Football Development Lead – Suffolk

Norwich City Football Club – Football Development

Location: Suffolk (Whitton, Bury St Edmunds & Ipswich)

Hours: Approximately 11 hours per week

• 6 hours coaching
• 5 hours administration

Join the Norwich City Football Development Team

Norwich City Football Club is looking to appoint an ambitious and passionate Football Development Lead to oversee and drive our Football Development pathway across Suffolk.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role within one of the country's leading Football Development programmes, helping identify, develop and support talented young players whilst creating an outstanding experience for every family involved.

Working closely with the Head of Football Development, you'll take ownership of our Suffolk programme, leading the delivery and continued growth of our Development and Advanced Centres.

The Role

The successful candidate will oversee:

• Whitton Development Centre
• Bury St Edmunds Development Centre
• Suffolk Advanced Centre (Ipswich)

You will be responsible for ensuring every player receives an outstanding football experience whilst continually identifying those capable of progressing further within the Norwich City pathway.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Management

• Lead the overall delivery of the Football Development programme across Suffolk.
• Oversee the day-to-day running of all three centres.
• Ensure sessions are delivered to the highest possible standard.
• Recruit, manage and support coaching staff.
• Maintain high coaching standards across the programme.

Player Development

• Identify and monitor talented players throughout the programme.
• Support player progression into the Advanced Centre and Norwich City Academy where appropriate.
• Attend regular recruitment meetings with Norwich City Academy staff to discuss high-performing players.
• Work closely with the Head of Football Development to continually improve the Suffolk pathway.

Recruitment & Growth

• Drive player recruitment across Suffolk.
• Support the recruitment and development of high-quality coaching staff.
• Build strong relationships with grassroots clubs, schools and local football organisations.
• Continue to grow and strengthen the Football Development pathway across the county.

Fixtures & Events

• Organise fixtures against strong grassroots opposition and other professional club programmes.
• Support additional Football Development events including tournaments, festivals and tours where required.

Communication

• Act as the first point of contact for parents within the Suffolk programme.
• Deal professionally and efficiently with enquiries.
• Maintain excellent communication with players, parents, coaches and Norwich City staff.
• Work closely with the Head of Football Development to ensure the programme continues to evolve.

About You

We're looking for someone who is:

• A minimum UEFA B Licence holder is desireable.
• Passionate about player development.
• Organised and proactive.
• Personable with excellent communication skills.
• Confident leading and supporting a coaching team.
• Comfortable working independently whilst contributing to a wider department.
• Enthusiastic about creating a positive environment for players and families.
• Driven to continually improve standards across the programme.

Previous experience working within an academy, professional club or high-level grassroots environment would be advantageous.