Project Manager (immediate hire) Recruitment Pack August 2022
INTRODUCTION FROM OUR CEO
Thank you so much for taking the time to find out more about the Football Foundation. I am exceptionally proud to lead this organisation. Our purpose is to transform individual lives and communities by providing people with a great place to play. That’s an inspiring thought – but behind it sits a great team. The Foundation is an independent charity, but has at its heart a collaboration between the Premier League, The Football Association and Sport England. Our role is to facilitate their joint investment into community sports facilities. We do this through partnership working – being part of a team is really important to us. Together we have ambitious plans and with the recent announcement from the government to invest a further £205 million into grassroots football over the next 3 years, the Football Foundation is well-supported to continue to invest in community pitches and facilities across the nation. We have a great deal to get done, but why and how we do it matters too. We are striving to be an inclusive and diverse organisation which reflects the diverse communities, users and beneficiaries of our work and the outcomes we deliver. Becoming part of the Football Foundation team, will give you the chance to deliver a positive impact in every community in England; to help transform lives and communities through great places to play; and to be part of a supportive and inclusive staff team that strives to work hard and plays fair to achieve its goals. I hope you take the time to apply. Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive Officer
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TOGETHER FOR FOOTBALL
We are the Football Foundation — the Premier League, the FA and Government’s charity delivering upon a shared vision to help communities improve their local football facilities through grants. We’re the only example of a partnership between a national Government and a national sport coming together to support communities throughout the country.
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OUR STORY
Over the last 20 years we’ve been planting the seeds to grow grassroots football, transforming communities where demand is greatest, and impact will be strongest. We have worked closely with local authorities, County FAs and other passionate people in communities up and down the country to deliver over 17,000 sports projects worth over £1.8 billion and we have got big plans to revolutionise England’s grassroots facilities over the next decade.
20,000 1,300
1,700
Improved grass pitches over the next 10 years
New pavilions over the next 10 years
3G facilities over the next 10 years
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OUR GOALS
The Football Foundation’s ambition is to transform the landscape of England’s grassroots game by 2030. In that time, we will deliver thousands of new pitches, while also investing in the improvement of existing grass pitches and off-pitch facilities across the country. The approach to achieve our goals includes: ○
Local Football Facility Plans In order to achieve our ambition, we have completed 318 Local Plans, covering every area in England. These are the culmination of three years of work with local authorities, County FAs, and other stakeholders. These plans identify the current provision of facilities and the projects that each community needs and deserves, providing a blueprint for our investment.
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Grass Pitch Improvement Programme We are working alongside The FA on a 10-year plan to transform the quality of 20,000 grass pitches across the country. 87% of affiliated football is played on traditional grass pitches and maintaining these to the highest quality is crucial. We are working with experts and volunteers and have invested in a new web app, PitchPower, to make expert knowledge, support, and funding into pitches more accessible.
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Small Sided We have an ambition to deliver 330 new or improved Small Sided facilities by 2025. To realise this ambition, we’re going to focus on investing in safe, inclusive and accessible facilities in communities with the greatest need. We will tackle inequalities in physical activity levels and create inclusive opportunities for our priority audiences to become active through recreational formats of football and other sports.
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Our Hubs £200m investment in multi-pitch hubs has enabled us to work with Local Authorities and local football organisations, with hubs already in Sheffield, Liverpool, Sunderland, and one site in London: with construction underway for further sites in London, as well as Newcastle and Wigan.
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3G Artificial Grass Pitches In 2020, we opened 49 new floodlit 3G Artificial Grass Pitches (AGPs) guaranteeing access to hundreds of thousands of people across the country, no matter the weather. Our goal is to install 1,300 more 3Gs by 2030.
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Changing room pavilions We constructed and refurbished over 57 pavilions in 2019, providing players and match officials with safe, secure spaces to get changed, whilst also acting as hubs for the delivery of vital community outreach work. We are committing to 1,700 new pavilions by 2030.
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OUR FOUR CORNERS
We refer to our company values as our four corners and these form a central part of our working culture. When applying for roles we encourage applicants to be aware of our four corners as we will frame some of our interview questions around these.
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OUR IMPACT
Since 2000, we have been privileged to make a truly transformative difference to grassroots football across the country. We’re proud that through the investment of our funding partners into grassroots football we’ve seen incredibly positive effects on physical health, mental health, participation, and the overall economy, and we want to keep moving the goalposts.
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1223
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Artificial grass pitches installed
Changing room pavilions built and refurbished
Natural grass pitches improved
OUR FINANCES
With the recent announcement from the government to invest a further £205 million into grassroots football over the next 3 years, the Football Foundation is well-supported to continue to invest in pitches and communities across the nation and we are ready to scale up our operations.
