General Counsel

The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.

The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, and Women's Adobe FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to inspire positive change through football.

THE ROLE

• Proactively manage the legal and governance risk for The FA, playing a critical role in helping the organisation deliver on its purpose.
• As a member of the Executive, establish trusted partnerships with senior colleagues in contributing to the successful leadership, development and direction of The FA.
• Develop and retain effective relationships with all key stakeholders and external governance bodies, acting in pursuit of the best interests of The FA and the game.
• Lead a proactive, high-performing and collaborative team that works in close partnership with stakeholders across the organisation.

THE PERSON

• An established General Counsel, able to operate as a trusted adviser at the highest levels, and in this role specifically with the Chair, CEO and Board.
• Have excellent judgement and will bring a broad perspective to complex issues. Possesses the emotional intelligence and stakeholder management skills to influence and shape decisions in the Board, Council and Executive environments.
• Have a well-developed understanding of risk, the foresight to identify emerging risks and the pragmatism to mitigate those risks effectively.
• Preferably will have worked at a senior level in regulated industries and understands the complexity this brings to football and the management of all our stakeholders.