Vacancy description
Key Information
- Division:Grassroots Football
- Location:Home based
- Vacancy Type:Full-time, Permanent
- Closing Date:9 November 2025
The Football Association has an exciting opportunity within our County FA network for a Regional Manager in the West Region.
The purpose of the Regional Manager is to
- Be the relationship and contract manager between The FA and County FAs (CFAs), always acting as an FA ambassador.
- To drive CFA business improvement including; strategic and operational planning, workforce structures, performance management, corporate governance, financial management, facility development, customer service excellence, marketing & communications, commercial, football development and football services.
- To lead implementation of The FA's Grassroots Football Strategy, and other strategic plans that are in place from time to time, and support CFAs in the creation of effective local action plans to achieve their targets, ensuring contractual obligations are delivered.
- To work closely with the Grassroots 2040 core team and be integrally involved in working with CFAs on the implementation of Grassroots 2040.
The role will have flexible working locations with the expectation of regular travel within the region.
What will you be doing?
Within a designated region (West - see attached map and County FA list below for further details outlining the West region);
- Ensure County FAs have clear, effective strategies and action plans in place to deliver their key performance indicators (KPIs) and other targets as defined in The FA Grassroots Football Strategy or other strategic plans that are in place from time to time.
- Co-ordinate the business planning process and allocation of financial distributions into County FAs through the reviews taking place throughout each season.
- Communicate clearly and effectively with County FAs and drive adherence to the communications framework.
- Support the implementation and ongoing compliance of Safeguarding 365 Standard, the Code of Governance for County FAs, Financial Operating Guidance and other standards/models that are in place from time to time.
- Performance manage County FAs against their business strategies, operational plans and KPI progress.
- Support County FAs in:
- Recruiting, retaining and developing excellent people who are proud to serve the game.
- Using research, insight and measurement to understand their stakeholders and location to aid decision making and delivery.
- Building a strong financial and commercial base to ensure sustainability.
- Creating an effective leadership and governance structures to meet modern day challenges.
- Personally, provide excellent service levels to County FAs; responding to communications / requests for support and embedding a culture of customer excellence.
- Champion the perspective of County FAs and delivery partners across The FA and with key partners, elevating their profile and the recognition of the work undertaken at local level.
- Support County FAs to implement effective performance management systems including the recruitment, retention and development of staff and volunteers and create a culture of high performance.
- Prioritise time spent in County FAs through a risk evaluation process, ensuring that time is spent as effectively as possible, dealing with conflict and managing change.
- Build a culture of trust between the County FAs and The FA.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement, aligned with The FA Grassroots Football Strategy.
- Support the implementation of the County FA Operation Model and any future model developed.
- Execute additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group changing priorities.
- Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
What are we looking for?
Essential for the role:
- Business / Sport development qualification.
- Strong influencing skills in the areas of strategy and policy.
- Experience of FA programmes and grassroots football.
- Track record of creating effective, detailed business strategies to achieve a range of outcomes.
- Previous line management of team members.
- Success in leading transformational change programmes.
- Broad business development skills covering the areas of people, service, standards, compliance, governance and finance.
- Experience in developing successful partnerships and attracting investment.
- Ability to gain buy-in to equality objectives.
- Strategic management, policy implementation and business improvement experience.
- Ability to evaluate risk, manage conflict and oversee change.
- Experience achieving results through performance management.
- Relationship management skills through coaching and mentoring.
- Valid UK drivers license
Beneficial to have:
- Knowledge of the FA Grassroots Football Strategy.
- Knowledge of financial and HR management.
- CEO and/or regional management experience.
- History of working in partnership with County FAs.
- Understanding of the political and functional workings of Local Authorities, Sport England and other partners.
- Experience in shared service models.
- Health and safety skills / qualification.
- Project management skills / qualification.
- Understanding of data analysis.
If successful, a final stage in-person interview will take place at Wembley Stadium on the 26th of November.
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.
ABOUT US
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 the Adobe Women’s 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.
Our game can tackle some of society’s core challenges. It can bring communities together, nationally and locally. It can be a platform for inclusion, ensuring there is a place for all. It can get people active and promote wellbeing often at a time when we need it most. With UEFA EURO 2028 – hosted in the UK and Ireland – on the horizon, we have an incredible opportunity to transform football across the country.
Now is the time to inspire positive change.
We currently work 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.
Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of Wembley Stadium or St. George’s Park unless the role is advertised as a homebased contract. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.
THE PROCESS
We believe that assessment and selection should be robust, fair, and inclusive.
Following receipt of your application and the closing of the application process, you can expect a period of circa two weeks for us to thoroughly screen and shortlist, ahead of any next stage and interview.
Please note, we receive a high volume of applications so this can vary but we ensure that our assessor panel reviews all applications, and no use of automated screening or AI is used.
At an interview, we want to ensure that we see the best of you as an individual and increase our understanding of your skills and experience relevant to the demands of the role. It is very much a two-way process with importance placed on the candidate experience so that regardless of outcome, you feel valued, and treated fairly and hopefully have a positive experience.
No process is ever the same, but we would like to create an environment that is welcoming and ensures the experience is as enjoyable as possible.
We tailor our assessment and selection depending on the nature and demands of the role. The FA Resourcing Team will provide you with as much notice as possible about the process and the format of any interview will always be communicated to you in advance, including what to expect on the day and who you will be seeing.
We often receive a high volume of applications, and for certain roles, we will supplement your application, utilising our on-demand video interviewing platform. On-demand video interviews enable you to answer preset questions, in the comfort of your own home or office setting and at a convenient time for you, giving us greater insight into you as an individual and the skills and experience you might bring to the role and working at The FA.
We also utilise Microsoft Teams for virtual interviews and of course host you at our world class venues, Wembley Stadium and our National Football Centre, St. George’s Park.
GROUP STRATEGY
WE HAVE MOVED FOOTBALL FORWARD.
From 2020 - 2024, we have – in collaboration with our key partners – been able to deliver meaningful change across the game.
From winning our first major tournament in over 50 years to delivering thousands of high-quality pitches to the grassroots game.
BUT WE CAN’T STOP NOW - AND WE WON’T.
This new strategy is about doubling down. Our game can tackle some of society’s core challenges. It can bring communities together, nationally and locally.
It can be a platform for inclusion, ensuring there is a place for all. It can get people active and promote wellbeing often at a time when we need it most.
With UEFA EURO 2028 – hosted in the UK and Ireland – on the horizon, we have an incredible opportunity to transform football across the country.
NOW IS THE TIME TO INSPIRE POSITIVE CHANGE.
Our ultimate purpose is to ‘Inspire positive change through football’ – everything we do ultimately ladders up to this end goal.
The 2024-2028 strategy focuses on tackling four long-term strategic challenges that will fulfil this purpose and drive real change across the game, our ‘Game Changer’ objectives.
Underpinning these Game Changers are then four activities and approaches that will enable us to meet challenges head on, our ‘Drivers’.
EDI STRATEGY
Our equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) strategy forms an integral part of our long-term commitment to using our influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.
A GAME FREE FROM DISCRIMINATION
Our 2024 – 2028 strategy outlines three fundamental pillars for delivering a game free from discrimination – Boosting Representation, Driving Inclusion and Tackling Discrimination.
These pillars ensure that our work uniting communities, improving lives, and inspiring positive change on and off the pitch will remain a core priority for English football for years to come.
We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The FA 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.
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