Education Officer

At the heart and soul of London since 1895 West Ham United is a dynamic, fan-focused football Club constantly moving forward but always with an eye on the past.

Our home at the London Stadium has a capacity of 62,500 making it one of the biggest club Stadia in the country however our tickets are the lowest priced for London based clubs in the Premier League, echoing objectives to create Affordable Family Football.

In 2018, our Women's team gained a professional status for the very first time, jumping 2 divisions and competed in the Women's Super League (WSL), the premier division of women's football in England. After finishing a respectable 7th, the team enjoyed particular success in the FA Cup reaching the final of the competition, eventually being beaten by 2017 winners Manchester City.

In April 2019, we opened our brand-new Academy facility based at Chadwell Heath which will help to bring through some of the very best talents in the area, the recent emergence of First Team Players Declan Rice and Ben Johnson are a testament to the work already being done at the Academy.

On the business side, we are continuing to create a Stadium our supporters can call home, with the renaming of the Billy Bonds Stand and Claret and Blue pitch surrounding amongst the latest developments. Additionally, the Club has achieved the Disability Confident Leader status.

The Club employees a constantly growing workforce of approximately 300 core staff and 500 Foundation and events staff, and is a truly unique place to work. We welcome talented individuals who will thrive in our ambitious organisation.

In October 2023, West Ham United was awarded the Advanced level of the Premier League Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard, recognising the Club’s ongoing dedication and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). It is the second time West Ham United has received the award, which is the top accolade that can be achieved by Premier League clubs, having first been presented with the Advanced level in 2020.

Education Officer

Contract: Full-time, initial fixed term until 31 August 2025, with possible extension

Location: WHU Foundation Beckton office, outreach work in schools in east London and Essex.

Reporting to the Senior Manager - Education

West Ham United Foundation (WHUF) is seeking an Education Officer to lead on the delivery of WHUF’s secondary school programmes.

The post-holder will support the delivery of our education themes of work, helping to create meaningful opportunities and pathways for young people aged 11 – 18 years old. The Education Officer will initially deliver on WHUF’s Football Literacy Club and Premier League Inspires programmes working across secondary schools and community settings in east London and Essex.

The successful candidate will have a proven ability to plan, deliver and evaluate effective interventions for young people and manage projects effectively. They will have a commitment to improving the lives of young people and working within a diverse community. They will be able to operate both as a mentor and educator to support local young people through our programmes.

Key Responsibilities

•Act as the Football Literacy Club lead and deliver on the Premier League Inspires programme in secondary schools.

•Deliver group sessions and interventions, one to one support, and events.

•Engage with young people in meaningful and impactful ways in Secondary Schools and community settings across East London and Essex.

•Use WHUF’s CRM systems, such as Salesforce, to monitor and evaluate the impact of the Football Literacy Club and Premier League Inspires programmes.

•Develop and build school relationships, expanding and growing our delivery model.

•Contribute to the wider development of the WHU Foundation.

•Lead the organisation and delivery of programme events, such as school football tournaments.

•Attend project conferences, meetings & training.

•Plan and deliver sessions that engage and inspire learners.

•Develop resources for programme delivery.

•Engage positively with vulnerable and at-risk young people.

•Complete all Risk Assessment procedures using the internal systems.

•Lead the design of secondary school programme sessions and workshops.

•Support the recruitment of secondary schools to the programmes.

•To develop and manage professional relationships with stakeholders.

•Support the delivery of a high quality, safe and to specification programme for WHUF.

•To understand and manage own performance against contractual KPIs.

•To work with the wider Education department to support the development of other programmes where applicable.

•Any other duties as reasonably requested by the line manager / organisation.

Personal Specification

The ideal candidate will have skills and experience in the following areas: -

•Educated to Degree level in relevant subject or proven equivalent work experience

•Level 2 NGB Sports Qualification (In any sport)

•Mental Health First Aider desirable

•Youth Work Level 2 and/or Mentoring Level 2 or above would be ideal

•Experience of successful project delivery and coordination

•Proven achievement of targets that include positive outcomes and/or learning

•Proven experience of working within secondary schools

•Proven experience of delivering in a classroom environment

•Experience of working with young people aged 11- 18 in education settings

•Safeguarding/Child Protection Training and First Aid (will be provided in post if not already done)

Skills & Abilities

•High competency in English and Literacy

•Ability to work collaboratively with others, building trust and developing strong relationships

•Motivated to set high standards for self and others, striving for excellence

•Ability to connect to young people from a wide range of backgrounds and engage them in meaningful activities

•Ability to plan, deliver, and review inspiring and motivational interventions to be delivered in an education setting

•An understanding of safeguarding and health and safety in an education/youth work setting.

•Ability to develop good professional relationships with colleagues, schools, and other stakeholders

•Ability to monitor and evaluate programme delivery and report writing

•A commitment to supporting young people, and the principles of equality and diversity

•A commitment to safeguarding and health and safety

•Self-motivated and the ability to work on own initiative

•Acts with honesty and integrity, and understands how to use resources responsibly

Values & Behaviours

•Integrity – being transparent, responsible and trustworthy. Behaving in an honest and ethical manner, serving the community to the best of our ability.

•Inclusive - recognising and respecting everyone’s value. Providing an accessible and welcoming environment

•Continuously improve - striving for excellence driving development through learning. Maximising opportunities to fulfil potential and be prepared to take risks

•Collaboration - working together internally and externally. Recognising the benefits of a multi-organisational approach to our community and workforce

•Inspiring - creating a culture where people prosper. Providing a safe and enjoyable environment supporting goals and aspirations

Benefits on offer (may vary based on contract type and location)

• 25 days annual leave plus your birthday off
• Pension and life insurance
• Healthcare cash scheme
• Travel season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme
• Priority access to apply for match tickets
• Discounted season tickets
• Staff discounts in the club store, café and our official partners products and services
• Discounted gym membership and onsite fitness room facilities
• Family friendly leave policies
• Company Social events

EDI Statement

Our club's history is rooted in a solid commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and we openly strive to be leaders in promoting EDI values. West Ham United is tactical in its approach to addressing inequity and prioritising the undertaking of meaningful and lasting change for all.

We prioritise removing barriers to attracting and engaging the best talent from all communities. We are proactive in creating equal access to opportunities and benefits for everyone and a discrimination-free environment where everyone experiences being treated with dignity and respect regardless of their background, circumstances, or protected characteristics.

Safeguarding

At our Club and Foundation, we advocate a proactive approach to ensure every child and adult has the right to experience safety and be treated with care, respect, and dignity. Therefore, we prioritise protection from harm and promote safeguarding good practice and compliance as an integral part of all our operations and engagement. This includes conducting robust, safer recruitment checks to identify any potential risks associated with individuals who may pose a threat to children or adults who are at risk of harm.