Ellis promoted to new Technical Director role by Arsenal
Written by
Simon Austin
August 31, 2025
James Ellis has been promoted from Head of Recruitment to Technical Director by Arsenal and will be responsible for “delivering the club’s long-term player progression strategy.”
Ellis joined the Gunners as a UK Scout in July 2021 before being promoted to Head of Recruitment two years later. Now he has been put in charge of the newly-formed Technical Department as Sporting Director Andrea Berta restructures operations behind the scenes at the club.
Announcing his appointment on LinkedIn, Ellis said the Technical Department would be responsible for “delivering the club’s long-term player progression strategy, ensuring a dynamic and continually evolving pathway that aligns with First Team readiness and long-term squad planning.”
He added that the Technical Department “underpins the club’s sustainability and creates asset value for the external market through investment in the development of homegrown talent.”
Italian Berta joined Arsenal in March after 12 years in Spain and has been working to expand the group working around him following the departure of Assistant Sporting Director Jason Ayto.
Ayto had moved into the main role on an interim basis before the arrival of Berta and departed the Gunners after 11 years at the end of last season.
Technical Director is becoming a more and more common role in English football. Sudarshan Gopaladesikan took on the position at Newcastle United in July, while Jason Wilcox was initially appointed to the role at Manchester United in April 2024 before being promoted to Sporting Director.
Like Ellis, their responsibility was to oversee player pathways and ensure a unified playing methodology between First Team and Academy.
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