Academy Auditor (Performance Support)

Performance Support Auditor will be responsible for auditing organisation and practice across the multidisciplinary areas of the male development pathways.

Overview:

As part of the Elite Player Performance Plan, the overarching professional-game strategy for the development of youth footballers in England, the Academies of professional football clubs are categorised into four categories (1-4), based on a combination of spend, infrastructure, staffing, and qualitative assessments of their provisions across a range of multidisciplinary areas.

To effectively categorise Academies and to support the continual raising of standards in elite player development, an independent standards organisation has been developed, mandated by the professional game, to monitor safety, compliance and the quality of work being delivered.

The independent standards organisation oversees a multidisciplinary assessment of Academies across; Leadership & Management, Coaching, Performance Support, Duty of Care, Education, Safeguarding, and Productivity.

As part of the above, the Performance Support Auditor will be responsible for auditing organisation and practice across the multidisciplinary areas of the male talent and development pathways.

The Role:

• Review and Evaluation of Performance Support Programmes:
  • Using the Academy Audit Company assessment framework, assess the quality of Performance Support provisions in the male development pathway.
  • Accurately and fairly report findings, identifying quality, risk and development areas.
  • Manage the end-to-end auditing/quality assurance process, ensuring the operation runs as smoothly as possible for the club and auditing team.
  • Ensure a consistent assessment is given, no matter the auditor or club.

• General Responsibilities:

• Using the Academy Audit Company assessment framework, assess the quality of Leadership and Management and Pathway provisions across departments.
• Deliver annual club visits to ensure adherence with Safe to Operate, Compliance guidelines and the Youth Development Rules, ETC and PGA Criteria.
• Using outcomes from Club audits to undertake trend analysis to inform future learnings
• Support the development of a suitable Academy standards framework and auditing practices.
• Meet tight deadlines.
• Ensure the auditing team maintains an up-to-date knowledge of Performance Support practice.

Requirements for the role:

• Experience in elite/developmental sports environments
• Previous experience in reviewing, assessing and developing recommendations for Performance Support programs at a strategic level
• Experience working with children and adults at risk and/or knowledge and understanding of issues that affect their safety and wellbeing
• Prior leadership and management experience
• MSc in Sport Science, Sports Medicine, Sports Psychology or a related subject
• The British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accreditation, Chartered Physiotherapy (HCPC) status or equivalent professional accreditation/ qualification
• High practical and theoretical understanding of Performance Support demands in elite-level sport
• Understanding and appreciation of context and cultural differences between clubs of different sizes and philosophies
• Understanding and expertise in Quantitative and Qualitative assessment
• Interviewing skills and observational analysis
• Effective relationship builder
• A consultative approach with a range of techniques to gain understanding, connect and build trust
• Analytical ability to identify areas for improvement, perform root-cause analysis and convert findings into required actions
• Ability to make sound judgements based on evidence gathered during audit activity
• Ability to see both the big picture and enabling detail
• Clear and concise verbal communication skills
• Ability to present findings and communicate them to Club staff in a developmental way
• Can defend a point of view in a composed and confident way
• Ability to present written information in a structured and balanced way appropriate to the needs of the reader
• Strong time management and organisational skills
• High-level emotional intelligence and interpersonal skills who seeks and acts on feedback
• A team player who understands values and collaboration
• Builds trust by showing humility, behaving consistently and putting the needs of others first
• Listens to others' perspectives and understands why people (individuals/groups) do what they do

The Premier League, EFL, the FA are equal opportunities employers and welcome applications from all sections of the community. All appointments will be made based on merit.

Our commitment to safeguarding includes implementing robust safer recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of individuals applying for roles that involve work with children and adults who are or may be at risk of harm.

To apply please visit our careers page and apply with your CV and a cover letter. The closing date for applications is Friday 26 April 2024.

We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact eople@premierleague.com">people@premierleague.com