Standards Manager

About the role:

Fixed Term to December 2023 – This role could work over four days so we are interested in hearing from candidates who may like to discuss less than a full-time contract.

Our Sporting System Team works to grow a thriving sporting system by:

• Supporting the National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Olympic and Paralympic sport to develop excellent organisational health, with a focus on Governance; Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); Integrity and Safeguarding
• Working collaboratively across UK Sport and with national partners to make the system more effective, connected and sustainable
• As one of two Standards Managers within the team, you will be responsible for promoting and harnessing a culture of implementation, learning and continuous improvement with regard to our standards work with National Governing Bodies and other partners.
• This includes our work with NGBs in meeting the requirements set out in the Code for Sports Governance, as well as fulfilling the implementation - and supporting the development of - standards in the areas of EDI, Integrity and Safeguarding.

Working closely with other members of the team, you will play a key role in:

• Developing and managing our ongoing review and assurance processes to ensure funded partners are meeting Governance requirements (as set out in the Code), as well as developing related approaches in the areas of EDI, Integrity and Safeguarding
• Working across UK Sport to rationalise and enhance the management of minimum standards underpinning our funding relationship with NGBs
• Supporting our partners with organisational improvements, knowledge sharing and development, in line with our strategic ambition to grow a thriving sporting system

As a result, you will be responsible for putting in place clear and robust frameworks for carrying out our standards assurance and development work. Through these processes, you will seek to identify organisational and system-wide gaps and strengths among our funded partners that will inform our understanding and support offer to NGBs to develop their standards and strengthen their organisations.

As part of this, you will help to align our internal insights to form a cohesive view of the health of NGBs; engage with colleagues across UK Sport to guide and develop a consistent and collective approach to overseeing standards expected of NGBs; and inform and shape the development of relevant policy and programme areas led by the Sporting System Team.

Who will I be working with?

Our Sporting System Team has been at the forefront of major pieces of work, including the production of an Organisational Health tool to support the continuous improvement of NGBs; the review of the Code for Sports Governance jointly with Sport England; the production and delivery of our EDI strategy for UK Sport and high-performance sport; and our critical work to enhance and win with integrity.

We advise, support and build trusted relations with NGBs to strengthen their governance, EDI, integrity and wider organisational health; and harness and maximise collaboration across our partners (NGBs, Home Country Sports Councils and others) to deliver our strategic ambition to grow a thriving sporting system.

We are a high-performing, genuinely collaborative and diverse team of individuals who care passionately about sport and high-performance success; delivering excellence; and making a difference.

About you

Having gained experience of developing relevant systems, policies and/or programmes across the standards areas within an organisation (within or outside of sport), you will have direct understanding and application of what it takes to implement, track and develop organisational/corporate standards – ideally in the area of governance. We are also interested to hear from candidates with experience of working on standards of integrity, EDI and/or related areas.

With a keen eye for detail, quality and sound project management, you will be an outstanding team player who brings and thrives working with different talents and perspectives; and is proactive in supporting colleagues with identifying and advising on issues and solutions, particularly linked to the assurance and development of organisational standards.

You will also have a good understanding of the sporting landscape; and the role of a public authority in delivering relevant policies and obligations.

As you’ll see from the more detailed Job Description, we are looking for an exceptional candidate who will naturally look to collaborate with others. In return, we will be there with you every step of the way. Come and join us, and be part of the heartbeat of high-performance sport in the UK.

UK Sport offer a competitive benefits package that includes:

• 30 days Annual Leave + all UK Bank Holidays.
• Holiday Buy & Sell Scheme – Buy extra holiday for that holiday of a lifetime, or sell up to 5 days if that’s a more practical option for you and your lifestyle.
• Enhanced Family Leave – up to 26 weeks full pay for parents with 12 months’ service or more.
• Enhanced Sick Leave – up to 6 months at full pay from day one.
• Sports Leave – up to 4 days off to be a competitor or an official, encouraging you to give back to the sporting community.
• Compassionate Leave - up to 5 days’ time off to support the loss or serious illness of loved ones.
• Emergency Leave – up to 5 days’ full pay to cover life’s unplanned events.
• Healthy Lifestyle Allowance - up to £50 a month encouraging our employees to pursue sport, hobbies and development opportunities.
• Pension – UK Sport matches 10% of your annual salary into your pension to help you save for the future.
• Employee Support – We know it’s sometimes helpful to talk to someone impartial. UK Sport provides all employees with access to confidential assistance and therapy through fully trained counsellors on any personal and financial matters they may face.
• Travelling to Work – Whether you choose to take the train or cycle to one of our offices, UK Sport can support a season ticket loan or purchasing a bike through the Cycle to Work scheme.

Exploring the role

If you’re thinking of applying but would like to discuss the role, understand what we might be looking for and how we might support you in role then please contact Robert Morini through [email protected]

How to Apply

Please click “Apply Now” to begin your application.