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Head of Academy Operations & Administration
Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur is a world-famous football club based in London. On the pitch, the Club competes in the upper echelons of the English Premier League and is a regular participant in marque UEFA club competitions.
Job Posted- 16 Aug 2025
Status- Full Time
Location- England
Closing date- 31 Aug 2025
Job Purpose
- To support the Academy Director with the developing, embedding and reviewing the Academy’s strategic aims.
- To oversee the Academy’s non-pitch-based departments, ensuring delivery is best-in-class.
- To ensure that all regulatory aspects of the PL's EPPP framework are met alongside all Academy rules and regulations, achieving best in class results in audits.
- Working with key stakeholders to ensure the parent and player experiences meet and exceed expectations.
- To work collaboratively with the Club’s HR department to deliver outstanding people practices, including succession planning, recruitment and L&D for Academy staff.
- To be responsible for the development and implementation of the Academy’s operational and administrative strategies.
- The position is identified as a Designated Person for safeguarding, responsible for executing good practices around children (U18s) and forwarding queries/issues or disclosures to the Safeguarding Officer.
Key Responsibilities
- Ensure compliance with PL Youth Development Rules and PGAAC Standards, maintaining the Academy’s CASA in constant readiness for audit.
- Establish a prominent level of credibility, visibility and professionalism and manage strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders; including parents, partner schools, governing bodies, PGAAC and Barnardo’s.
- To ensure that all aspects of the Academy’s operations and facilities are monitored and evaluated to ensure statutory responsibilities and audit compliance are met.
- Manage the Academy Complaint’s procedure, ensuring adherence to the policy at all times. Appointing case/investigating managers to all complaints and acting as the Appeal Manager as required.
- To be the first point of contact for all player related concerns/queries to manage and resolve as appropriate
- Develop and build relationships across teams and players to promote positive working culture and environment
- Liaise with parents on queries and concerns, working to de-escalate and resolve issues before the need for intervention from the Academy Director.
- Lead on the development, implementation and review of the Academy Performance Plan, ensuring it remains aligned to the Academy and Club strategy.
- Support the Academy’s HODs with the creation, development and review of their departmental KPIs; ensuring these remain challenging yet achievable.
- Support the Academy Director with shaping, implementing and delivering the Academy Strategy, providing reports to Senior Management as required.
- Work with the Club’s Finance department to evaluate budget proposals for each season.
- Work with the Academy Director to track and manage the Academy’s expenditure, ensuring the Academy operates within budget and providing explanations to the CFO for overspends.
- To work with the Club’s H&S team to ensure compliance for Academy Health & Safety audit requirements.
- Promote and safeguard the welfare of the children and young people in the Academy.
- Ensure that there is a safe and happy culture within the Academy, adhering to outstanding safeguarding practice.
- Promote supportive engagement with parents and/or carers in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children.
Line Management
- Lead, manage, develop, and motivate Direct Reports. Working to empower and highlight 'best' and cross-functional practices and improve effectiveness.
- Providing strategic oversight and guidance to department heads to ensure the Academy is consistently meeting key performance indicators and striving for success.
- To oversee the Football Administration processes, ensuring the Administration team are diligent in handling player registrations, scholarship agreements, work experience and all other relevant documentation.
- To oversee the Football Operations processes, ensuring the Operations team are diligent in handling fixture arrangements, match day coordination and tour organisation.
- To oversee the Academy’s Education provision, ensuring the Education team are compliant with PL YD Rules and Safeguarding Standards. Promoting a commitment to the academic success of every young person and embedding a culture of lifelong learning.
- To oversee the Academy’s Player Welfare provision, ensuring the Player Care and Safeguarding teams keep the welfare and pastoral needs of every young person at the centre of their work. Promote a culture of safeguarding throughout the Academy.
- Working in conjunction with the People team to develop and implement Academy people strategies that align with the Club’s overall goals and objectives.
- Supervise recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies across the Academy to attract and retain top talent.
- Act as the Academy’s key operational link with the HR department, ensuring compliance with Safer Recruitment policies, staff adherence to the Company Handbook and the development of the Academy’s internal and external CPD programme.
- Actively champion the Club’s PLEDIS commitments and lead on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the Academy to create supportive environment for all staff.
- Support HODs across the Academy to identify training needs across their teams and work with the L&D team to develop comprehensive CPD programmes.
Person Specification
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent experience
- FA Safeguarding
Desirable
- CIPD Level 5
Skills & Experience
- Extensive management experience in an elite Academy setting, with a track record of driving operations to improve standards.
- Extensive working knowledge of PL Youth Development Rules and PGAAC Standards.
- Strong leadership skills with the ability to positively motivate key stakeholders.
- Excellent face to face, written and IT communication skills with the ability to effectively influence and delegate outside of your reporting chain.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to deal with people at all levels confidently, sensitively and diplomatically.
- Ability to think strategically and implement innovative solutions.
- The ability to effectively manage a wide and varied workload.
- A firm commitment to the safeguarding principles and practices within a child centred environment.
Personal Attributes
- Adaptable and flexible team player who is willing and able to take the lead.
- Personal and professional integrity, including modelling values in line with those of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.
- The ability to show flexibility in adapting to change and the adaptability to cope and remain calm in stressful situations.
- An ambition to promote inclusion and equal opportunities.
- Empathetic and approachable, with a genuine interest in employee well-being.
How to Apply
Please click “Apply Now” to begin your application.
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