Head of Women & Girls

The club

We are Wolves. English football’s original innovators. Always looking forward and determined in the face of challenge, bright in spirit and unified by the bond between players, staff and supporters, while remaining humble and grounded in the values of our Wolverhampton community.

At Wolves, we honour the past, while seizing the future Formed in 1975 as Heathfield Rovers, initially as a West Midlands League second division club, they later became Wolverhampton & Wednesbury Tube and then Wolverhampton Ladies before taking the name Wolverhampton Wanderers in 1993.

In the 1993/94 season they we promoted to the Premier League, which was then the topflight of Women’s football. In 2008/09 the women and girl’s programme were taken on board by the Wolves community trust, this support continued until 2021/22 season where the academy took control of the female provision, ensuring the boys and girls alike are given opportunities to play at Wolves.

The 2019/20 season and 2020/21 season saw Wolves Women top of the table in both seasons only to have the leagues ended abruptly due to COVID. This prevented promotion to tier 3, however Wolves were successful in an ‘upwards movement’ initiative allowing them to move into the FA Women’s National League, Northern Premier Division.

After winning tier 3, at the first time of asking, the club to have cemented their status within the FAWNL having finished second last season to a full time Nottingham Forest. As we embark on our fifth season within the division we are aiming for our next steps to be WSL2 football for the first time in the club’s history.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. We expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. This means that the post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk

Job purpose

To lead, manage and strategically advance the club’s female football provision from U10s through to the Women’s First Team.

This includes ensuring the programme is fully integrated into the Academy’s infrastructure, aligned with its technical, operational and performance standards, and positioned for long-term growth.

The role will drive excellence across football operations, player development, staffing, administration, compliance, and commercial activity, ensuring the female pathway offers a high-performance, sustainable and professional environment.

Key responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Programme Development

• Lead the long-term development of the female football pathway, developing women’s football philosophy, playing identity, and performance expectations.
• Work collaboratively with club Heads of Department and senior club leadership to embed the female programme at an appropriate and proportionate level.
• Drive continuous improvement across coaching, performance support, governance, and player development structures.
• Develop and deliver a strategic plan for the women’s and girls’ programme, including performance goals, participation targets, pathway progression and operational priorities.

Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) Leadership

• Build, co-ordinate and manage an MDT aligned across coaching, medical, sport science, performance analysis, safeguarding, education, and operations.
• Ensure consistent inter-department communication and collaboration, embedding best practice and shared learning across all age groups.
• Oversee staffing performance reviews, CPD plans, and quality assurance processes.

Technical & Player Development Oversight

• Work closely with the Performance Team to ensure technical programmes are appropriate, progressive, and aligned with club methodology.
• Support coaches with curriculum planning, session structures, and performance frameworks.
• Monitor talent progression across age groups and support transition pathways into the senior environment.

Compliance, Governance & Safeguarding

• Liaise with The Football Association and other governing bodies to ensure full compliance with competition rules, licensing requirements, safeguarding standards, and talent pathway regulation.
• Ensure timely completion of registrations, reporting, audits, and formal documentation.
• Maintain strong knowledge of regulatory changes and implement necessary adjustments across the programme.
• Maintain CPD, knowledge and skills in relation to safeguarding practices, delivery and management.
• Responsible for structuring adequate safeguarding-related quality assurance assessments for relevant business areas.
• Responsible for developing appropriate risk assessments in compliance with health and safety and sexual harassment legislation and ensuring regular evaluations of any risk mitigation strategies.

Financial & Resource Management

• Act as lead budget holder for the women’s and girls’ programme, ensuring effective planning, monitoring, and reporting.
• Oversee women’s playing budget and recruitment process for current and new players.
• Identify efficiency opportunities without compromising delivery standards.
• Oversee procurement of equipment, kit, and resources in line with club financial procedures.