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THE ROLE - PROJECT MANAGER (immediate hire) Our ambition is to embed project management principles across the Foundation to optimise the way we operate. This is a new and an exciting role for an experienced Project Manager to join us and support the team on this journey. We have assigned a number of primary projects to this role, as well as an in-flight project, working with key stakeholders throughout the project initiation stage and planning stages, and then managing all aspects of these projects to ensure agreed outputs are delivered to time and within budget. First and foremost however, we will be looking for you to introduce and embed simple, but effective project management tools, templates and processes so we start these new projects on a firm footing. It’s essential that you have the confidence to take the lead in establishing this project management framework and then lead and guide project teams through this process as they adapt to new ways of working. Outside of these initial primary projects, there will be an opportunity to input into smaller, inflight projects, to influence and equip non-specialists to successfully achieve their projects. This role comes at a critical time in the Football Foundation’s development and we’re excited to see how this will influence and change how projects of strategic significance are managed going forwards. You don’t need to follow football to apply, but it is expected that you appreciate the power of sport to change lives and have a genuine interest in using your skills and experience to help the Foundation achieve our charitable and strategic objectives.
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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
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Work with project leads to plan and initiate new projects, setting up a project management framework to ensure all projects are set up for success in terms of plans and resources.
Support the Finance Team to create and monitor the project budget and ensure a robust resource plan for the full project execution is established.
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Provide regular updates on project performance (time, cost and quality) to the Project Group and Senior Sponsor.
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Share professional expertise, modelling and sharing best practice in project management methodology i.e. case studies, coaching sessions etc. to upskills individuals across the business and enable them to lead and deliver local elements of key projects
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Facilitate meetings with internal and external stakeholders partners to ensure appropriate engagement and involvement in order to define problems, develop business requirements, and identify risks, issues, and dependencies.
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Manage the relationships and contracts with agencies and suppliers, ensuring they are working to the agreed scope and budget, and meeting any service level agreements.
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Contribute to the continuing improvement of the Foundation’s approach to overall project management.
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Always carrying out duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with the Foundation’s policies and principles.
Introduce and embed simple, but effective project management tools, templates and processes.
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Facilitate project meetings to review projects, monitor progress and share issues arising and best practice.
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Provide immediate project management support for any in-flight projects needing specialist project management input.
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Day to day management of individual projects from initiation through to closure and benefits realisation, ensuring agreed outputs are delivered to time and within scope.
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Establish robust project governance via a Project Board, ensuring they are provided with accurate and timely information that supports appropriate decision making.
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Create. develop and maintain key project documents e.g. project brief, project plan, activity logs, to provide structure to the project groups.
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Lead and manage project teams, creating required work packages and monitoring agreed outputs to ensure time, costs and quality requirements are met.
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OTHER ACTIVITY The role will also be required to: ✓
Undertake any other reasonable management request, including duties as can be reasonably expected to ensure the smooth running and efficiency of your team and wider organisation.
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Carry out duties and responsibilities of the post in accordance with Foundation policies.
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Ensure compliance with data protection in all matters.
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Uphold the ‘four corners’ of the Football Foundation.
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Demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
LOCATION Our office is currently based in Paddington, London, and like many organisations, we’re currently trialling a hybrid working model.
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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
QUALIFICATIONS PRINCE2 or an equivalent project management qualification (Desirable)
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE ✓
Working knowledge of different project management techniques and an ability to flexibly apply these in a practical manner to a dynamic and evolving role.
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A proven track record of managing multiple projects at the same time with short- and long-term deadlines.
DESIRABLE KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE ✓
An understanding of some of the facility operations and challenges faced by grassroots football clubs, community organisations, Local Authorities and the voluntary sector.
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A knowledge of grant programmes, application processes and criteria.
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Managing the end-to-end process of project management from planning, executing, monitoring/controlling and closing.
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Producing and presenting detailed and robust reports to decision makers and communicating complex matters in a coherent manner.
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Successfully applying project management techniques across a multitude of projects.
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Introducing and embedding effective project management tools, templates and processes.
Using dashboards and other performance management software to assist in monitoring the progress of projects and performance improvement in general.
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Using a range of project management tools, templates and processes, and adapting these to ensure the framework is well-suited to the size and scope of the project.
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Building and maintaining highly effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
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Communicating with colleagues and customers remotely via email, video conferencing and phone.
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APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES ✓
Exceptional project planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise a varied workload balancing important tasks with urgent demands for yourself and your project team.
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Highly organised with strong attention to detail and excellent time management.
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Delivering tangible outcomes, under pressure, removing blockages to achievement and challenging deadlines.
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Managing a diverse workstream, with the ability to analyse information consistently, identify issues and escalate potential risks.
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A passionate supporter, strong and visible passion and commitment to inspiring activity, the values of the Foundation and delivery of its strategic objectives.
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A united team player, actively contributing to the team to complete tasks, meet goals and manage programmes, and always operating as a centralised support service.
