ROLE DESCRIPTION

About the job
JOB TITLE: Pre-Academy Under 8 Head Coach
DEPARTMENT: Recruitment
REPORTING TO: Sam Hurrell
JOB FUNCTION: - Our Local Recruitment department is driven to continue to recruit the very best local talents and maintain our success in Academy local recruitment. Therefore, we require this senior role to support the Head of Pre-Academy. A Head Coach role within the Pre-Academy Recruitment to ensure the development centre advanced group coaching programme is delivered effectively Chelsea Football Club secure the Best U8 Players.
Contract: 40 hours working across any seven days.


MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES
• Order kit and equipment with kit department to ensure U7, U8’s and staff kit & equipment has been ordered for each season.
• Plan and Deliver the U8 Advanced Coaching & Games Programme (including St Georges Park and European Tournaments, Tony Moss Memorial Cup)
• Plan and Deliver the U8 off the Pitch Schedule including Key Events, (Mascot, Box, Parents Evening, Christmas, Induction Day)
• Oversee IAP’s for the Under 8 Advanced Group
• Prepare U8 Offer Presentations for each individual player.
• Assist on communication with U8 parents (Individual Meetings with Parents).
• Ensuring all U8 parents are set up on teamworks to receive advanced group communication and are kept up to date regarding training and games schedule for U8 advanced group.
• Ensure that the U8 advanced group parents are presented to at key points in the season, making sure presentations and videos are up to date and personal/relevant to each individual.
• To directly line manage the U8 advanced group coaching staff. Lead on the planning of reviews and Professional Development Plans for each individual.
• Communicate regularly with scouts regarding U8 players in advanced group and U8 players of interest at other clubs.
• Manage Staff from supporting departments (GK Coach, Movement Specialist, Analyst, Videographer) for U8 Recruitment.
• Order Gifts from Megastore for special events (Christmas Presents, U8 Offer presentations, Induction Day)
• Plan and deliver all U8 players to attend a 1st team game before Christmas.
• Oversee and manage the data inputted by the coaches on the Under 8 Advanced Group to help with our offer selection process.
• Manage data for U8’s using systems in place
• Regularly feedback Head of Pre-Academy & Head of Local Recruitment about best players and coaches and scouts in the Pre-Academy.
• Prepare presentation information about Pre-Academy for Head of Pre-Academy.
• Continue to innovate and develop the Under 8 programme to be a world leading programme within the country.


PERFORMANCE BEHAVIOURS:
• Demonstrate personal drive and initiative to anticipate and develop solutions to ongoing challenges within scouting and recruitment.
• Excellent communication skills to ensure that all stakeholders are able to be effective in their delivery of department objectives.
• Understand clearly who needs to know what and when related to a high-pressure, high-performance sporting environment.
• Persuasively communicate with others to gain support and ‘buy in’ for ideas.
• Role modelling excellent behaviour and support autonomy that motivates team members to perform beyond expectations.
• Inspire others to succeed by having a clear understanding and belief in your own and others’ capability to succeed for the benefit of Chelsea FC
• Being solution focussed identify options and look at issues from a variety of perspectives, listening to others, before determining the best solution and making a decision


KEY RELATIONSHIPS:
• Head of Local Recruitment
• Head of Pre-Academy
• Pre-Academy Manager
• Pre-Academy Co-ordinator
• U8 Coaching Staff & Support Staff
• U9-14’s Athletic Co-ordinator
• U9-U14 Co-Ordinator
• U9 Coaching Staff
• Pre-Academy Head Coaches
• Pre-Academy Coaches
• Local Scouts


CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:
• Fulfil the Clubs mandatory CPD obligations.
• In addition to the Club mandatory CPD requirements you will maintain a Personal Development Plan to include wider development in leadership and personal growth
• Lead by example and promote a culture of continual professional development and learning throughout the Recruitment and Scouting Team,
• Regularly update your Continual Professional Development area on the Clubs Learning Management System – Blue Learn


DO THE RIGHT THING (Our Expectations):
• To demonstrate and live by the club’s values; Here to Win, Be Brave, Do the Right Thing, Play Your Part, Many Teams, One Club and Proud to Be Chelsea
• To adhere to the club’s policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR.
• To act as an ambassador for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and demonstrate a positive commitment by treating others fairly in line with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels.
• To create a safe environment and act to protect all young people and vulnerable adults that are either in your care or attending club premises, and report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead
• To report any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department


HERE TO WIN (Measures of Performance):
• Recruit the best U8 talents in London & South East for Chelsea Football Club, securing all the talents a registration is offered to.
• Track the number of players who sign for other academies from Pre-Academy programme.
• Quality of players and teams within the academy (retain/release)
• Quality of coaching programme within the U8 Advanced Group
• Maintain effective communication with scouting teams and Management Group.
• Compliance with all regulations and club policies.


PROUD TO BE CHELSEA (Person Specification):
Experience
• Experience of an elite performance environment with understanding of dealing with high performing teams and individuals
• Must be highly numerate and comfortable interacting with objective and subjective data and have experience translating this into actions.
• Have previously worked across a diverse group of stakeholders – experience delivering on guidance from senior management and leading a team of staff.
• Experience using high level presentation skills, both verbal and written, to communicate information and data to support critical decision making.
• Confident in using different systems and developing processes.
• Five years of coaching experience within the relevant age groups in an Pre-Academy/Academy environment.
• Previous experience of line managing staff in a coaching environment
• Five years’ experience recruiting players in a Pre-Academy environment.
• Experience in managing a department budget.


Skills and Behaviours:
• Outstanding communicator both verbal and written across a diverse set of stakeholders and team members.
• Ability to translate an outcome strategy to operational tactics to deliver on the guidance of senior management.
• Highly numerate/ data literate to embed a data-led culture into the scouting strategy.
• Ability to prepare data reports for senior management to update on the progress of the player and scouting productivity.
• Emotional intelligence and empathy to lead a remote global workforce.
• Highly skilled in using MS office.
• Ability to effectively manage player, parent and staff relationships.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.


Chelsea FC and the Foundation is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children, young people and adults at risk (vulnerable groups). We therefore require all successful applicants to complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment. Depending on the role, successful applicants may also be required to undergo other child protection screening where appropriate.
This Job Description is not intended to be exhaustive; the duties and responsibilities may therefore vary over time according to the changing needs of the Club.