Academy Player Care Manager (U9-U16)

The RoleWe're looking for an Academy Player Care Manager (U9-U16) to join our Academy Operations team and play an important role in supporting the wellbeing, development and Academy experience of our young players. Working closely with players, parents, schools, host families and multidisciplinary colleagues, you'll provide individual player care support across the Under 9 to Under 16 age groups while helping to create a challenging and caring environment.You'll lead key player care programmes, support successful transitions through the Academy pathway, and ensure players and families receive the guidance and support they need at every stage of their development. You'll contribute to creating a positive and supportive environment where young players can thrive and develop both on and off the pitch.Who we areWe are one of the most famous clubs in world football, with a rich heritage and history of success – read more about our history, here.Beyond that, we are passionate about our local community and, behind the scenes, we have a wide variety of opportunities and career paths for all. We have a very defined purpose: to act for a winning team, culture and community. We achieve this by ensuring we are courageous in the pursuit of progress, we champion our community and each other, and that we do the right thing (even when no one is looking). Our Commitment to SafeguardingWe are committed to ensuring that our environments for children, young people and adults at risk remain safe and inclusive. We therefore require successful candidates to complete a DBS check and other essential background checks prior to starting their employment. Depending on the responsibilities of the role, a DBS will be either a basic, standard, or enhanced check.Your day-to-daySupport our young players and families - you'll build positive relationships with players and parents, providing tailored support and acting as a key point of contact when requiredLead player development programmes - you will coordinate and deliver the Academy Transition Strategy and Lifelong Learner Programme, providing engaging life skills and personal development opportunitiesManage the Host Family Programme - you'll recruit, support and maintain relationships with host families, coordinating placements and ensuring a positive experience for playersPromote player wellbeing - you will support wellbeing initiatives, coordinate appropriate support and contribute to an environment that enables players to flourishMaintain player care records - you'll ensure information is accurate, organised and managed confidentially while supporting wider reporting requirementsCollaborate with key stakeholders - you will work closely with Academy staff, families and external organisations to support player development and resolve issues effectivelyCoordinate inductions and transitions - you'll support players and families through key Academy transitions and deliver annual induction activitiesSupport Academy events and wider initiatives - you'll contribute to tours, tournaments and wider player care projects across the AcademyPosition of Trust - As someone in a position of trust role involving regular, direct contact with children or vulnerable adults you will be expected to uphold high standards of conduct to prevent abuse, including sexual, physical, or emotional harm. This role requires you to keep updated with both Club and FA Safeguarding training and education What we are looking forExperience supporting children, young people and families - you can demonstrate a track record of providing welfare-focused support and building trusted relationshipsOutstanding stakeholder management skills - you're able to communicate effectively and build positive relationships with a range of internal and external contactsExperience working within multidisciplinary teams - you're comfortable collaborating with colleagues from different departments to achieve shared objectivesExcellent organisational and administrative skills - you can manage programmes, maintain records and balance competing priorities effectivelyKnowledge of safeguarding practices - you understand the importance of safeguarding policies, procedures and responsibilities when working with young peopleAn understanding of the football development environment - you ideally hold knowledge of the youth development frameworks and Academy operationsConfident IT skills - you're comfortable using Microsoft 365 and maintaining accurate administrative recordsA caring, proactive and trustworthy approach - you build trust quickly, handle sensitive matters with discretion and positively contribute to team cultureWhy choose us At Arsenal, we want everyone to feel a sense of trust and belonging, so we are proud of both our club values and also what we offer to our employees. As one of our Gunners, you will receive:An exciting reward and recognition schemeGenerous holiday allowance which increases with your length of serviceGreat internal learning and development programmesA flexible hybrid working modelPriority access to apply for match ticketsA competitive health and wellbeing benefits packageA leading Employee Assistance ProgrammeGreat discounts with some of our PartnersAn opportunity to play a vital role in delivering our ED&I strategy by joining one of our Employee NetworksDiscover why ‘Our Gunners’ are proud to be part of our team - view their stories here.Arsenal for EveryoneArsenal for Everyone is our commitment to promoting and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, so that everyone connected to the club feels like they belong to the same Arsenal family. We believe that diversity of background, skills and experience drives our success on and off the pitch. Disability Confident LeaderWe are a Disability Confident Leader. We actively welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you need disability-related adjustments to the recruitment process, please indicate this in your application.If you are likely to meet the definition of being a ‘disabled person’ according to the Equality Act 2010, you may be eligible to apply for an interview via the Disability Confident Scheme - please indicate this in your application form below. The information you share with us about your health or disability will not be used in recruitment decisions.Application Closing Date - Sunday 15th November 2026Please note: we reserve the right to close the position early if application volumes are particularly high. We encourage you to get your application in sooner rather than later.Updates on the status of your application will be sent via email, please routinely check your spam and junk folders, as occasionally emails sent via the Teamtailor platform will find themselves there.Good luck!