Talent ID Operations & Process Lead

Organisation: The Football Association
Salary: Competitive
Location: Burton Upon-Trent
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 1 February 2026
Job Description: Set the bar for greatness...

The FA are excited to be searching for a Talent ID Operations Lead, who will play a lead role in the coordination of the FA's Talent ID Programme by developing clearly defined processes, enabling the Talent ID Department to work effectively through quality communication to identify and monitor talent with the potential of playing for an appropriate age group England team.

What will you be doing?

Planning and coordinating the coverage of fixtures across the whole Talent ID Department.
Planning and coordinating the coverage of tournaments both domestically and internationally.
Oversee the management of player lists and player escalation, in collaboration with the Talent ID Leads, Talent Reporters, Casual Scouts and wider departments.
Engage in a full review and consultation of the current talent reporting template, from review to roll-out.
Liaise with the Programme Management Officer (Jane Baker), Player Insights, and Team Managers surrounding the eligibility and citizenship status of players, in preparation for and following each camp.
Confirm and coordinate player selection administration with Team Managers via Player Hub.
Assessing reports each week to decide which players in each group need to be watched as a priority.
Manage our part-time and casual talent reporters day to day and be there to help them with any issues they may have.
Identify talent abroad that qualifies for England and formulate a plan around how we monitor these players.
Add new players to the system and ensure all the relevant information is input.
Develop and utilise relationships to extract fixture and player information, including internal stakeholders, with The Premier League, English Football League and club contacts.
Attend live games and report on video, along with attendance at England camps, as necessary, to develop a player knowledge base and to build context around player discussions.
Work closely with the Insights Department to ensure we are getting a good level of regular insight to aid fixture allocation and selection.
Deliver on Talent ID events and courses around how the department runs day to day, week to week.
Work with phase leads to plan key meetings throughout the season, such as selection and grading meetings.
Build and maintain good relationships with clubs so that we can gather and share information regularly.
Work with the Performance Technology Department to continually develop the recruitment systems to meet the requirements of the Recruitment Department.
Executes 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 Football and a high level of technical expertise across several areas.
Dedicated, flexible approach to working hours and travel.
Experience of working in Football within a Scouting and/or Analysis department.
Advanced Microsoft Office.
Ability to create presentations and present to a wide range of key stakeholders.
Strong communication skills.
Experience with analysis tools and software such as Sportscode, Wyscout and annotation software such as Piero.
Excellent planning and organisation skills, and the ability to work to challenging timescales.

Beneficial to have:
Undergraduate degree.
Talent ID qualifications.
Coaching qualifications.

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/talent-id-operations--process-lead-nfcsgp0521-national-football-centre-st-georges-park/2921/description/