Cell Lead & PDP Assistant Coach

Role: Cell Lead & PDP Assistant Coach

Salary: Competitive

Role & Development Programme: 

Walsall Football Club, in partnership with the Premier League, is proud to support the Coach Inclusion & Diversity Scheme for the 2026/27 season.

We're offering a 23-month, full-time Academy Cell Lead & PDP Assistant Coach 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 successful candidate will split their time between their role as an Academy Coach at Walsall Football Club and participation in the Premier League Coach Development Programme. They will play a key role in delivering, monitoring and continually developing the Academy Coaching Programme across the Foundation, Youth and Professional Development Phases. Working closely with the Head of Coaching/Academy Manager, the postholder will ensure the Academy Performance Plan is consistently implemented and aligned with the club’s long-term strategic objectives.

What’s Involved?

Your development journey will include:

• Mentoring and bespoke support
• Immersive learning experiences
• Peer learning
• 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.

What we are looking for:

 Essential criteria:

• UEFA B Licence as a minimum
• No prior full-time 1^st 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’ll 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 apply via iRecruit and you will be required to complete the following questions during the application process:

• The essential criteria I fulfil
• The desirable criteria I fulfil
• My desire to be a role model and ambassador for diversity in the game

Please structure your responses under the following headings:

• My motivations for applying for the CIDS academy coach role and Premier League Coach Development Programme
• How the CIDS academy coach role and development programme fits with my career ambitions
• How my unique expertise, and lived experience, will benefit the club and players