Deaf Liaison Officer - Casual Contract (HB0189)

A Game For All

The FA Para Division are looking for a Deaf Liaison Officer to support the England Para Football programme in developing relationships with Deaf football and Deaf futsal organisations. This role is the first of it's kind at The FA and will be key in ensuring support meets players' needs. The individual in this role will be working with the Deaf Men's 11 a-side and Deaf Women's Futsal Teams.

This will be a casual contract initially running until the end of the 23/24 season at which point it will be reviewed.

The role is primarily home based with domestic and international travel required and it is anticipated that there will be up to 50 days of work per season.

To apply:

Please provide an up to date CV and a cover letter/personal statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria, your relevant skills and experience and why you are interested in this opportunity.

If you would like to apply via an alternative method e.g. by submitting a personal statement video in British Sign Language, please send an e-mail to careers@thefa.com and a member of the team will be in touch.

Please note:

Should you be shortlisted for interview, interviews will take place in person at St. George's Park on Thursday 16th May 2024.

Registered Level 7 interpreters will be provided for the interviews.

What Will You Be Doing?

• Be the named Deaf Liaison Officer for the Para Football programme and a point of contact within The FA for other Deaf Football/Deaf Futsal organisations.
• Work in conjunction with Senior Leadership in building and developing effective working relationships, and collaborate with relevant Deaf Football and Futsal organisations, both nationally and internationally.
• Build and develop networks within relevant organisations to fill any gap in provision.
• Develop and implement a process of identifying player needs from a communication and support perspective.
• Ensure programme delivery is supported by the right technology/software to maximise player engagement and learning.
• Lead development opportunities for the Para Football programme to develop staff/player understanding of deafness and upskilling the programme from a communication, engagement and knowledge of the Deaf Community perspective.
• Execute additional tasks as required to meet FA Group changing priorities, which may involve work across other FA departments to deliver Deaf Awareness education sessions.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing 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 Will You Need?

Essential for the role:

Experience

• Experience of working in Deaf Football/Deaf Futsal.
• Demonstrable experience of building relationships with colleagues and possessing the ability to network widely with a range of organisations.
• Working in a fast-paced environment and performing under pressure, including during unsocial hours (early mornings, late nights, weekends, etc.)
• Experience of international travel and attendance at international sporting events in a supporting or facilitating role.
• Player relationships.

Knowledge

• Fluency in British Sign Language as a first language user or competency in BSL to, at least, NVQ Level 3 standard
• Clear understanding of the Para Football programme.
• Knowledge of the Deaf Football/Deaf Futsal landscape.
• An understanding and commitment to equal opportunities and sports equity issues
• Working knowledge of International Sign and ability to relay complex information clearly between BSL and IS.

Technical Skills

• Strong communication, influencing and management skills.
• Basic project management skills.
• Strong reporting writing skills.
• Strong Microsoft Office skills.
• Ability to create presentations and present to a wide range of key stakeholders.

Beneficial to have:

Qualifications
• Teaching qualification.

Experience
• Experience of working in a liaison officer role.
• Experience of delivering training sessions to groups, both in person and online.
• Experience of attendance at International Deaf Football/Deaf Futsal events in a support role capacity
• Previous attendance at Deaf Sports technical meetings and translating information clearly in International Sign

What's in it for you?

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive rate of pay as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role.

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, and by doing this we offer top-of-the-range facilities across two core business locations. 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 have 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.

Our Organisation

The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.

The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, Barclays FA Women's Super League, Adobe FA Women's Championship, and Women's FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.

We currently work 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.

Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of either Wembley Stadium, St. George's Park or our Processing Centre unless the role is advertised as a home based contract. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.

The FA, For All, For You

Our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy forms an integral part of our long-term commitment to using our influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.

https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/about-the-fa/2021/fa_a-game-for-all-strategy.ashx

A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments – Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change – which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come.

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.