Description
A football stewarding reform and improvement programme has been developed by key stakeholders including the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), Premier League, English Football League (EFL), appointed subject matter experts (SMEs) and other key partners.
The programme responds to recognised challenges and opportunities across football stewarding in England and Wales. Research undertaken by the SGSA highlighted areas for focus including:
- greater consistency in training and standards, with a focus on continual improvement;
- improved safety, security and supporter experience;
- a stronger and more sustainable stewarding workforce, including development and retention; and
- more consistent and higher standards and approaches across stewarding agencies.
The Programme Manager will provide senior programme leadership and coordination for the football stewarding reform programme, ensuring that agreed priorities move from strategy into practical delivery across partners, clubs, suppliers and subject matter experts.
Key Responsibilities:
- Lead the day-to-day programme management and delivery of the Stewarding Reform Programme, personally driving priority actions and workstreams as well as coordinating delivery across partners.
- Maintain an integrated programme plan covering outcomes, scope, milestones, dependencies, resources and decisions, supported by a rolling 90-day planning rhythm.
- Drive follow-through on agreed actions, resolve delivery issues where possible and ensure matters requiring partner or Steering Group decisions are identified and escalated promptly.
- Support effective Steering Group and programme governance, including preparation of papers, recommendations, decisions, actions and escalation.
- Coordinate the consideration and progression of specialist legal, data protection, safeguarding, accessibility and assurance matters through the appropriate experts.
Requirements:
- Senior project or programme management experience, including strategic planning and practical implementation across complex, multi-stakeholder programmes.
- Evidence of personally driving delivery and turning agreed plans and decisions into practical action, with experience of driving and managing change.
- Strong partnership and stakeholder-management skills, with the credibility to work across football bodies, leagues, clubs, public organisations, specialist advisers and delivery partners.
- Ability to turn objectives, evidence and stakeholder feedback into clear plans, requirements, decisions and deliverable activity.
- Experience of managing delivery dependencies, systems, risks, governance, reporting and budgets, with sound judgement about when to resolve issues directly and when to escalate.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including concise senior reporting, decision papers, presentations and external engagement.
- An understanding of football, sport or event-based operations and the importance of stewarding to safety, security and supporter experience.
- Ability to operate effectively in a partnership environment where authority and expertise sit across several organisations rather than within a single reporting line.