Fixed term contract for 30 months

Does your substantial experience of working with young people in a sporting environment include negotiating, planning and delivering innovative work, recruiting effective teams and managing operational performance? Are you looking for a challenging role in an environment that is open, vibrant and welcomes new ideas? Then join the University of East London as the Head of East London Sport Talent Pathway.

It’s a particularly exciting time here at the University as, under our 10-year strategy, Vision 2028, we’re committed to providing students with the skills necessary to thrive in an ever-changing world. Currently, though, many talent pathways in England disproportionately represent people from unusually privileged backgrounds and also people from white backgrounds. 

Working in conjunction with Sport England and East London Sport (which offers competitive sporting opportunities across 16 different sports for over 500 students and provides High Performance Support for 155 elite athletes including ex and current professionals, Olympic and Paralympic athletes), we aim to support athletes from culturally diverse communities and athletes who are not unusually privileged to exceed their potential, both in and out of sport. Our goal is summed up by our mission statement: to increase the representation of athletes from culturally diverse communities and less advantaged backgrounds on National Governing Body talent pathways.

Your challenge will be to develop and implement a unique, ground-breaking talent identification and development programme in East London that aims to re-balance the demography of talent pathways. A great opportunity to become the recognised lead for the university in respect of talent ID and development, we’ll look to you to represent the University in the local area and drive the success of the project, both strategically and on the ground. You’ll also be responsible for establishing a support system for young people in the local borough that takes a “life long, life wide” approach to developing individuals throughout their time on the programme and encompasses a comprehensive pastoral and inclusive approach aimed at addressing key barriers to success.

To succeed, you’ll need the ability to take a strategic and operational approach to developing a holistic, specialist and targeted talent ID and development programme, in partnership with a range of local and national stakeholders. You’ll also need experience of working in a multidisciplinary team in a talent/high-performance sports setting and a clear understanding of talent identification and development (science and practice). Great at responding to peoples’ different needs to ensure they can achieve their best, you’re used to working with voluntary and/or statutory agencies too. What’s more, you’re adept at service planning, budget management and financial planning and have experience of developing project bids, securing external funding, managing budgets and managing and delivering projects. 

Last but not least, you have excellent leadership skills, including the ability to adopt different approaches, a considered approach to decision making, a willingness to listen and respond to people’s needs and a flair for coaching, mentoring and supporting others in their personal and professional development.

So, if you have what we are looking for and are keen to take on this exciting challenge, get in touch.

At the University of East London, we aim to attract and retain the best possible staff and offer a working environment at the heart of a dynamic region with excellent transport links. You can look forward to a warm, sincere welcome, genuine camaraderie and mobility in an institution led with passion, visibility and purpose. Your impact, resilience and sense of collegiality will directly contribute to the University’s future and those of the students whose lives you will touch and change forever. We also offer a great range of benefits including pension, family friendly policies and an on-site nursery and gym at our Docklands Campus.

Closing date: 28th October 2021.