Head of Psychology – Men's

Leads and shapes the psychology strategy across the England Men's Pathway, supporting the development of future international footballers from youth levels through to the Under 21s. The post-holder works alongside coaches, practitioners and multidisciplinary teams to create psychologically informed environments that help players and staff thrive under the demands of international football. A central purpose is to embed the England Men's psychology strategy across three strands: Winning Behaviours and Understanding our Players, Game and Emotional Management, and Developing Impactful Leaders and Teammates, delivered primarily through leaders, coaches and practitioners.

• Lead the strategic delivery of psychology services to the England Men's teams with a specific focus on the Men's Pathway (up to Under 21s), ensuring clarity of strategy and a consistent, complementary approach across all psychology services.
• Build and manage a network of consultant specialists delivering psychology services into Pathway teams, providing quality assurance and governance, consistency of delivery, and a point of contact for support and reflective practice for those on the ground.
• Design and deliver interventions targeting the three strands of the England Men's psychology strategy: Winning Behaviours and Understanding our Players, Game and Emotional Management, and Developing Impactful Leaders and Teammates.
• Enhance relationships and the sharing of purposeful information between club and England psychologists, education and player care, and facilitate multidisciplinary teams' use of that information to create psychologically informed on-camp approaches to player support and development.
• Provide development for multidisciplinary team and coaching staff, working closely with The FA's Phase Leads to ensure Winning Behaviours frameworks and processes are consistently and skilfully executed pre-, during and post-camp.
• Support coaches and players to manage the unique challenges of entering and performing within international environments, and support coaches to embed psychological principles into how teams are prepared for the momentum and emotional demands of international football.
• Support teams to pre-empt and debrief key game scenarios through a psychological lens and develop team- and individual-specific strategies to manage these proactively.
• Build a rounded understanding of leadership qualities across the pathway, support coaches and staff to identify and develop them, and help players recognise and expand their own leadership skills, including how best to support newer teammates integrating into England teams.
• Embed communication insights and analysis into camp delivery and ensure continuity with psychology delivery to the England Senior Men's team.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to develop the next generation of football psychologists, lead the creation and delivery of key internal projects and external research associations, act as a key member of the Performance Support leadership team
• Maintain an extensive external network for sharing best practice, and plan and manage the departmental budget.

• Undergraduate degree in Psychology, Sports Psychology, or a related field of study.
• British Psychological Society or British Association of Sport and Exercise Science practitioner accreditation.
• HCPC registration.
• Significant experience delivering and leading psychological support services within elite performance environments.
• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams and consultant networks.
• Outstanding strategic planning, organisational and project management skills.
• Ability to build credibility and influence with coaches, players, senior leaders and key stakeholders.
• Strong coaching, mentoring and practitioner development capability.
• Experience creating psychologically informed cultures and environments.
• Deep understanding of talent development pathways.
• Experience working within multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong analytical and evaluation skills, using evidence, psychological data and insights to inform decision-making and practical interventions.
• Experience using psychometric and behavioural assessment tools.
• Creative presentation skills and experience designing and delivering engaging workshops.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and emerging best practice.

• Experience in elite sport is preferred, although it is not essential.

• Based at St George's Park.
• Hybrid working model requiring three days on site and two days working from home.
• Some travel to camps when required.
• Candidates able to commit to three days per week are also considered.

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging connection and learning with colleagues and supporting mental health and well-being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St George's Park.
• Private medical cover funded by The FA.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• 25 days of annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract), an additional 'Thank You' day's leave and volunteering days.
• A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.
• Opportunities to develop and grow in the role.