National Development Manager – Volunteering

Organisation: The Football Association
Salary: Competitive
Location: Wembley Stadium
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 15 March 2026
Job Description: Set the bar for greatness...

The FA are excited to be searching for a National Development Manager - Volunteering, to join our Grassroots division. Reporting to the Senior Development Manager, Major Events & Volunteering, you will join a team of 2 others: the Euro 28 Legacy Manager, and an existing National Development Manager- Volunteering.

We are seeking a proactive and passionate individual to drive greater representation of disabled volunteers and expand the number of off-pitch opportunities within the disability pathway. You will also grow the number of young volunteers (U25) and actively support the success and influence of the FA National Youth Council.

A key focus of the role will be maximising engagement with off-pitch learning and development, ensuring club and league committee volunteers have access to training that meets their needs. You will also lead and support campaigns and events that recognise, celebrate and amplify the impact of volunteers across the game.

What will you be doing?

Disabled Volunteers/Disability Pathway volunteering:

Build and manage the relationship with the partner organisation(s) that will maximise the impact and learning from the Volunteer Coordinator network across 5 cities.
Develop and deliver interventions that support the growth of disabled volunteers and off-pitch volunteers in the disability pathway.
Ensure our interventions and programmes are relevant, cutting-edge, impactful and responsive to the changing needs of the football population and that the ‘voice' of disabled people is heard in the design of new solutions.
Develop creative solutions to remove the barriers or exploit the opportunities that exist in grassroots football volunteering.
Support the delivery of training interventions for grassroots volunteers, partner organisations and CFA staff that support disabled volunteers or volunteers in the disability pathway.

Young Volunteers:

To manage and provide the required support to enable a successful and safe FA Youth Council, including recruitment of members, meeting content co-creation and meeting implementation (online and in-person meetings, evenings and weekends)
To deliver safe and successful FA Youth Council-related programmes (including the FA Leadership Academy), that support a boost in the representation of young volunteers in clubs and leagues.
To design, deliver and or procure ongoing professional development, including coaching and mentoring, that meets the needs of the FA Youth Council's members and is aligned to their Game Plan.
In partnership with the FA Youth Council, inform and influence internal and external stakeholders (e.g. FA Council, County FAs, clubs) to enable the game to meet the needs of young people.
Grow the number of young volunteers in club and league committees (including chair/treasurer/club secretary/volunteer coordinator, and marketing roles)
Be relentless in the search for knowledge and understanding of the issues and develop resources and interventions to empower clubs to grow their young volunteer base.

Learning and Development:

To deliver, promote and maximise the take-up of existing learning opportunities for off-pitch volunteers (Club Maker, Run Football Club and League Editions and Behaviour Development Compass)
Create and implement procedures that ensure learning is registered and the needs of new volunteers are incorporated into future learning opportunities.
Collaborate with Club, England Football, learning and Education partner colleagues to support an accessible learning pathway for volunteers from ‘unaware' to ‘interested' to ‘involved' to ‘invested'

Teamwork

Develop strong relationships with Inclusion in Sport charities, County Football Associations, Education Partners, FA National Youth Council, England Football Learning and learning and development consultants, as well as volunteers, including mentors from the FA Leadership Academy.
Support club volunteers with learning and development opportunities, equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel.
Contribute and maintain effective communication with the Grassroots Development Senior Management Team and ensure new interventions are developed to achieve maximum impact and drive transformational change.
Support the design and development of learning for the CFA workforce to enable them to transform the volunteer experience for young or disabled volunteers.

Relationships and Influence:

Develop strong relationships with Access Sport, County Football Association, Football Development Officers, FA National Youth Council and mentors from the FA Leadership Academy.
Consultants who provide added value across the learning and development of young and or disability pathway volunteers.
Development Team casual staff, including Ambassadors who engage with clubs and volunteers.
EDI team colleagues and the community of practice, supporting the diversification of volunteers.

Other:

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 an enhanced 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:

Demonstrate creative delivery approaches to diverse audiences.
Ability to manage, prioritise and complete work across multiple streams and deadlines.
Ability to work independently.
2 years of event management and delivery experience.
Communicate effectively with a range of stakeholders (including via presentations)
Experience of County Football Associations, and grassroots football (paid and voluntary role(s)
Degree and or 3 years' experience in relevant subject, e.g. Sports Development, Event Management, Education.
Experience of volunteering or managing volunteers.
Experience and evidence of developing individuals and networks.

Beneficial to have:

Experience of grassroots football voluntary roles.
Knowledge and understanding of Football Development.
Knowledge and understanding of the technical requirements of football at various ages, stages, and pathways.
Evidence of ongoing professional development.

We can confirm that interview dates will be held at Wembley Stadium on W/C Monday 13th April.

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 on 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, encourages 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' day's leave, volunteering days, as well as 25 days of 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/national-development-manager--volunteering-1058-wembley-stadium/2989/description/