Professional Player to Coach Scheme

Professional Player to Coach Scheme

Location: Sparrows Lane Training Ground, South East London or as required

Salary: up to £27,500 per annum

Hours: Full-time, and on Academy Matchdays

Contract Type: 23-month fixed term

Closing date: Monday 14th July 2025

To Apply: https://cafc.peoplehr.net/Pages/JobBoard/Opening.aspx?v=8eaeddcf-6708-42d2-8f56-ada89030ad7b

Charlton Athletic is an English Football Club currently playing in the Championship of the EFL, established in 1905 and based in South-East London. In partnership with the Premier League, PFA and EFL, we are offering a 23-month, full-time Academy coaching role, to support the development of the next generation of football coaches as part of the Professional Player to Coach Scheme 2025/26 . The scheme is open to all, and we particularly welcome applications from individuals from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, as they are underrepresented groups amongst the coaching roles that exist across the professional game.

You’ll split your time between coaching within the Academy at Charlton Athletic and the Premier League’s accredited Coach Development Programme. You’ll gain experience across all development phases and work closely with multi-disciplinary teams across the department.

Your development journey will include:

• Mentoring and tailored support
• Immersive learning experiences
• Workshops, peer learning, and reflective practice
• Access to FA/UEFA qualifications (based on development need and subject to availability)

On successful completion of all programme elements, you’ll be awarded a Diploma in Professional Football Coaching from Leeds Beckett University.

Over the two seasons of the programme, the coach will be seconded for significant periods to all three phases of the youth development programme, gaining specific experience of coaching at the different ages and stages of the player pathway.   They will develop the knowledge and skills to operate successfully as part of the multi-disciplinary team within Foundation, Youth Development and Professional Development Phases, gaining experience of working across the four corners of the player development programme.

MAIN JOB REQUIREMENTS AND PERSON SPECIFICATION

Education/Qualifications/Training:

Essential

·       PFA member

·       Registered on, or holding the UEFA B Licence as a minimum

·       No prior full-time 1st Team or Academy coaching role at a Premier League or EFL club

·       FA Safeguarding Certificate, Emergency First Aid, and Enhanced DBS (to be completed prior to role commencement)

Desirable

·       UEFA A Licence or FA Advanced Youth Award

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge:

Essential

·       Experience of coaching in one, or more, of the following environments: grassroots, community, education, development centre or part-time academy football settings

·       A drive to coach in the professional game

·       Passion for player development & developmentally appropriate learning environments

·       Commitment to fulfilling duty of care for children, young people, and adults in healthy, high-performance environments

·       Resilience and commitment to high-performance environments

·       Excellent communication and relationship-building skills

·       A desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game

Desirable

·       Experience of coaching a team or group of players on a regular basis

·       Experience of holistic youth development activities within, or beyond, sport

Dates to be available

·       Assessment Activities: w/c 21 July & w/c 4 August

·       PPCS Induction, Lake District 29th September – 2nd October 2025

Safeguarding

Charlton Athletic Football club are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. We endeavour to provide a fun, safe and welcoming environment where children and young people feel respected and valued.

If you are successful, then you will be required to undertake an Enhanced DBS.

Additional Information

·       This a full-time role that includes work on weekends and evenings

·       Applicants must be eligible to live and work in the UK

·       Charlton Athletic is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people. This post is subject to a satisfactory DBS Disclosure

·       As such, this post is exempt for the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974) and the successful candidate must disclose all convictions spent convictions should be declared, that have not been subject to filtering by the DBS

·       Charlton Athletic FC and the Premier League, PFA and EFL are committed to the principle of equal opportunity and its policies for recruitment, selection, training, development and promotion are designed to ensure that no job applicant receives less favourable treatment on the grounds of race, colour, nationality, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability or gender reassignment.   Reasonable adjustments are available for applicants with a disability.   

·       Any personal data that you provide to Charlton Athletic Football Club Ltd (data controller) will be processed in line with applicable data protection laws and will be used only for the purpose of recruitment.

·       We will keep your personal information for 6 months after which we will erase it.  You can always choose to have your data erased earlier by emailing us at dpo@cafc.co.uk.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications we receive we regret that we are unable to respond to unsuccessful applicants.

Application Process – Please click ‘apply’ to apply

Please submit a two-part cover letter:

1.     Part 1 (max 500 words) to demonstrate how you fulfil the “What We’re Looking For” criteria. Please structure your responses under the following headings:

a)     The essential criteria I fulfil (please include PFA membership number)

b)    The desirable criteria I fulfil

c)     My desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game.

2.     Part 2 (max 500 words) to answer all the following questions.

Please structure your responses under the following headings:

a)     My motivations for applying for the PPCS academy coach role and Premier League Coach Development Programme

b)    How the PPCS academy coach role and development programme fits with my career ambitions

c)     How my unique expertise, and lived experience, will benefit the club and players