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Academy Player Care Manager
Cardiff City Football Club
Cardiff City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Cardiff, Wales. It competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system.
Job Posted- 7 Oct 2026
Status- Full Time
Location- Wales
Closing date- 16 Oct 2026
Job title: Academy Player Care Manager
Employer: Cardiff City Football Club
Location: Cardiff City Academy, Cardiff City Stadium, The Vale
Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Salary: Competitive and dependent on experience
• Auto-enrolment into the Club’s pension scheme (depending on eligibility)
• Club discounts and offers
• 20 days annual leave entitlement per annum
Hours of Work: 37.5 hours per week on a flexible basis and will include evening and weekend work. This role will require overseas travel when necessary.
Department: Safeguarding & Academy
Reporting to: Club Head of Safeguarding
Academy Manager
Job purpose
The Academy Player Care Manager will be responsible for developing, coordinating and delivering a comprehensive player care programme that supports the physical, emotional, psychological, educational, social and personal development of Academy players.
The role holder will ensure that players and their families receive appropriate guidance, support and information throughout their Academy journey, from entry into the development programme through to scholarship, professional contract, release or transition into alternative pathways.
The Academy Player Care Manager will work collaboratively with Academy staff, parents and carers, education providers, club departments and external agencies, to help create a safe, supportive and inclusive environment in which every player can develop and reach their potential.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities
- To develop and help implement a comprehensive life skills and personal development programme for all players and parents across the 3 phases of the Academy including Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing. The role holder will link in with specialist staff, internally and externally, to ensure individual players develop skills and qualities, whilst ensuring they feel listened to, valued and supported.
- To act as a principal point of contact for Academy players requiring pastoral support, guidance or advice.
- To support the Academy DSO in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children in our care across the player pathway, be a member of the Club’s Safeguarding Team and liaise with the Head of Safeguarding regarding all safeguarding matters.
- To be a visible presence across all age groups following both the Pre-Season and In-Season schedules to ensure all Academy players and parents are aware of the wellbeing reporting processes.
- To provide appropriate one to one support and co-ordinate referrals to specialist services where required.
- To design, develop and implement a player and parent induction process for trialists and newly registered players into the Academy. This will include the formulation of a Player Biography for distribution to key Academy members of staff.
- To develop Individual Development Action Plans (IDAPs) for all players within the Academy, in conjunction with members of the Multi-Disciplinary Team.
- To manage the Academy Transition process for existing players at the key stages of their journey through the age groups, on entering full-time football education as scholars, or progressing into the professional environment. This will include implementing the action plan supporting those players under 18, who enter the senior game.
- To design an effective ‘tracking’ process to support Academy players exiting the Professional Development Phase with opportunities both in and out of football.
- To lead Parent and Player initiatives to ensure that they both have a ‘voice’ in the Academy.
- To lead on the coordination and arrangements for host families for scholars and trialists and support senior PDP members with accommodation and transport co-ordination, in line with the Academy Transport Policy.
- To work with the Head of Safeguarding and Academy DSO to build an effective relationship with host families and facilitate communication with the parents and guardians.
- To design, develop and implement a host family education programme and assisting with safer recruitment and risk assessment process as required.
- To lead on the player care aspect of Academy audits that are carried out by external bodies such as the Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC), English Football League (EFL), and NSPCC Sport.
- To be a member of the Academy Management Team.
- To be the Academy representative on the Club's Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.
Person Specification
Qualifications
Essential
Educated to degree level in a relevant field (e.g. wellbeing, psychology, social sciences).
FA Safeguarding Children Workshop certificate or equivalent and working knowledge of processes
Emergency First Aid
Valid and in date passport to be able to travel as necessary
UK driving licence and use of own vehicle.
Note: At the stage where an offer of employment is made, an Enhanced Level Disclosure and Barring Service check will be conducted including a check against the child barring list, as per the Club’s Safer Recruitment Policy.
Desirable
Level 3 Certificate: Athlete Personal Development and Lifestyle: TASS
Mental Health First Aid
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion training
Experience
Essential
Experience of working within an elite sporting environment
Experience working with young people of varying backgrounds and cultures
Experience in developing and implementing programmes, initiatives, and interventions.
Desirable
Experience working within a football Academy environment
Experience of delivering content to groups of varying sizes in varying styles.
Knowledge
Essential
Understanding and experience of using an online safeguarding platform and ability to train others as necessary
Ability to deliver CPD training course to all Academy stakeholders.
Knowledge of safeguarding and welfare
Desirable
An understanding of Premier League/EFL rules and Elite Player Performance Plan
Skills
Essential
Adaptability to be effective in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
Strong communication skills in a variety of settings
Ability to work as part of a broader multidisciplinary team
Competent IT skills e.g. Microsoft Office
Ability to maintain absolute confidentiality
Excellent presentation skills to groups of varying sizes and ages.
Desirable
Self-awareness and reflective skills as part of a professional development process
Open-minded approach to adopting best-practice and current research-backed principles
Attitude
Essential
Passionate and hard working
Self-motivated within a team and capable of motivating those around them
Approachable and trustworthy manner
Behavioural Competencies
- Communication: Able to communicate to the highest level, listens, interprets and conveys information in a clear and accurate manner, provides timely delivery of information and selects the most appropriate method of communication.
- Teamwork: Works within a multi-disciplinary team environment, co-operates with others, considers the needs of others and helps others to achieve objectives.
- Taking ownership: Ability to work autonomously on own initiative, pro-active in managing one's own time, building an understanding of the internal and external environment in order to deliver work in a highly effective and professional manner.
- Relationship Management: Is able to use a range of appropriate techniques to build strong relationships with players, parents and stakeholders.
Equality Statement
Cardiff City Football Club promotes equal opportunities in employment we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Safer Recruitment Policy
Cardiff City Football Club operates a ‘safer recruitment policy’ and is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. All appropriate reference checks and Enhanced Level Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks form a significant part of this recruitment process.
How to Apply? If you are interested in this position, please complete a club application form which can be found at https://www.cardiffcityfc.co.u... and send to [email protected] via email, “Academy Player Care Manager” as the subject. The closing date for receipt of completed application forms is Friday 16th October at 17:00pm.