Football Operations (Administration) Apprentice - 2 Year Fixed Term Contract

The Football Association

  • Wembley, Greater London
  • Contract
  • Full-time
  • 7 hours ago
The FA believes football has the power to unite communities, promote wellbeing, and inspire positive change.The apprenticeship programme offers an entry into a rewarding career at The FA and an excellent opportunity to develop skills and gain experience within a supportive, inclusive and diverse organisation.The FA are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual to support primarily Referee Operations and also wider Football Operations teams in the administration and governance of football.You will be employed on a two year fixed term contract, and will study towards a Level 3 Business Administration qualification with CMS Vocational Training.You will be contractually based at Wembley Stadium.Please note that we are partnering with to run a fair and anonymised recruitment process for this apprenticeship. If, after reading the below information, you wish to apply, please follow this link:What will you be doing?
  • Supporting the referee operations team with admin tasks including match official appointments, confirmations, and system updates.
  • Managing and responding to real-time issues.
  • Prioritising competing demands and juggling multiple deadlines.
  • Handling communications with match officials, clubs and other departments via phone and email.
  • Participating in wider football events - e.g. hosting visiting international referees, supporting matchday logistics.
  • Using internal systems to update records and coordinate referee appointments across competitions.
  • Gaining insight into how elite football operates at national and international levels.
  • Executes additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
  • Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
  • As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.
What are we looking for?To be eligible you must meet the following criteria:
  • Live within England and have lived within the UK for the last 3 consecutive years.
  • Must not be in full time education at the start of your apprenticeship.
  • Must be at least 16 years of age.
  • If aged 16-18 you will need to have maths and English at grade 4/C and have the certification for this. If not, you will need to sit Functional Skills Level 2 as part of the programme.
  • Must not hold a similar or higher qualification in the same area of study.
This is a developmental role, so we do not require you to have lots of prior experience. Instead, we are looking for:
  • A genuine interest in football (playing, volunteering, refereeing, or following the game; any kind of involvement).
  • Good organisational skills and attention to detail.
  • Comfortable using the phone and email to communicate clearly.
  • A positive mindset, open to learning.
  • Experience of using Microsoft Outlook.
  • Experience of Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
  • The ability to stay focused on repetitive tasks without losing quality.
  • Ability to stay calm and prioritise when plans change.
  • Willingness to take initiative and ask questions.
  • Some experience of creating presentations and public speaking.
What's in it for you?We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:
  • Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
  • Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
  • Free private medical cover.
  • A contributory pension scheme.
  • An additional 'Thank You' days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract.)
  • A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.
For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page,Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

The Football Association