FP Academy Individual Skills Coach (Part Time)

About the Role

The Academy Individual Skills Coach will join the Academy on a 12-hour per week fixed-term contract for the 2026/27 season. The role is responsible for planning, delivering, and reviewing high-quality coaching sessions in line with the Academy Performance Plan, with a focus on supporting the individual development of Academy players against agreed goals. Working collaboratively within the Academy programme, the coach will contribute to the ongoing development of the Academy Performance Plan and support the achievement and evolution of the Academy’s technical objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Support Head Coaches with the creation and ongoing development of individual learning plans (ILPs) for all Foundation Phase players.
• Support Assistant Coaches with the creation of monthly individual planning processes, ensuring all Foundation Phase players receive at least one 15-minute individual technical session each month.
• Support, and where needed lead, communication with players and parents around individual timetables and development progress.
• Be aware of, and where needed contribute to, the creation of team training plans.
• Contribute towards the preparation of meaningful content for individual player reviews.
• Support, and where needed lead, the preparation of content for team and individual performance education delivery.
• Lead the delivery of individual training sessions (both inside and outside of team training sessions) in line with ILP commitments, in collaboration with age group head and assistant coaches.
• Support, and where necessary lead, the delivery of team training sessions in line with the Academy Performance Plan (Coaching Handbook), integrating team and individual outcomes into representative practice.
• Support, and where necessary lead, teams and individuals through fixtures, both home and away, as part of the Foundation Phase games programme.
• Support, and where necessary lead, teams and individuals through tours and tournaments, aligning environment design and coaching behaviours with the Academy Performance Plan.
• Support, and where necessary lead, the delivery of performance education sessions in line with the Academy Performance Plan (Coaching and Insights Handbooks).
• Lead the effective review of individual training sessions and their impact on player development and player-coach-Academy relationships over time.
• Support the effective review of team training sessions in line with reflection guidance in the Academy Performance Plan (Coaching Handbook).
• Contribute to the effective review of individual (and where needed, team) match performances.
• Contribute to the ongoing ‘rolling’ review of each player’s ILP, ensuring clear action plans, involving colleagues from different disciplinary backgrounds through weekly MDT meetings.

Required Experience & Qualifications

• Be player/person centred (individualised) in their approach to development.
• Have a strong understanding of coaching and player development principles, ensuring alignment in both beliefs and actions with the Academy Performance Plan.
• Have experience of working with (ideally coaching, teaching, educating or supporting) young people and parents in an Academy or Educational setting.
• Hold appropriate and up-to-date First Aid and Safeguarding qualifications to conform to Professional Game Academy Audit Company (PGAAC) and Premier League Youth Development Rules (PLYDR) requirements.
• Hold a minimum UEFA B (FA Level 3, inclusive of the FA Youth Award) coaching licence and remain up to date with the continual professional development requirements associated with such licence.
• Have broad awareness of the football industry’s governing policies and youth football protocols, in particular all relevant aspects of the Premier League’s Youth Development Rules.
• Be diligent, hard-working, detail driven and (largely) intrinsically motivated by the Academy’s mission.
• Hold a forward-thinking, positive and optimistic mindset and nature.
• Demonstrate and model high levels of professionalism in organisation, delivery and conduct.
• Be able to continuously demonstrate openness, inclusiveness and a willingness to collaborate within everyday behaviours.
• Show pro-activeness and be able to work around or overcome obstacles that others may find challenging.
• Have knowledge of regulations and expected practices in relation to working with young people, with particular reference to safeguarding, well-being and safety.
• Have high-level interpersonal skills, including being an effective and adaptable communicator.
• Demonstrate resilience towards the everyday rigours of high-performance environments.
• Be willing to hold honest and supportive conversations with parents, guardians or carers of Academy players.

Preferred Skills

• Hold the FA Talent Identification Level 1 qualification.
• Hold a higher education degree in coaching, analysis or sports science (or similar qualification).

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