Chief Operating Officer

We don’t just work for Grimsby Town Football Club — we are Grimsby Town Football Club. It’s a remarkable story that began in 1878 and has continued uninterrupted ever since.

There is nothing bigger and nothing more powerful in uniting so many people — through purpose, passion and pride — than a football club. It’s people’s identity. It’s their family; their heritage. It’s where they belong. This is something that cannot be undone. The bond, ties and loyalty are forever. And by being here, we are part of the story.

This is no ordinary job. This is an extraordinary opportunity. We are more than staff, players, managers, coaches, analysists, physios, stewards and volunteers. We are friends, supporters, promoters, entertainers, role models and, in some cases, idols and legends. But we cannot be any of these things without each other.

None of us is bigger than all of us. Every day, we strive for better. We are a football club, but we’re at the heart of something much bigger. A club formed from its community now has the power to define its community. We are today’s authors of this black and white story.

This moment has been 148 years in the making. And the next chapter is in our hands. Together, we can achieve greater things.  And to achieve greater things we need a great team, and this is where you come in.

Purpose of the job

The COO will lead the club's internal operations and deliver approved projects safely, effectively and within budget. A principal responsibility will be to lead the new training ground from planning and business case through design, construction, commissioning and occupation.

The COO has overall leadership and oversight of the Club's internal operations, including people, facilities, safety, compliance, procurement and project delivery, working through specialist departmental leads who retain responsibility for day-to-day delivery and technical compliance within their respective areas.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

Club Operations

• Provide overall leadership and coordination of the Club's operations across the stadium, training facilities and other sites, ensuring effective delivery through departmental leads.

• Provide direct line management of the Senior Head Grounds Person and overall leadership of the grounds team, ensuring the effective maintenance, preparation and development of playing surfaces across the Club's sites, including Blundell Park, training facilities and Academy locations.

• Oversee the effective coordination of facilities, safety, security, matchday operations, catering, maintenance, HR and business continuity through the relevant departmental leads, ensuring clear accountabilities, effective collaboration and appropriate escalation of operational issues. The Safeguarding & EDI Manager retains professional leadership and accountability for the Club’s safeguarding function and responsibilities as Senior Safeguarding Manager (SSM).

• Set clear objectives and performance standards for direct reports and maintain effective operating procedures and management information.

Main Roles & Responsibilities

Club Operations

• Provide overall leadership and coordination of the Club's operations across the stadium, training facilities and other sites, ensuring effective delivery through departmental leads.

• Provide direct line management of the Senior Head Grounds Person and overall leadership of the grounds team, ensuring the effective maintenance, preparation and development of playing surfaces across the Club's sites, including Blundell Park, training facilities and Academy locations.

• Oversee the effective coordination of facilities, safety, security, matchday operations, catering, maintenance, HR and business continuity through the relevant departmental leads, ensuring clear accountabilities, effective collaboration and appropriate escalation of operational issues. The Safeguarding & EDI Manager retains professional leadership and accountability for the Club’s safeguarding function and responsibilities as Senior Safeguarding Manager (SSM).

• Set clear objectives and performance standards for direct reports and maintain effective operating procedures and management information.

Training Ground

• Act as the club's senior responsible owner for the training ground programme, reporting to the CEO and Board.

• Own the brief, master plan, feasibility work, business case, cost plan, programme, funding dependencies, risks and approvals.

• Lead and oversee the design, planning, procurement and construction programme, including cost, quality, risk, change control and stakeholder engagement, appointing and managing appropriate external project and technical specialists as required.

• Lead operational readiness, equipment procurement, staffing, policies, commissioning, relocation, handover and post-occupancy review.

• Work closely with the Head of Facilities and Safety and Senior Head Grounds Person to ensure operational requirements, stadium and site safety, pitch specifications, grounds maintenance, equipment requirements and long-term facilities management considerations are incorporated into the design and delivery of the new training ground. 

Projects and procurement

• Prepare business cases and confirm scope, funding, payback, cash impact and sequencing before projects proceed.

• Lead fair and controlled procurement and contract management, operating within delegated authorities.

• Deliver approved training-ground and stadium projects on time, within budget and with measurable benefits.

Stadium Infrastructure

• Identify, assess and deliver approved investment in stadium infrastructure that increases commercial opportunities and improves the supporter experience, including hospitality areas, food and beverage facilities, fan zones and digital connectivity. Each investment must have a clear scope, funding plan, commercial rationale, expected return and delivery sequence before it proceeds.

Finance governance and risk

• Manage operational and project budgets with the finance lead, including forecasts, commitments and corrective actions.

• Maintain operational risk registers, controls, insurance, contract records and audit trails.

• Report material risks, incidents, control weaknesses and forecast departures promptly to the CEO and Board.

Safety compliance and regulation

• Provide senior oversight and assurance of the Club's safety, security, accessibility, emergency planning and facilities compliance arrangements, working through the Head of Facilities and Safety, who retains responsibility for day-to-day facilities and safety compliance and the Club's designated Safety Officer duties. Grounds operations will be managed separately through the Senior Head Grounds Person, who reports directly to the COO.

• Oversee the Club's operational compliance with applicable legislation, IFR requirements, EFL and FA rules and licence conditions, ensuring clear allocation of responsibilities to relevant departmental leads and appropriate reporting and escalation arrangements.

