Set the bar for greatness...
The FA are searching for a Senior Player Relations Manager to join our Commercial division. This is a unique and exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in strengthening The FA's relationship with the England Senior Women's Team. The successful candidate will lead the strategic development of the England Legends programme, while delivering innovative and high-impact solutions to meet our Commercial and Marketing commitments.
What will you be doing?
Key overview of the role:
* Champion The FA's transparent and direct approach between The FA, the players, their individual representatives and the PFA.
* Plan and manage the delivery of The FA's contractual obligations for all sponsors of the England Women's Game in relation to the players and manager, working in close collaboration with the commercial partnerships team.
* Be part of the England Women's senior team staff throughout every international window and tournament.
* Work to strengthen the connection with former England women's players and recognise opportunities to celebrate their achievements.
* Play a key role in the protection of The FA's commercial partner programme against ambush activity.
* Work closely with key representatives of the Women's Technical team to leverage relationships and report on progress.
Deliver The FA's Commercial Partner Contractual Obligations:
* Work proactively, collaboratively and creatively with The FA's commercial partnership, marketing teams and key representatives of the Women's Technical team to deliver on The FA's partner contractual obligations and promotional marketing requirements, by managing current and former Senior England Women's player and Head Coach appearances.
* Ensure commercial partner protection by mitigating against ambush and non-partner activity in official England spaces.
* Be a commercial partner advocate, proactively seeking mutually beneficial opportunities where official England brand partners can add value to the player and performance experience, balancing this with respect for UEFA / FIFA guidelines during major tournaments.
* Organise and communicate partnership news, strategic developments, requests and plans to key representatives of the Women's Technical team.
* Managing commercial partner representation in camp, ensuring smooth integration into the team environment by balancing partner brand obligations with the needs of players and Women's Technical staff.
* Manage the in-camp commercial windows during each international camp and out-of-camp appearances, ensuring The FA's partner rights and branding obligations are delivered during each international camp.
Relationship Management:
* Proactively manage the relationships with players, their representatives and other key stakeholders.
* Effectively communicate relevant FA commercial and marketing requirements.
* Represent players in commercial and marketing planning to align activity and ensure player support.
* Manage scheduling, requests and approvals with players and their representatives.
* Manage communications with player representatives to ensure commercial agreements are respected.
FA's Friends and Family Programme:
* Lead on the planning and delivery of the Family & Friends (F&F) programme and deliver best-in-class support for the players' F&F during major tournaments.
The Legends Programme:
* Manage the Legends programme that builds relationships and offers commercial opportunities for former England international players.
* Manage the relationship with former England internationals and their agents to deliver commercial and marketing appearances to support England Football, the Women's Game and The FA's Commercial Partners.
* Consistently review and evolve the FA legends programme, including usage of current usage and key conditions.
* On-board new Legends onto the FA programme, whilst managing the process for outgoing talent.
* Be a conduit between Legends and FA departments to ensure support of commercial, marketing, and wider FA activities.
* Organise and deliver Legend requests to fulfil partner and wider FA business requirements.
Administration
* Plan, detail and track each appearance for reporting and invoicing.
* Budget and contract management.
Other responsibilities:
* Executes additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
* Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
* As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.
What are we looking for?
Essential for the role:
* Experience operating in an elite team environment.
* Experience in dealing with professional sportspeople.
* Experience of working in a commercial role in the sports industry, with a strong commercial focus, flexible and target-driven.
* Strong communication and people skills.
* Flexible approach to working hours and willing to travel.
Beneficial to have:
* Knowledge of Women's Football – Women's England team, Barclays FA WSL, current and former players.
* A good understanding of the sports marketplace, particularly football.
* Basic understanding of contracts and commercial rights delivery.
* Relevant qualification/degree.
What's in it for you?
We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.
We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:
* Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
* Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
* Free private medical cover.
* A contributory pension scheme.
* An additional 'Thank You' days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract.)
* A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.
For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page,
Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.
We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.
We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.
As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.