The Football Association is excited to be searching for a National Referee Manager, Performance. who will work closely with the Head of Refereeing and other National Referee Managers to provide hands-on knowledge, expertise, direction and delivery of physical fitness and well-being training, education and development programmes at all events and camps.

The successful candidate will take strategic ownership of all matters of physical and psychological performance support for referees at step 2 - 6 within the National League System and FA National Women's football pyramid.

What will you be doing?

To enhance and develop the physical and psychological fitness of all referees at steps 2 to 6 of the NLS and FA National Women's football pyramid.
Provide detailed and appropriate bespoke physical training plans for all FA CORE referees (inclusive of step 2)
Provide physical training guidance and information for all referees at steps 6 to 2 of the NLS.
To regularly attend games to identify performance trends which can forge the basis of our support.
Deliver monthly webinars on all matters of fitness, training, nutrition and recovery.
Deliver regular fitness sessions face-to-face on a regional basis.
Work closely with the Head of Refereeing – Technical and development and other National Referee Managers to ensure that Referee fitness and well-being remains a key priority for County Football Associations.
Produce and maintain a ‘fitness for refereeing' guide which is hosted on the FA Community portal.
Manage and deliver a programme of fitness testing and assessment on an annual basis for 2000 referees.
Attendance at all FA Referee development events and camps to deliver fitness training and lifestyle education.
Manage and oversee a team of volunteer mental well-being champions – offering off-field support to referees at all levels.
To demonstrate the core FA values at all times. Working within a wider technical and development team, whilst showing a positive attitude and flexibility to support their colleagues within the team and wider FA refereeing department where necessary.
Executes additional tasks as required to meet FA Group changing priorities.
Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing 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?

Essentially for the role:

Experience of all matters of Sports Science and performance.
The ability to share, cascade and facilitate educational content which supports performance.
Excellent inter-personal and influence skills.
Creation of online and written guidance and support documents which aid performance.
Excellent administration skills.
Advanced skills in Microsoft Office.

Beneficial to also have:

Experience working with sporting/performance environments.
Understanding of refereeing environment and structure.
Understanding of psychological well-being and performance.

Please note, this is a home-based role, which means this is location independent and will require extensive and regular nationwide travel.

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 wellbeing.
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.
A hybrid working model offering flexibility on where you work.

Our Organisation

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, Barclays FA Women's Super League, FA Women's Championship, and Vitality Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.

National Referee Manager - Recreational