• Support the Safeguarding & EDI Manager/SSM in ensuring appropriate organisational arrangements are in place to meet the Club’s safeguarding obligations, without assuming the SSM’s professional safeguarding responsibilities.

• Ensure appropriate regulatory records, reporting and stakeholder relationships are maintained, supporting departmental leads in their specialist regulatory responsibilities and acting as a senior escalation point where required.

• The Head of Facilities and Safety retains responsibility for operational stadium safety compliance, including liaison with the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA), Safety Advisory Group (SAG) and relevant EFL representatives on stadium safety matters, subject to the Club's formal safety certificate and designated responsibilities

Leadership and collaboration

• Lead and develop the operational team, ensuring effective workforce planning, welfare, training and performance management.

• Establish and maintain clear reporting lines, delegated authorities and decision-making responsibilities across the Club's operational functions, including direct oversight of the grounds department and clear separation of grounds management from facilities and safety responsibilities, while preserving specialist technical accountability within each function.

• Work with supporter and community leads so operational decisions consider the club’s heritage, supporters and community impact.

This Job Description should not be regarded as exclusive or exhaustive.  It is intended as an outline indication of the areas of activity and will be amended in consultation in the light of changing business needs.

Knowledge & Experience

To be able to deliver this role, the skills and experience we are looking for are: 

Essential:

• Significant senior leadership experience covering multiple operational functions, teams and material budgets.

• Successful delivery of complex property, construction, relocation, capital investment or significant operational-change projects.

• Strong capability in procurement, contract management, cost control, programme delivery, risk and governance.

• Demonstrable experience of leading and developing multidisciplinary teams, including managing specialist functional leads.

• Good working knowledge of health and safety, safeguarding, facilities, people management, compliance and business continuity, with the ability to provide effective oversight of specialist leads.

• Strong financial and commercial acumen, with the ability to interpret financial information, manage budgets and make decisions that protect cash and support long-term sustainability.

• Experience reporting to a Board or equivalent and working effectively with senior, technical, regulatory and public-sector stakeholders.

• Evidence of relevant senior-level professional development and continued learning appropriate to a broad operational leadership role.

• Evidence sufficient to support an IFR SMF4 competence assessment, with high standards of honesty, integrity and accountability.

 Desirable:

• Senior operational experience in professional sport, stadia, leisure, events or another regulated and/or complex multi-stakeholder environment.

• Experience delivering a sports campus, training ground or comparable major multi-user facility.

• Degree-level qualification or equivalent professional experience in business, operations, management, property, construction or a related discipline.

• Relevant professional qualification in operational leadership, business management, project/programme management, property, construction, facilities, procurement or health and safety.

• Recognised project or programme management qualification, such as PRINCE2, APM, MSP or equivalent.

• Relevant leadership or management qualification, such as CMI, ILM, MBA or equivalent.

• Knowledge of EFL, FA, Academy, women’s football, stadium or Football Foundation requirements. 

Because this role is intended to perform the IFR’s Chief Operations Function with overall responsibility for all, or substantially all, of the club’s internal operations, the preferred candidate must complete the prescribed IFR process and may not perform the role until the IFR has determined their suitability as follows;

Honesty & Integrity: A demonstratable record of ethical judgement, openness, accurate disclosure and responsible leadership

Financial Soundness: A personal and professional record consistent with responsible financial conduct and full disclosure.

Competence: Qualifications, experience and training appropriate to the scale and complexity of the club and this operational remit.

Environmental Responsibility

Grimsby Town Football Club is committed to operating in an environmentally responsible and sustainable way. As part of our ongoing efforts, we are proud to be working towards the goals of the EFL Green Clubs scheme — a league-wide initiative to improve environmental practices across football.

We strive to reduce our environmental impact, promote sustainability in our operations, and encourage awareness and positive action across our staff, fans, and wider community. All employees, workers, and volunteers are expected to support the Club’s environmental values and contribute to building a greener future for football.

Safeguarding Statement

Grimsby Town Football Club is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects all employees, workers, students and volunteers to endorse this commitment. This post requires an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check (DBS) as such it is exempt from Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974). Therefore, all convictions including spent convictions that have not been subject to filtering by the DBS should be declared. Relevant information and / or documents will be distributed as part of the recruitment process.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

Grimsby Town Football Club’s commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is to confront and eliminate discrimination whether by reason of age, gender, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, marital status or civil partnership, nationality, ethnicity (race), religion or belief, ability or disability, pregnancy or maternity and to encourage equal opportunities (Protected Characteristics, Equality Act 2010).

 Employees, workers and volunteers of Grimsby Town Football Club must ensure a positive commitment towards equality, diversity and inclusion by treating others fairly and not committing any form of direct or indirect discrimination, victimisation or harassment of any description and to promote positive working relationships between all internal and external stakeholders.

 Disability Confident Committed Employer

As a Disability Confident Committed employer, Grimsby Town Football Club is dedicated to creating an inclusive and accessible environment for all. We actively support our employees, workers, students, and volunteers by making reasonable adjustments where needed and ensuring that individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions are supported to remain in and thrive within their roles. This commitment reflects our ongoing efforts to promote equality, remove barriers, and value the contributions of everyone in our community.