About the Team:
Welcome to the Women’s Football Team at SAFC, where passion, talent, and determination come together to create a powerhouse in women's football!
Our team is committed to fostering a supportive environment that empowers female athletes to showcase their skills and reach their full potential.
We prioritise player development through tailored training programs that focus on technical skills, tactical understanding, and physical fitness.
The Women’s Football Team benefits from strong collaboration with our Coaching and Analysis teams, ensuring that our strategies and training sessions are informed by the latest insights and best practices.
The Opportunity:
Sunderland AFC is seeking to hire a Women’s Goalkeeper and Assistant Coach (SAFC Women’s Football) to lead the delivery of the PGA Goalkeeping program for the Women’s Pro Game Academy playing squad.
In this role, you will report to the PGA Academy Manager and collaborate with the coaching staff and wider team. Your contributions will be vital to the ongoing development and implementation of Sunderland AFC Women's Long-Term Plan. You are expected to provide support to the Women's First Team as needed.
The role involves supporting and developing all players within the group to help them reach the highest possible levels of performance within a safe, secure, and supportive environment. It includes assisting the U21 Head Coach in the planning, preparation, delivery, and evaluation of coaching sessions, as well as handling matchday and training session goalkeeper warmups. The position leads on individual development programmes for goalkeepers and aids the Head Coach with team selection. It also requires designing and delivering a goalkeeping syllabus for the PGA programme, while contributing to player development discussions with an open-minded and positive attitude.
The role involves providing regular feedback to players, using technology where appropriate, and monitoring and evaluating their development. Feedback should also be shared with parents or carers. Collaboration with coaches, medical personnel, and performance staff is crucial to support player development, injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation. The individual will assist the U21 Group Head Coach in ensuring that all PGA games are managed effectively, with a development-focused philosophy clearly communicated to players and their families.
A key part of the role is to support the holistic development of players both as individuals and athletes. Attendance at CPD events and engagement with ongoing professional development aligned with identified themes is expected. The individual must uphold the reputation of the FA, the League, and the Club, refraining from actions that could bring any of these bodies into disrepute or cause breaches of regulations. Adherence to the FA's Code of Conduct for coaches and any relevant Club policies is mandatory.
The confidentiality of players' personal circumstances must be maintained, with discussions limited to the U21 Head Coach, Academy Manager, Head of Coaching, and General Manager. Welfare concerns should be reported to the HR Department and Safeguarding Manager. Discussions about players or their performance should not take place in front of individuals who may have a vested interest. Player discipline procedures must be managed professionally, in accordance with FA and Club policies, and with support from the General Manager and HR Department as needed. Regular meetings with the General Manager and/or Academy Manager are also part of the role’s responsibilities.