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Strong communication and interpersonal skills, and as a united team player provide respectful challenge and constructive feedback to colleagues, and receive the same with a receptive, open-minded manner Flexible, adaptable and willing to support others at times when team priorities take precedence.
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The ability to develop and sustain a level of professionalism at all times among team members, key contacts and stakeholders.
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Proficient in the use of Microsoft Teams Microsoft Project, Outlook, Word, and Excel with the appropriate level of IT competencies to learn new software and support the completion of tasks in a fast-paced environment.
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A star performer, striving for excellence and committed to self-development to support the growth of the Football Foundation and requirements of the role.
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A commitment to fair play, with an understanding of and passion for equality, diversity and inclusion.
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APPLICATION OFFER
SALARY & BENEFITS ✓
The salary band for this role is £40 £50,000 depending on experience
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You will initially be entitled to 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays. The Foundation also offer a generous pension scheme (8% employer contribution), yearly collective bonus, free healthcare provision, a monthly gym subsidy, interest-free season ticket loan, death in service benefit and access to selected match tickets.
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We are committed to helping our staff maintain a healthy work-life balance, so offer flexible working hours around core hours to help achieve that.
INDUCTION ○
The Foundation offer a comprehensive induction process where you will learn about the culture of the Foundation and the way we work, as well as learning from your colleagues in the Programmes Team about processes and practices.
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EQUALITY & DIVERSITY COMMITMENT
We request that all applicants complete our equal opportunities form as part of the application process. This anonymous and confidential form helps the Football Foundation to build up a picture of who is applying to join the organisation, and to monitor progress in this area. The link to complete this is in the application process. The Football Foundation is committed to, and values the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment where all our team feel respected and supported in fulfilling their potential. We encourage and welcome applications from all, regardless of background and are particularly interested to hear from individuals belonging to under-represented groups including diverse ethnic communities, individuals with a disability and those from the LGBTQI+ community.
To ensure we have the best chance of tackling inequalities through our work, we are determined to be an inclusive and diverse organisation that understands the communities we serve.
INTERVIEW ACCESSIBILITY Reasonable adjustment to the interview and application process can also be made for any candidates with a disability, please contact us at: jobs@footballfoundation.org.uk 14
APPLICATION PROCESS
1. APPLICATION
2. SELECTION
To apply, please follow the steps below:
All applications received will be short listed against the role requirements and person specification. Those most closely matching our requirements will be invited to take part in an online interview.
1.
Please send the following to jobs@footballfoundation.org.uk ○ CV ○ Cover letter (one page max) highlighting your motivation for applying and indicating how your skills and experience meet the criteria for the role. Please also include when you would be able to start if you were appointed into the role.
2.
Complete an anonymous Equal Opportunities form: ○ Click here to fill it out. Please only submit one form, if you have any issues get in touch.
Closing date for applications: 23:59, 24 August 2022 While there is a closing date of 24 August, interviews for quality candidates will be held ASAP! If you are interested, do not delay in getting your application across to us, as we may close the advert and application window once we have received sufficient applications. We thank all applicants for taking the time to apply, however, due to the high number of applications received for most roles, the Foundation only contacts candidates if they are shortlisted for interview. If you do not hear from us within two weeks of the closing date, you should assume your application has not been successful. The Foundation aim to provide feedback to shortlisted candidates who are unsuccessful at interview. However, due to the volume of applications received for most roles, the Foundation will unfortunately not provide feedback to those candidates who are not shortlisted for interview.
3. CHECKS AND REFERENCES If you are successful in your application, we will ask you to provide us with the contact details of two organisations that we can apply for an employment reference; one of which must be your current/most recent employer. Please be aware that the Foundation aim to have all references in place before new team members commence employment with us. Under the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006, you are required to provide evidence of your right to work in the UK. If called for an interview, you will be advised of the documents that you will need to provide, which, if you are offered employment, will be checked to ensure the Foundation complies with current legislation.
FURTHER INFORMATION AND QUERIES This Recruitment Pack is designed to be comprehensive; however, if you have any further questions regarding this role, please email: jobs@footballfoundation.org.uk 15
DATA PROTECTION
Information provided as part of your application will be used for the recruitment process. Any data about you will be held securely with access restricted to those involved in dealing with your application and in the recruitment process. If you are successful in your application, the information you provide during the application process will be retained by us as part of your employee file for the duration of your employment, plus 6 years following the end of your employment. If you are unsuccessful at any stage of the process, we will retain your personal information for a period of six months after we have communicated to you our decision about whether to appoint you to work. Please see the full Privacy Notice for job applicants on the Careers page of our website for more information about how and why your personal data will be used, namely for the purposes of the recruitment exercise, plus your rights in relation to your data.
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For more information, please email: jobs@footballfoundation.org.uk