Head of Youth Darlington FC

Following the resignation of the current job holder because of work commitments, Darlington FC is looking for a new Head of Youth.

Purpose of the role The job holder will be expected to co-ordinate all of the DFC youth activities under FA and DFA safeguarding guidelines, assist in the coaching and development of players, and liaise with stakeholders.

Place of work: The job holder will work at the Eastbourne Sports complex on at least three training nights per week as well as Saturdays and Sundays when matches take place. Some working from home will be necessary.

Hours of work: Around 20-25 hours per week.

Report to: The Darlington FC board of directors

Key relationships:

• The Darlington FC board of directors
• Head of DFC Academy
• The DFC Youth Welfare Officer
• DFC Women’s Team Manager
• The various leagues in which the youth teams participate
• The coaches of each age group
• Parents/guardians
• The DFC Youth Physiotherapist

Start date: as soon as possible

Experience and Qualifications:

• The job holder should be qualified to at least FA Level 2, but preferably higher.
• Should have excellent communication skills with coaches, players of all ages, and their parents/guardians
• Safeguarding qualification and experience
• Committed to working evenings and weekends
• Sensitive to the needs of young players and parents/guardians
• Should have full driving licence and have own transport
• Should possess a First Aid certificate
• Should have a good knowledge of IT, particularly Word and Excel, and use of Zoom and other communication tools

Main Responsibilities

• To continually ensure personal knowledge in relation to all aspects of coaching is up to date, and forward thinking
• To regularly organise and attend DFC Youth committee meetings
• To report on a regular basis to the DFC board of directors
• Work closely with the Head of Academy at DFC to ensure strong linkage
• To monitor and evaluate the Youth section’s playing and coaching philosophy
• To support the coaching staff, in the provision of high quality coaching relevant to age and stage of players, and educating them in line with long term objectives
• Work with the youth section Physiotherapist in relation to treatment plans for players
• To liaise with the Club Secretary and Football Administrators in relation to all aspects of youth section administration
• Adherence to the club’s Codes of Conduct, and ensuring players adhere to Players Code of Conduct
• Design of training schedules and programmes
• Organising and supporting the delivery of regular player feedback meetings
• Developing and maintaining a professional relationship with parents/guardians of players
• Supporting the development of young players in a healthy lifestyle (e.g. diet, drug awareness, social media, education)
• Taking overall responsibility for the care and maintenance of training equipment and kit
• Assessing players in training and games

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Applicants for this post should apply, enclosing their CV, to dave.watson@darlingtonfc.org by Saturday 25th September