MCWFC - Head of Operations & Player Support

Location:

Manchester, GB

Opening Date: 4 Jun 2025

Full Time / Part Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

MCWFC Head Of Operations & Player Support

Closing Date of Applications – 16/06/2025

Our Story

Manchester City Women are a leading WSL football club initially founded in 1988.

The team have enjoyed success in not only the WSL but also the Women’s FA Cup and Continental Tyres League Cup, while regularly competing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

The team plays its home fixtures at Joie Stadium, a 7,000 capacity arena. The stadium sits on the wider Etihad Campus, which also encompasses the City Football Academy, a state-of-the-art training and development facility that houses its women’s, men’s and academy teams.

Our Winning Team

To achieve consistent high-performance on the pitch, it is essential that MCWFC 1st Team and Academy players and staff can work, train, and play in an inclusive environment that is psychologically safe.

The focus of this role is to set the standards for the delivery of all operational services to the 1st Team and Academy, creating a high-performance environment at the training ground, match venues, tours and tournaments which is underpinned by world-class, performance driven operational delivery. Whilst also building and overseeing the delivery of an outstanding age-appropriate performance lifestyle and player support programme for 1st Team and Academy players.

This is Your City

As part of our team, you will be entitled to 26 days annual leave plus an additional day off for your birthday, private healthcare and a simply health cash plan, an annual discretionary bonus, plus a range of partnership and lifestyle discounts.

Your Impact

Lead the strategic delivery of the 1st Team and Academy Operations, working collaboratively with key internal stakeholders (Football, Performance Services, Security, Kit, Communications etc) and utilising external research and methodologies for elite sports performance to drive a world-class Operations Department, ensuring clear vision, aligned to Club and Company vision and strategic objectives.

Design & develop a framework and age-appropriate curriculum for player induction and integration, identifying how to adapt elite performance best practice into a bespoke Man City Women’s and Girls approach, incorporating all elements of player experience and performance. Build a structure that enables the player support team to manage player and staff transitions across the academy and 1st Team that maximises the likelihood of adapting to and thriving in our environment and reaching peak performance on and off the pitch.

Influence, challenge and advise on the strategic plans for utilisation of 1st Team assets (including 1st Team players and coaching staff) through collaboration with Football and Corporate Communications, Protocol, Content etc, understanding the requirements for delivery of the club’s commercial and media strategy. Plan and build systems that protect the 1st Team training and performance environment, whilst supporting future growth in player activation.

Work with the Director of Football, Director of Performance Services and Head of Academy to embed and sustain cultures within our 1st Team and Academy, that values and respects diversity. In addition, lead regular ‘Heads of’ meetings to drive this culture across all staff within the 1st Team and Academy environments.

Ensure compliance within Operations and Player Support, working closely with internal experts in Legal, Safeguarding, Finance and People Team to understand risks. Ensure plans in place to mitigate risk, building in a clear governance structure to manage team compliance, allowing the 1st Team/Academy the capacity to perform at the highest level and focus on winning/development and maximising the Club’s value.

Collaborate with the Performance Services, Football and Facilities Teams and work with leading experts to influence the development and delivery of a long-term strategic projects, such as CAPEX strategy to maintain City Football Academy as one of football’s leading team training and player development facilities.

Represent Manchester City, liaising with official organising bodies and partners such as the WPLL, FIFA, UEFA and the FA relating to our participation in relevant competitions. Develop mechanism that enables learning from external partners and experiences to be shared in other areas of Man City and across CFG Clubs, aligning processes, policies, and strategies to provide best in class service to all clubs and teams within the group.

Lead the setting of high standards and service levels of operational delivery for the various stakeholders at 1st Team Matches. Ensure the Women’s 1st team match day is a world leading experience for all customer groups.

What we are looking for

Essential

Significant experience delivering high performance sport operations at a senior level.
Deep knowledge of the operational requirements of professional athletes and teams.
Proven experience leading teams to deliver complex operational projects in a high performance sport environment.
Excellent stakeholder management skills.
Ability to think clearly in challenging, rapidly changing environments and find solutions to complex problems under pressure.
Proven experience working with sports governing bodies at a senior level, influencing policy.
Significant experience leading and driving positive culture within high performance sports teams.
Proven influencing and negotiating skills.

Desirable

Experience working within a professional football setting.
Venue/Event management experience in professiona/high performance sport.

City Football Group promotes equal opportunities in employment and we positively welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose skills and experience seem to meet our needs. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you only if you are selected for an interview.

Employment is subject to the provision of proof of eligibility to work in the UK.

Due to our safeguarding promise, all UK based CFG roles will be subject to a DBS check upon commencing employment with us. This will be either a basic, standard or enhanced check depending on the job role and responsibilities.