in event planning or operational delivery in a football setting.
Skilled in using referee or development-specific digital tools (e.g. LMS platforms).
Confident working with data and feedback systems to monitor development impact.
Able to produce learning content in multiple formats (digital, video, written).
Basic knowledge of safeguarding, health & safety, and risk assessment relevant to referee activity.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
Free private medical cover.
A contributory pension scheme.
An additional 'Thank You' days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract.)
A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page, https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careers

We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.
How to apply: https://careers.thefa.com/jobs/vacancy/national-referee-manager---mens-pathway-hb0249-home-based-/2594/description/