Home → Jobs
County FA Regional Manager - East Region
The FA
The Football Association is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.
Job Posted- 24 Feb 2026
Status- Full Time
Location- England
Closing date- 8 Mar 2026
The purpose of the Regional Manager is to:
- Be the relationship and contract manager between The FA and County FAs (CFAs), always acting as an FA ambassador.
- To drive CFA business improvement including strategic and operational planning, workforce structures, performance management, corporate governance, financial management, facility development, customer service excellence, marketing & communications, commercial, football development and football services.
- To lead implementation of The FA's Grassroots Football Strategy, and other strategic plans that are in place from time to time, and support CFAs in the creation of effective local action plans to achieve their targets, ensuring contractual obligations are delivered.
- To work closely with the Grassroots 2040 core team and be integrally involved in working with CFAs on the implementation of Grassroots 2040.
The role will have flexible working locations with the expectation of regular travel within the region. This role is a 12-month fixed-term contract.
What will you be doing?
Within a designated region (east - see attached map and County FA list below for further details outlining the eastern region);
- Ensure County FAs have clear, effective strategies and action plans in place to deliver their key performance indicators (KPIs) and other targets as defined in The FA Grassroots Football Strategy or other strategic plans that are in place from time to time.
- Co-ordinate the business planning process and allocation of financial distributions into County FAs through the reviews taking place throughout each season.
- Communicate clearly and effectively with County FAs and drive adherence to the communications framework.
- Support the implementation and ongoing compliance of Safeguarding 365 Standard, the Code of Governance for County FAs, Financial Operating Guidance and other standards/models that are in place from time to time.
- Performance manage County FAs against their business strategies, operational plans and KPI progress.
- Support County FAs in:
- Recruiting, retaining and developing excellent people who are proud to serve the game.
- Using research, insight and measurement to understand their stakeholders and location to aid decision making and delivery.
- Building a strong financial and commercial base to ensure sustainability.
- Creating effective leadership and governance structures to meet modern-day challenges.
- Personally, provide excellent service levels to County FAs; responding to communications / requests for support and embedding a culture of customer excellence.
- Champion the perspective of County FAs and delivery partners across The FA and with key partners, elevating their profile and the recognition of the work undertaken at local level.
- Support County FAs to implement effective performance management systems, including the recruitment, retention and development of staff and volunteers and create a culture of high performance.
- Prioritise time spent in County FAs through a risk evaluation process, ensuring that time is spent as effectively as possible, dealing with conflict and managing change.
- Build a culture of trust between the County FAs and The FA.
- Drive a culture of continuous improvement, aligned with The FA Grassroots Football Strategy.
- Support the implementation of the County FA Operation Model and any future model developed.
- Execute additional tasks as required to meet FA Group changing priorities.
- Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
What are we looking for?
Essential for the role:
- Business / Sport development qualification.
- Strong influencing skills in the areas of strategy and policy.
- Experience of FA programmes and grassroots football.
- Track record of creating effective, detailed business strategies to achieve a range of outcomes.
- Previous line management of team members.
- Success in leading transformational change programmes.
- Broad business development skills covering the areas of people, service, standards, compliance, governance and finance.
- Experience in developing successful partnerships and attracting investment.
- Ability to gain buy-in to equality objectives.
- Strategic management, policy implementation and business improvement experience.
- Ability to evaluate risk, manage conflict and oversee change.
- Experience achieving results through performance management.
- Relationship management skills through coaching and mentoring.
- Valid UK driver's license.
Beneficial to have:
- Knowledge of the FA Grassroots Football Strategy.
- Knowledge of financial and HR management.
- CEO and/or regional management experience.
- History of working in partnership with County FAs.
- Understanding of the political and functional workings of Local Authorities, Sport England and other partners.
- Experience in shared service models.
- Health and safety skills / qualification.
- Project management skills / qualification.
- Understanding of data analysis.
What's in it for you?
We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.
We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:
- Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
- Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
- Free private medical cover.
- A contributory pension scheme.
- An additional 'Thank You' days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract.)
- A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.
How to Apply
Please click APPLY NOW to begin the application process.
Still Deciding?