Facilitate development of the Academy’s coaching philosophy & curriculum:
Activities include:
· Facilitates the creation of the Academy’s Playing and Coaching Philosophy in line with Club Philosophy. This will involve consultation with some or all of the following:Head of Coaching, Lead Phase Coaches, Technical Director/ Director of Football
· Identifies what behaviours underpin the values and link to the Philosophy
· Draft detailed Philosophy
· Present Philosophy back to stakeholders for approval
· Work with Heads of Department to embed the Philosophy in their area
· Regularly monitor adoption of Philosophy in all areas of the Academy
An operational plan/performance plan to deliver the strategic objectives
Manage the creation and implementation an operational plan that reflects the strategy and vision.
Activities include:
- Builds operational / performance plans based on Academy KPI outputs and EPPP requirements in consultation with Department Heads
- Agrees KPIs with all Department Heads
- Asks Departmental Heads to produce plans to meet KPI targets in their areas
- Review all plans to ensure alignment to achieve Academy KPIs
- Review and interpret all (management) information/ reports supplied by all Departmental Heads to assess progress and feed back into operational planning
- Monitors Departmental progress towards KPIs adapt plans as necessary
- Monitor audit metrics between audits to check progress/ ensure standards are met
Financial performance of the Academy
Manage the financial operations of the business:
Activities include:
- Produces a business case for the Academy budget to present to the Board
- Cascade budgets to Departmental Heads and gives clear budget targets
- Asks for regular management reporting in relation to budget spent/ outstanding from all departments
- Check departments meet their budgetary targets
- Monitors and adjust focus of overall spend as required
- Calculate and monitor value add from players (as Club assets)
Identifying and managing change effectively
Manage change proactively:
Activities include:
- Looks for opportunities to make improvement through changing how things are done
- A change management plan is developed whenever significant change is required (covering target groups, stakeholders & change agents)
- A communication plan is developed prior to implementing change
- Change is implemented systematically in line with plans and reviewed regularly/adapted as required
Management of Academy staff
Performance manage Department Heads.
Activities include:
- Review the organisational structure of the Academy to ensure that it supports the vision and strategic plan
- Write Role Profiles / checks and updates Role Profiles, of all Academy staff to ensure they will enable the role holder to deliver relevant KPIs
- Implement suitable performance management processes and communicates this across the Academy
- Ensure that others are performance managing their staff appropriately
- Agree clear objectives with team (Department Heads)
- Provide regular feedback to Department Heads
- Hold regular 1:1 conversations with team
- Ensure all direct reports have Development Action Plans
- Be available to team - open-door philosophy or clear articulation of when they can have ad hoc conversations
- Diagnose and manage under performance
Recruit suitable people into the Academy:
Activities include:
- Lead on recruitment for all Departmental Managers
- Advise/ offer support for recruitment to other key posts (Lead Phase coaches etc.)
- Contribute to recruitment decision for direct reports to Departmental Managers– discuss needs with managers, take part in interviews, offer thoughts
- Create a succession plan for the academy
- Speak to Department Managers to understand their long-term aspirations
Player progression through the system
Monitor progress and adapt plans:
Activities include:
- Monitors player progression through Head of Coaching/ Lead Phase coach (possibly self in older age-groups)
- Meets with the Technical Board to discuss players (informed by LPCs)
- Discuss changes to individual/ group player strategy
- Have a method to track players who leave to identify where do they go
The expectations set to players as footballers and individuals
Deliver expected ‘service’ to players and their families:
Activities include:
- Produce ‘Player Charter’ to outline the Club’s way of working with players
- Negotiate individual contracts directly or through agents
- Create Education & Welfare Standards with Education & Welfare Department
- Quality assure that education and welfare and player care promises are delivered
- Monitor player & parent satisfaction and adapt way of working as necessary
- Develop a strategy to help players who are leaving the club
The Academy’s reputation within the club and the Academy environment (other sporting/external environments)
Manage relationships internally and externally:
Activities include:
- Ensure regular contact with CEO – ad hoc and formal
- Create and maintain relationships with Football Director/ Tech Director/ First Team Manager/ owners
- Watch games/ training so that visible to parents and available to chat
- Regularly spend time with coaches and players
- Maintain relationships with schools, local universities etc.
- Develop a strategy for managing parents including how parent’s evenings are run
- Hold ‘team building’/ ‘away days’ with Department Heads to gain greater cohesion and shared direction within the Academy leadership team – take responsibility for creating an elite learning and development environment
- Proactively manages the reputation of the Academy to the wider Club and at external events
Work Relationships
The Academy Manager needs to build relationships with the following:
Internally:
CEO: to ensure that the Academy is represented on the football agenda at board level
Technical Director/ Director of Football: to ensure that the Academy is represented on the football agenda at board level
MDT: Heads of department – to gain buy-in and to ensure a sense of team so that they work together in order to innovate and move the academy forward as a unit.
Head of Coaching: ultimate strategic responsibility for coaching. Need to understand development priorities and stay informed regarding coaching achievements.
Lead Phase Coaches: so they feel valued and buy-in to/support the vision and strategy.
Coaches: Part Time & Full Time so they feel valued.
First team staff: to assist with creating a pathway for players.
Parents: so they are aware of the degree to which the Academy values them/ their children and so that they have a senior individual that they can raise concerns with if necessary.
Players: So they see the Academy Manager as someone who values them as people.
Externally:
Premier League: as ‘advisor’/ central body
EFL: as ‘advisor’/ central body
LFE: related to education
FA: as the governing body of the sport
Universities / colleges: who can help with research etc.
Academies in other Clubs: people in similar roles in other Clubs –share information and learning
Performance Directors in other elite sporting environments: people in similar roles in other sports – share information and learning
Intermediaries: as influential over player decisions to stay at or leave a Club