English Schools FA - Trainee Governance Manager

The Football Association

The Football Association

English, IN, USA

GBP 24k-28k / year

Posted on May 18, 2026

Key Information

  • Division:
    Grassroots Football
  • Location:
    English Schools FA
  • Closing Date:
    29 May 2026
The Role

English Schools' FA's Management Traineeship

Trainee Governance Manager

Introduction

The English Schools' Football Association is the governing body for schools' football in England. Established in 1904, the Association is now a vibrant Membership charity serving over 700,000 players taking part in over 2 million football opportunities each year. Supported by a network of volunteers in every local education authority in England, plus the Crown Dependencies, the Association supports over 50,000 teams to take part in schools' football.

The Association has four key functions:

  • Governing the game as it applies to schools (e.g. rules of the game, discipline, child welfare)
  • Providing a national competition structure through which schools and Member Associations can play and contest national titles
  • Supporting representative football and running two national teams – U15 girls and U18 boys
  • Supporting its Members and creating new opportunities for children to play.

The Management Traineeship Scheme

The ESFA's Management Traineeship scheme provides the opportunities for those with potential to develop both leadership and role-specific skills in a supportive and developmental environment.

Management trainees will benefit from a range of personalised support including:

  • A tailored training package to support their development in both the technicalities of the role and as a leader, for an average of 12 months
  • Formal management training (and time for study), leading to a management qualification
  • A workplace “buddy”, different to the line manager, where applicable
  • An external mentor, where applicable
  • Access to key management professionals outside of the specific responsibilities of the role (e.g., finance, PR)
  • A starting salary of £24,000, rising to £28,000 upon qualification
  • A permanent role on qualification.

Management trainee candidates must:

  • Have a first class or upper second class degree
  • Provide evidence of some leadership activity and impact
  • Have a demonstrable interest in the role offered through the traineeship scheme

The role is office-based with some opportunities for employees to benefit from flexible working. Candidates must therefore be able to commute to the office in Stafford for the majority of the working week.

Full details of the role and how to apply can be found on the ESFA website HERE.

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Location
English Schools FA
4 Parker Ct, Stafford, United Kingdom, ST18 0WP
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Location

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