Department: Boys Academy and Coaching Development

Hours of Work: Full Time

Contract Type: 23 Month Fixed Term Contract

Salary: Up to £30,000 per annum

Location: Bodymoor Heath Training Ground

Closing Date: Friday 24 May 2024

Interview Date: Week commencing 10 June 2024

1. About the Coach Inclusion and Diversity Scheme

Aston Villa Football Club celebrates the diversity of its Club and embraces equal opportunities for all. In partnership with the Premier League, we are seeking to improve the diversity of football coaches in the professional game to make this area more representative of society and the playing population. In light of this, Aston Villa are proud to be supporting the Coaching Inclusion and Diversity Scheme (CIDS) for the 2024/25 Season.

CIDS is a Premier League positive action initiative to support the strategic aim of building an inclusive and diverse professional coaching workforce which will ultimately help the Club perform better both on and off the pitch.

The CIDS Coach will work within our Boys Academy Department which has been awarded the prestigious category one status accolade which demonstrates that we have the highest level of quality coaching, education, training and facilities for our youth football provision.

The scheme is open to Coaches who are currently under-represented within English Professional Football – these groups being individuals from Black, South-Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds and Women from all backgrounds.

The aim of the CIDS is to provide an opportunity which will provide coaches with an individualised development plan to increase their coaching knowledge and ability and to ultimately prepare them for a sustainable, long-term career in coaching professional football.

2.      The Role

The CIDS will provide a fully integrated and intensive full time, 23-month fixed-term employment opportunity and development programme for the successful candidate. You will have exposure to  coaching and observation across the Foundation (FP), Youth Development (YDP) and potentially the Professional Development Phase (PDP) as well as the wider Multi-Disciplinary Team including Physical Performance and Conditioning, Recruitment, Analysis and Administration.

You will enter the Premier League’s Coach Development Programme which is accredited by Leeds Beckett University. Upon successful completion of the programme, coaches will receive a Diploma in Professional Football Coaching. The development programme includes mentoring, workshops, peer learning, projects, and need-led access to FA/UEFA coaching qualifications.

For further information about the Role, please see the Role Profile.

3. The Person

To be eligible for the scheme:

       You will be from a currently under-represented group within English Professional Football – these groups being individuals from Black, South-Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds and Women from all* backgrounds

*       You must have no previous experience of full-time coaching role in a Premier League or English Football League (EFL) Club (Men’s First Team or Boys Academy)

*       Hold a UEFA B Licence

*       Hold a current FA Safeguarding Certificate (prior to commencing role)

*       Hold a current Emergency First Aid Certificate (prior to commencing role)

You will also need to have experience of delivering effective and engaging coaching and player

development support to children and young people on a regular basis, for example in community, education or part time in a development centre or Academy setting. We are looking for a motivated and resilient individual who has effective interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals and groups of people.

4. Application

To apply please follow the below guidelines:

4.1 Complete our application form

4.2 Upload your CV (outlining how you meet the Qualifications, Key Skills and Experience as detailed in the Role Profile)

4.3 Provide us with a link (either in your CV or in the designated field at the end of this application form) to a video of yourself answering the below questions. The video should be no longer than 3 minutes. Ideally, this will be a video submission but if not possible, please submit a Cover Letter answering the below questions (no longer than 2 pages, in a word or PDF format).

- Please explain your understanding of Aston Villa Football Club’s Boys Academy – around what we do and how we do it

- How would your unique expertise positively impact upon the Club, and the players we support?

Aston Villa Football Club will only consider applications for the CIDS from Coaches who are of a Black, South-Asian and Mixed Heritage backgrounds and women of all backgrounds. 

All personal data that a candidate shares in our Equal Opportunity Monitoring section of our application form will be treated in confidence and will not be seen by staff directly involved in the appointment.  The information is collected to determine if our advert is reaching a wide and diverse range of candidates who are applying for this role.

The successful candidate will be selected based on merit as measured against the Role Profile.

Disability Confident Statement

We are proud to be a Disability Confident employer and committed to supporting candidates with disabilities throughout recruitment process. If you have a disability and require support during the recruitment process, please contact the Human Resources Team by emailing careers@avfc.co.uk so we can understand your specific requirements and discuss any arrangements with you.

Safeguarding Statement

Aston Villa Football Club is fully committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk across our Club. As such, we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes and for some roles a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service may be required prior to starting in a role at the Club. For more information, please see Aston Villa Football Club | The official club website | AVFC - Safeguarding