An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the team here at Oakwell as Head of Academy Coaching.
ABOUT THE ROLE
- Oversee the effective delivery of the Barnsley FC coaching curriculum including designing bespoke syllabus activities aligned with coaching and playing philosophies.
- Oversee the implementation of the coaches’ competency framework and shaping and influencing CPD training programmes targeting coaches as they work through their coaching pathway.
- Ensure that the first team coaching and playing philosophies permeate down and through the academy development phases and age groups.
- Contribute, develop and maintain the Academy Performance Plan (APP) annually to ensure its effectiveness in achieving the football coaching category’s desired outcomes.
- Support the workforce model that aligns with the Football League rules in identifying and deploying coaching staff in specific roles and phases within the academy.
- Take the lead role in departmental planning for coaching that links to academy objectives and creating individual action plans to help achieve those objectives.
- Deliver against the EPPP outcomes in relation to planning, reporting and uploading data into the PMA to meet with regulation and ISO benchmarking.
- Contribute to Academy Management Team and Technical Board meetings where needed, leading, and guiding on aspects relating to coaching and delivery.
SPECIFIC TASKS
Take the lead, supervise, and manage on all coaching aspects and deliverables across all development phases that aims to:
- Support coaching staff with regard to periodisation of coaching blocks within review period timings including ensuring that a comprehensive syllabus is in place to help deliver highly effective coaching sessions.
- Within periodisation, design and communicate the coaching ‘week’ for both players and coaches with regard to ensuring the relevant number of coaching hours are delivered, acknowledging intensities and frequencies, and the management of rest and recovery (also to consider educational and schooling requirements).
- Create, manage and deliver the internal CPD framework that meets with Football League requirements in ensuring 5-hours of CPD is achieved annually in addition to identifying external training needs for coaches within their respective development phase.
- Bring together a departmental action plan that seeks to identify a) performance objectives b) staff training needs c) workforce modelling (inc. mid-term planning d) development phase management and e) investment.
- Deliver comprehensive coaching staff appraisals that identifies and supports individual developments linking to departmental action planning.
- Adopt, implement and integrate playing and coaching strategies into the coaching curriculum that aligns with first team philosophies, clearly identifiable via planning and delivering of coaching session and match day objectives.
- Take the responsibility to effectively communicate the desired philosophies (and outcomes) to all academy stakeholders i.e. players, parents, staff members, for example, workshops, seminars, staff meetings etc.
- Encourage and implement a multi-disciplinary work environment that demonstrates effective ways in integrating other disciplines within the coaching environment.
- With support of other professionals ensure that early and late developers are considered as part of squad management and influencing the squad profiles by operating closely with Lead Phase coaches.
- Take the responsibility for identifying squad, age and player development by reviewing periodic reports and performance clock data so as to oversee the quality assurance in accurate and accountable reporting on player progress, and including and influencing recruitment activities so that the phases and age groups are recruiting at a standard linked to academy/club player DNA.
- Create, develop and implement a player competency framework that seeks to incrementally detail the types and levels of competencies needed at specific (or individually-based) development phases including associations with what is considered the ‘four corners’.
- Influence the role of performance analysists in their preparation, coding and post-match analysis so that both coaches and players benefit from this provision in their development.
- Communicate the Club’s safeguarding framework in ensuring compliance with safeguarding policies.
- Oversee EPPP activities and requirements that are aligned to and with Category 2 responsibilities in providing accurate and detailed data.
ABOUT THE CANDIDATE
Essential & Desirable qualifications/pre-requisites
Essential
- UEFA ‘A’ Licence (up to date)
- FA Youth Award
- FA Advanced Youth Award
- Current DBS certification (Enhanced)
- BFAS certification
- FA Licence Club Member
Desirable
- UEFA ‘Pro’ Licence
- Degree in Sport, Sport Science or equivalent
PERSON SPECIFICATION
- Demonstrates enthusiasm and is committed to achieving agreed objectives within Elite Performance Player Planning and Academy activities.
- Effective at preparing, planning and implementing all aspects of academy administration that are aligned with whole-club objectives for coaching young talented football players.
- A dynamic, hardworking, and enthusiastic individual that is able to relate to all staff members and participants engaged in academy and coaching activities.
- Proactive decision maker with excellent verbal and written communication skills that is effective in communicating across all departments within a multi-disciplinary approach.
- Takes responsibility for ensuring a high quality of work and maintaining standards in line with the responsiveness needed for delivering against the club’s coaching objectives and philosophies.
- Is receptive to feedback about own behaviour, strengths and areas for improvement that identifies improvement strategies relating to academy coaching activities.
- Displays a high level of confidentiality and transparency and is able to contribute to AMT and TB meetings in a professional manner.
- Displays a deep knowledge and experience of the academy’s coaching curriculum and is able to transfer and communicate information in an informative and constructive manner.
- Understands the importance about Health & Safety principles and practice and safeguarding in the delivery of academy coaching and match activities.
ABOUT THE CLUB
At Barnsley FC, we believe that our success is built upon the strength of our staff. We aim to maintain a dynamic team dedicated to success both on and off the pitch and are currently seeking talented individuals to join us in various positions.
Barnsley Football Club is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.
Due to the nature of the position, applicants will be in contact with children and we are fully committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expect all staff and volunteers to share this commitment.
