Safeguarding - Learning & Development Manager

Organisation: The Football Association
Salary: Competitive
Location: Wembley Stadium, London / St George's Park, Burton-Upon-Trent
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 26 January 2026
Job Description: Are you passionate about creating safe, inclusive, and enjoyable environments in football?

Join The FA's dedicated Safeguarding Team and play a pivotal role in shaping and leading our national safeguarding strategy.

You will use your creativity, existing pedagogical and safeguarding knowledge to design and create innovative learning and development opportunities for key groups within The FA network. You will lead the strategic approach to this work and inspire and support colleagues in related work.

You will also act as the safeguarding children and adults subject matter expert to work alongside colleagues within FA Learning to develop our safeguarding qualifications portfolio for different cohorts of learners across the country.

Your safeguarding knowledge will be well utilised to support colleagues across the organisation to build safer cultures within their localities.

This role will operate within our hybrid working policy (minimum of two days a week in the office and when required), and can be based at either Wembley Stadium or St. George's Park, depending on your current location.

What will you be doing?

Develop the strategic approach to all safeguarding learning and development by the Strategic Safeguarding Team, providing guidance, inspiration and challenge to ensure it is innovative, current and empowers learners. Maximise collaboration with colleagues to ensure this offer utilises varied pedagogy and resources for different learner groups and minimises duplication of effort across the team.
Be the safeguarding children and adults subject matter expert, working with FA Learning and stakeholders to identify learner needs, develop and evolve our e-learning, digital and in-person courses, ensuring the learning offer is learner focused, progressive, and impactful.
Collaborate with FA Learning to evolve a safeguarding development framework, that underpins our safeguarding learning offer.
Work with the Strategic Safeguarding Team and FA Learning to drive the development of informal education, and optimise the impact of approaches such as podcasts, blogs, short films and bite size CPD packages.
Drive consistency in content, quality of delivery and evaluation of impact across the portfolio.
Work with FA Learning on the strategic approach for safeguarding on matters such as the evaluation of impact, 'Accredited Prior Learning', cost of courses etc and embedding safeguarding messages into the wider education offer e.g. coaching, talent ID, medical, refereeing etc.
Support the development of educational tool kits which can used by individuals across the game to enhance knowledge and understanding of effective safeguarding.
Utilise available research and insight, alongside learning from safeguarding concerns and cases, to ensure the safeguarding learning offer equips the learner to respond to changing trends.
Where appropriate, work in partnership with external organisations and experts to further enhance our learning offer, maximise reach and impact.
Support the effective management of safeguarding and wellbeing concerns, catastrophic incidents, complaints and any referrals to Statutory Agencies, The FA Safeguarding Case Management Team and Integrity Team as required.
Be an influential advocate for safeguarding, promoting, communicating and representing this work effectively.
Contribute to the wider work of the team, and execute additional tasks as required to meet FA Group changing priorities.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

Knowledge

A professional safeguarding qualification and or relevant background.
Extensive knowledge of learning principles and how to develop and deliver effective e-learning, digital and in-person learning and using a blended approach.
In-depth knowledge of child and adult protection and safeguarding legislation, policy and implementation.
Understanding of accessibility within learning design.
Awareness of assessment for learning practices to ensure our learning offer is well-suited to individual cohorts' needs.
A working knowledge of data protection principles and practice.
Sound knowledge of equality legislation and inclusive practices as they relate to safeguarding and additional vulnerability.

Experience

Wide experience of creating innovative and agile learning experiences e.g. via multi-media.
Creating and delivering different types of learning experiences for multiple and complex stakeholders.
Experience of collaborative, cross-functional team working.
Experience of using data to shape learning needs effectively.

Technical Skills

Ability to create inspiring presentations and present to a wide range of key stakeholders.
Time and project management skills.
Report Writing skills.
Advanced Microsoft Office skills.
Ability to facilitate problem-solving.

Beneficial to have:

Knowledge

Understanding of pedagogy and learning principles.
An understanding of the case management processes, legislation and related statutory and voluntary infrastructure.
Understanding of grassroots football.
Understanding of the role of County FA in safeguarding children and adults.

Experience

Experience of working in safeguarding in a sporting context.
Experience of developing tailored resources for different stakeholders.
Experience of co-creating learning resources with children and / or adults with lived experience.
Experience in the creation of e-learning.
Technical Skills

Budget management.
Ability to create podcasts or other multi-media learning.

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

Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.

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/safeguarding---learning--development-manager-0974-wembley-stadium---national-football-centre-st-georges-park/2764/description/