Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme

Norwich City Football Club, in partnership with the Premier League, is proud to support the Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme for the 2025/26 season. We are offering a 23-month, full-time academy coaching role to the successful candidate to support the development of the next generation of football coaches. The scheme is open to all, and we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and mixed heritage backgrounds, and women, as they are underrepresented groups amongst the coaching roles that exist across the professional game.

The Norwich City Football Club Academy is operating as a Category One Academy under the Premier League’s Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP). The Academy plays a central role in maintaining the Club’s proud traditions of ‘developing their own’, generating the physical assets of players and revenue, coupled with instilling a reverent pride within the fans every time an Academy-developed player steps upon the Carrow Road turf.

What is the Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme?

You will split your time between academy coaching at Norwich City Football Club and the Premier League’s accredited Coach Development Programme. You’ll gain experience across development phases and work with multi-disciplinary teams.

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 will be awarded a Diploma in Professional Football Coaching from Leeds Beckett University.

What we are looking for?

Key tasks/responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Delivery of the relevant Phase specific coaching curriculum
• Ensure correct coach to player ratio exists within training sessions
• Assist with staff/player reviews within relevant Phase
• Assist in the identification and recruitment of talented young players into the Academy system
• Formal session plans to be produced and recorded for every session delivered
• Match preparation and evaluation to be conducted and recorded for all fixtures
• Assist Phase Lead Coach
• Administration within the relevant Phase

• To act in a manner that supports the Club’s Values of Growth, Integrity, Belonging, Resilience, Pride and Commitment

Attributes:

• Self-motivated and committed
• A strategic planner, organiser and co-ordinator
• Confident and able to work individually and as part of a successful team
• A ‘people person’ with excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Knowledgeable and possess experience of working within the football environment

During your time at Norwich City Football Club, we will ensure that you gain experience across all phases through a structured rotation:

1.        First 6 months: you will be placed within the Pre-Academy and Foundation Phase (FP) to gain insight into early player development

2.      Second 6 months: you will progress to the Youth Development Phase (YDP), where the focus shifts to technical and tactical growth.

3.      Third 6 months: you will be integrated into the Professional Development Phase (PDP), working closely with players transitioning into professional football.

4.      Final Placement: The final rotation will be a Club-selected placement, designed to align your strengths and areas of interest, offering a tailored development opportunity.

Essential criteria:

• UEFA B Licence as a minimum
• No prior full-time 1st Team or Academy coaching role at a Premier League or EFL club
• Experience of coaching in one, or more, of the following environments: grassroots, community, education, development centre or part-time academy football settings
• FA Safeguarding Certificate, Emergency First Aid, and Enhanced DBS (to be completed prior to role commencement)

Desirable criteria:

• Experience of coaching a team or group of players on a regular basis
• Experience of holistic youth development activities within, or beyond, sport
• UEFA A Licence or FA Advanced Youth Award
• Teaching experience

You will bring:

• 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

How to Apply?

Please submit a two-part cover letter:

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

a)     The essential criteria I fulfil

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 CIDS academy coach role and Premier League Coach Development Programme

b)     How the CIDS 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

3.      Your CV

Key Dates

• Application deadline: 18 July 2025
• Email queries to: gabriele.buhler@canaries.co.uk
• Assessment Activities: Stage 1 Video Interview w/c 21 July 2025 & Stage 2 In-Person Interview and Coaching w/c 28 July 2025
• CIDS Induction, Lake District 29 September 2025 – 02 October 2025

Norwich City Football Club are committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. Reasonable adjustments are available for applicants with a disability. Please contact Gabriele Buhler, HR Officer, gabriele.buhler@canaries.co.uk if you would like to discuss this further.

Equality monitoring information will be requested separately and will not form part of the selection process.

Successful candidates will benefit from a comprehensive range of club benefits. This includes (but is not limited to):

·        25 days annual leave + bank holidays

·        Enhanced family friendly leave policies

·        Pension Scheme with Royal London

·        Access to Reward Gateway recognition and discount platform

·        Enhanced CPD opportunities and structured professional development pathways.   

·        The opportunity to get involved in wider club initiatives through a variety of Working Groups.

·        A range of wellbeing support, including 24/7 access to a GP for employees and their dependents, as well as access to gyms and exercise classes at both Carrow Road & Avant Training Centre.

Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to join the Canaries, click ‘Apply’ now to be part of the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme 

Closing date: 18 July 2025

Norwich City Football Club are committed to ensuring equal opportunities are given to all and welcomes applications from all areas of the community regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnerships.

Norwich City Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and recognises the importance of safeguarding children and vulnerable adults in the workplace. Please be aware that a criminal disclosure and identity check will be carried out for this post. Engagement will be subject to a satisfactory DBS disclosure. 

In line with Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024) guidance, we may conduct online searches as part of our due diligence processes on shortlisted candidates.

Please see below the links to the privacy policies:

https://www.canaries.co.uk/privacy-policy

https://www.premierleague.com/privacy-policy