Job Description
Good coaching can accelerate a player’s development. Great coaching can change a person’s life. At South Shields FC Academy we are driven to help others realise their potential and are always looking to explore ways to improve our working practices. This exciting new position further demonstrates our commitment to keep growing and an opportunity for someone to help us realise our own potential as an organisation.
We hope you feel inspired to join us on our journey.

WHO WE ARE:
South Shields FC is an aspirational non-league football club currently competing within the Northern Premier League and with ambitions to perform at the highest level possible. We are excited to see how far we can take this great club which enjoys a rich history. The club is built upon solid community foundations provided by a team of volunteers who demonstrate goodwill, passion and make personal daily sacrifices for the benefit of the football club. Over recent years we have worked hard to recognise and build upon these contributions by professionalising club practice with the intention to raise standards.
An important part of our club is the academy which we launched in 2017. It is our vision to be a club that serves the needs of the local community and to operate in a manner that they can be consistently proud of. We recognise that young local players representing the town through football is an important part of this and something we are committed to. Every year more and more young players are progressing from our academy to establish themselves as regular first team players. The academy provides aspirational young players (from U12 through to U19) with a platform to take part in an increased programme of activity which is supported by a team of highly skilled full-time coaches.
Like many football clubs South Shields FC plays a positive role in many people’s lives, notably children, young people and its passionate supporters from the local community. We are incredibly proud of the service we provide for our people and we are committed to keep enhancing the experience on every occasion. It is of upmost importance to us that employees across the football club experience that special feeling also and we believe this is achieved by:
• Ensuring high levels of trust and autonomy.
• Creating an open, sharing and welcoming environment.
• Valuing and supporting continued professional development.
• Enabling every member of the team to have a voice and valuing their contribution.
Does this sound like an organisation that you want to turn up to everyday? If so, we hope you will read on.

WHAT IS THE OPPORTUNITY?
This is an opportunity for a highly motivated, skilled and experienced coach to join our team of coaches responsible for delivering and continually developing our Futures Academy programme. This is a full-time position working initially with players within the U12-U14 age groups, and with potential to contribute towards older age groups in the future.
The Futures Academy operates in partnership with education provider Mortimer Community College, a partnership that offers aspirational young footballers from age 11 a comprehensive five-year ‘football in education’ experience. For a detailed overview of the programme click here: Futures Academy. The programme is inspired by the Academy vision: Together towards a brighter future. The vision is underpinned by a joint commitment from club and school to build learning environments that will enable youngsters to become the very best they can be in football, education and in wider life.
The operating hours for this coaching position will be predominantly Monday-Friday during day-time hours, however there may be the requirement for some evening work.

IS THIS ROLE FOR YOU?
We are on the look out for a forward thinking and ambitious coach to enhance our coaching team. Upon joining the team the post holder will enjoy an environment that is:
• Enjoyable: We passionately believe that the best things happen when people are having fun.
• Enabling: We want you to enjoy the opportunity to be you! We want to give you every opportunity to do what you’re great at doing, giving and learning every day.
• Extending: Whilst enjoying the freedom to be yourself we also want to support you to continually grow and develop into a better you every day.
• Experimental: Our full potential can only be realised by exploring new possibilities. We want to create spaces where players can play, explore and experiment. We believe the same is important for coaches too!
• Equal: Ideas grow when they are shared. We work to ensure that everyone feels they have a contribution to make.
Our three club values: Humility, Unity and Industry will connect with the successful applicant. These organisational values help guide and support our decision making and collective actions.
• Humility: We put others before ourselves.
• Unity: Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
• Industry: We are persistent in our pursuit to continuously improve ourselves and our practice.
As well as subscribing to these club values the post holder will display many of the skills and qualities listed below, while also making a unique contribution to the team. At South Shields FC individuality and difference are celebrated and encouraged as we believe that new and better discoveries will be made through the diversity of our thinking.

Listed below are skills and qualities essential to the advertised position:
• A genuine care for and commitment towards the development of the person inside every player.
• A proven track record of supporting young players across a variety of coaching settings.
• A progressively minded individual with a track record of enhancing coaching practice.
• A commitment to ongoing personal and professional development.
• A positive team player with an appetite to support the development of others.

We ask candidates to outline any qualifications (from within sport, teaching, academia or wider) which they feel best support their application. The successful candidate will be required to maintain a fully up-to-date first aid and FA safeguarding qualifications once in post. As part of the application for this position candidates will be subject to an enhanced DBS check.
To summarise our key needs, we want to hear from you if you have a contribution to make towards creating a brighter future game for children and young people; supporting the future of South Shields Football Club; and have an appetite to continually develop and grow yourself whilst always contributing towards the development and growth of others.

NEXT STEPS:
If this sounds like an opportunity you’d like to explore further we’d love to hear from you.

How to apply
To apply for this role please send us an up-to-date CV along with a cover letter to tell us: What interests you most about this opportunity, One awesome thing about yourself, How you feel you can make a positive contribution to South Shields Football Club. Please forward your completed application to academy@southshieldsfc.co.uk. If you would like to have an informal chat to discover more about the role before applying please drop us an email to academy@southshieldsfc.co.uk and we’ll hook up at the earliest opportunity. We very much look forward to receiving your application before the advertised closing date (Friday 19th June 2020).