North Riding FA - Football Development Officer (Inclusion & Wellbeing)

Our Organisation

North Riding FA was founded in 1881. We are the local governing body for football and are responsible for the governance and development of football across Teesside and North Yorkshire working in the Local Authority areas of Stockton-on-Tees, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, North Yorkshire & York.

• NRCFA Mission - To provide fun, positive, safe & inclusive football across the communities of Teesside & North Yorkshire.
• NRCFA Vision - To make football a game for everyone.
• NRCFA Values - Excellence, Community, Making a Difference, Passion, Accountability.

The Role

North Riding County FA is inviting applications for the position of Football Development Officer (Inclusion & Wellbeing). Working within the Football Development Team, the successful applicant will be responsible for: leading the delivery of our Diversity & Inclusion Action Plan; activating our Health & Wellbeing Strategy; and growing the recreational football offer across the county.

We are looking for an individual with a huge passion for the game, who wants to make a difference to football across Teesside and North Yorkshire. The role will aim to widen the reach of North Riding FA, opening the game up to groups and communities who have not previously engaged with the County FA.

Key Accountabilities

• Explore and encourage the development of other formats of football (e.g. walking football and futsal) within leagues and clubs to provide more opportunities for people to play and enjoy football.
• Identify sources of funding that will be of benefit to key stakeholders and provide advice and guidance to applicants.
• Recruit, retain and develop diverse coaches through The FA qualification framework and local CPD opportunities, with a focus on historically under-represented groups and female coaches.
• Work with the Referee Development Officer to recruit, retain and develop diverse (especially females and those from historically under-represented groups) referees.
• Use national and local data, research and customer insight to drive player participation in grassroots football by those from historically under-represented groups.
• Work with the North Riding FA Inclusion Advisory Group to consult on plans and engage to provide advocates for diversity and inclusion activities.
• Represent North Riding FA with internal and external stakeholders, campaigners and networking groups, positively engaging and informing on diversity and inclusion targets and activities.
• Develop activities and campaigns which will support the achievement of our diversity and inclusion targets.
• Lead the creation of the annual external report on the progress of the North Riding FA Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan and its published targets.
• Ensure North Riding FA maintains the Preliminary Level of the Equality Standard.
• Ensure the North Riding FA Youth Council is diverse and representative of local demographics.
• Work with the North Riding FA Health & Wellbeing Working Group to consult on plans and engage to provide advocates for health and wellbeing activities.
• Represent North Riding FA with internal and external stakeholders, campaigners and networking groups, positively engaging and informing on health and wellbeing targets and activities.
• Develop activities and campaigns which will support the achievement of our health and wellbeing targets.
• Lead the creation of the annual external report on the progress of the North Riding FA Health and Wellbeing Strategy and its published targets.
  Safeguarding
• Collaborate with the Designated Safeguarding Officer in all matters involving under-18s and adults at risk within diversity and inclusion football development programmes.
• Risk-assess all North Riding FA events and activity for under-18s and where North Riding FA directly employ or deploy under-18 referees, coaches and volunteers to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
• Support messaging so that under-18s and adults at risk in youth and open-age adult grassroots football know how to report concerns about their wellbeing.
• Listen to and consult with under-18s on their experiences of grassroots football as part of the North Riding FA youth engagement strategy.
• Utilise the feedback from under-18s and adults at risk to enhance the experience and fun and safety in grassroots football.
• Recognise the additional vulnerability of some groups of children and young people e.g. those with disabilities; from historically under-represented groups; those who identify as LGBT.
• Provide the highest level of customer excellence to support volunteers across all FA Technology systems (FA Events, Whole Game System, Matchday app and Full-Time).
• Contribute to ensuring that safeguarding and equality are embedded throughout North Riding FA and grassroots football.
• Execute tasks as required to meet North Riding FA's changing priorities.

What we are looking for

Essential

• A degree level qualification or equivalent experience.
• Ability to work strategically with partner organisations across different sectors to plan and deliver football programmes.
• Project management skills and experience – to plan, set and achieve objectives to deadlines.
• Excellent IT skills, including the use of Microsoft Office applications.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent time management and prioritisation skills
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
• Exceptional customer service.
• Report-writing skills.
• Ability to use data to monitor and evaluate programmes.
• Influencing skills to champion change.
• Practical experience of sports/football development.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of inclusion, equality, anti-discrimination and safeguarding.
• Knowledge of the structure and partner organisations within football, nationally and within the County FA locality.

Desirable

• Two years' sports development experience.
• Capable of developing networks and relationships with a variety of stakeholders to support the delivery of strategic priorities.
• Skilled in creating, delivering and maintaining pathways which support the growth, transition and retention of players.
• Capability to create multiple reports, budgets and plans.
• Knowledge of The FA's Grassroots Football Strategy.
• Experience of project management.
• Experience of utilising mapping programmes to support strategic and logistical planning.
• Knowledge and understanding of working with volunteers.