Head of Community Football

Overall purpose of the Job:

The Head of Community Football is a senior management role with
strategic and operational responsibility for Blackburn Rovers
Community Trust’s community football portfolio. The post holder will
provide visible leadership across football development, participation
and player pathway programmes, ensuring provision is high quality,
inclusive, financially sustainable and aligned to BRCT’s charitable
objectives and wider organisational strategy.

As the organisation’s senior lead for community football, the post
holder will shape and implement the Community Football strategy;
lead and develop the football workforce; hold accountability for
budgets, income, performance, quality and risk; and build influential
relationships with Blackburn Rovers FC, governing bodies, funders,
grassroots clubs, schools, facilities and community partners.

The portfolio will include, but is not limited to, ‘Rovers Play’ (holiday
camps, development centres, Women and Girls), Emerging Talent
Centre (ETC), provision for underrepresented groups such as South
Asian heritage and other community participation programmes,
alongside strategic oversight and quality assurance of football
delivered through programmes such as Premier League Kicks. The
role will ensure clear, inclusive progression opportunities exist from
first engagement through to sustained participation and appropriate
talent pathways. 

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Management

• Lead the development, implementation and continuous review of
BRCT’s Community Football strategy, translating organisational
priorities into clear annual plans, objectives and measurable
outcomes.
• Act as BRCT’s senior lead and subject-matter expert for community
football, providing advice and recommendations to the Executive,
Senior Leadership Teams and contributing to wider organisational
planning and decision-making.
• Take overall accountability for the performance, quality, growth and
sustainability of the Community Football portfolio, ensuring activity
remains relevant to local need and BRCT’s charitable objectives.
• Lead service planning, workforce planning and resource allocation,
balancing quality, impact, participation, income generation and
value for money.
• Identify emerging opportunities, risks and trends within community
and grassroots football and ensure BRCT responds proactively.
• Represent Community Football at internal senior management
meetings and provide clear, evidence-based updates on
performance, risks, opportunities and priorities.

Programme Leadership, Quality and Pathways

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of all communityfocused football programmes, ensuring consistently high standards
across delivery, venues, participant experience and safeguarding.
• Own the football coaching philosophy and curriculum across
relevant programmes, ensuring age-appropriate, inclusive and
participant-centred practice.
• Create clear pathways across BRCT’s football offer, from
introductory community participation through to development and
talent opportunities, with appropriate links into grassroots and
wider football structures.
• Lead quality assurance through observations, audits, participant
feedback, performance reviews and improvement plans.
• Maintain sufficient visibility within delivery to understand
participant and staff experience, while ensuring day-to-day
coordination is appropriately delegated.

People Leadership and Workforce Development

• Provide effective line management, leadership and direction to
Community Football staff, setting clear expectations, objectives
and standards of performance.
• Lead recruitment, induction, deployment, retention, supervision
and performance management across the football workforce,
including permanent, part-time and casual staff.
• Create and implement a workforce development and CPD plan that
strengthens coaching quality, leadership capacity and succession
planning.
• Develop a positive, accountable and inclusive team culture in
which staff are supported to perform, develop and take ownership.
• Ensure appropriate staffing structures and rotas are in place to
meet programme needs safely and efficiently.

Financial Management, Income and Business Development

• Hold delegated responsibility for Community Football budgets,
ensuring robust forecasting, monitoring, financial controls and
value for money.
• Develop annual income and expenditure plans and take corrective
action where performance is outside agreed tolerances.
• Lead the development of sustainable earned-income opportunities
across football programmes while protecting accessibility and
charitable benefit.
• Identify and develop funding, sponsorship and partnership
opportunities and contribute to high-quality bids, proposals and
business cases.
• Work with colleagues to develop pricing, capacity and growth
models informed by demand, impact and financial performance.

Partnerships and External Representation

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with Blackburn Rovers
FC, the Premier League Foundation, EFL in the Community, The FA,
Lancashire FA, local authorities, schools, grassroots clubs,
leagues, facilities and other key stakeholders.
• Represent BRCT professionally at senior external meetings,
networks, events and working groups, advocating for the
Community Trust and identifying opportunities for collaboration.
• Develop partnerships that increase participation, improve
pathways, extend reach into underrepresented communities and
strengthen the local football ecosystem.
Performance, Impact and Governance
• Set and monitor annual targets and KPIs across the Community
Football portfolio and ensure performance is reviewed regularly
with appropriate action plans.
• Ensure high-quality data, registers, monitoring information,
evaluation and case studies are maintained in line with funder and
organisational requirements.
• Use insight, participant feedback, financial information and
performance data to drive continuous improvement and evidence
impact.
• Provide accurate and timely reports for senior leaders, funders,
partners and, where required, Trustees.
• Ensure contractual and funding requirements are understood and
delivered, with risks or underperformance escalated promptly.

Safeguarding, Risk and Compliance

• Provide leadership that ensures safeguarding, health and safety,
equality, diversity and inclusion are embedded throughout
Community Football provision.
• Ensure programme risk assessments, operating procedures,
incident reporting and venue arrangements are appropriate, current
and consistently applied in addition to effectively recognise and
record safeguarding concerns in a timely manner.
• Work closely with BRCT’s safeguarding leads and relevant
colleagues to ensure concerns are managed and escalated in
accordance with policy.
• Ensure staff maintain required qualifications, checks and
professional standards and that provision complies with governingbody and funder requirements.

General Senior Management Responsibilities

• Contribute actively to cross-organisational priorities and work
collaboratively with other service leads and senior managers to
maximise BRCT’s collective impact.
• Champion BRCT’s values and model professional, accountable and
inclusive leadership at all times.
• Act as an ambassador for Blackburn Rovers Community Trust and
Blackburn Rovers FC, protecting and enhancing the reputation of
both organisations.
• Attend relevant meetings, training, fixtures, matchdays and events,
including evening and weekend commitments where required.
• Undertake other duties commensurate with the seniority and nature
of the role.