Commercial & Business Development Responsibilities

• Work with the club’s Commercial Department to develop opportunities that grow revenue, brand presence, and partner engagement across the women’s programme.
• Support the creation of commercial packages specific to women’s football, including player appearances, digital content, matchday assets, and community activations.
• Lead on the delivery of commercial commitments within the women’s department (e.g., sponsor visibility, partner events, marketing obligations).
• Support the growth of matchday revenue through ticketing strategies, fan engagement initiatives, and improved matchday experience.
• Contribute to long-term commercial planning, identifying new revenue streams such as holiday camps, player development programmes, and community partnerships.
• Provide insight and representation for women’s football in club-wide branding, digital, and communications strategies.

Stakeholder Management & Communication

• Act as the primary point of contact for parents, players, and external partners.
• Maintain strong relationships with grassroots clubs, schools, community organisations, and regional football networks.
• Represent the club at FA meetings, league forums, and women’s game development events.
• Ensure consistent, clear internal communication across all coaches, staff, and support teams.

People Management & Leadership

• Lead a positive, inclusive, high-performance culture aligned with club values.
• Provide leadership, guidance, mentorship, and professional development opportunities for staff within the programme.
• Uphold the highest standards of professionalism, safeguarding, wellbeing, and equality throughout the department.

General responsibilities

• Compliance with Club policies
• Compliance with the Club’s health and safety procedures
• Compliance with the Club’s safeguarding policies
• To promote the Club’s values of progressive, humble, determined, bright and unified
• To work consistently to embed equality & diversity into the Club
• To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected
• To maintain professional conduct at all times

Safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk. We expect all those associated with WWFC to share this commitment. This means that the post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

The post holder will demonstrate a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion, supporting the organisation’s strategic aims to remove barriers and address inequality. You will play an active role in promoting an inclusive, discrimination-free environment that ensures fair access to opportunities and resources. This includes fostering a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging where everyone is empowered to contribute, perform, and reach their full potential.

Key relationships

• Technical Director
• Women’s First Team Manager
• Head of Safeguarding/Safeguarding Senior Manager
• Safeguarding Team
• Player Care Officers – Academy and First Team
• Head of Player Care
• Girls and Women Operations Lead
• Women & Girls Team and Coaches
• Academy Operations Manager
• Academy Administration Officer
• Academy Director
• EDI Lead
• HR Manager 

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Knowledge: The level and breadth of knowledge to do the job e.g. understanding of a defined system, method or procedure, legal or regulatory frameworks etc

Essential

• An understanding of Safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk.
• Knowledge of Safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures (including reporting platforms and/or requirements).
• Wellbeing knowledge in relation to supporting children, young people and adults at risk.
• Understanding of talent pathway frameworks for players.

Desirable

• Knowledge of holistic player development in elite sport environments

Technical/ work-based skills: Skills specific to the job e.g. language competence, typing skills, coaching skills etc

Essential

• Ability to support complex safeguarding cases and make recorded defensible decisions.
• Experience creating and delivering safeguarding and life skills or similar topics training sessions.

Desirable

• Experience in risk assessment and implementation of risk mitigation measures.

General skills and attributes: More general characteristics e.g. flexibility, communication skills, teamwork etc

Essential

• Understanding of how to work safely with children, young people and adults at risk to uphold Safeguarding best practice.
• Promote, adhere to and implement the Club’s Equality Policy and work consistently to embed equality and diversity within the Club.
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong organisational, operational and administrative skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and accurate records.
• Flexible approach to working hours and travel.

Experience: Proven record of experience in a particular field, profession or specialism.

Essential

• Experience managing or leading football programmes, preferably in Women’s or Academy football.
• Experience managing budgets and contributing to commercial activity.

Desirable

• Working with children and/or vulnerable adults
• Experience in a Category 1 or 2 Academy or Women’s senior football environment.
• Experience working within a football Academy or professional sports setting.

Qualifications: The level of educational, professional and/ or occupational training required

Essential

• Post-holder must hold or obtain at the earliest opportunity and maintain the relevant safeguarding training (i.e. FA Safeguarding Children Workshop).
• Post-holder will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level and cleared by the Wolves Safer Recruitment Group.

Desirable

• UEFA B Licence or above.

How to apply

Please complete our Application Form and Diversity Monitoring Form, then email them to jobs@wolves.co.uk 

Please include the job reference code (LS-00-19022026) and the job title in the subject line.

Please note, we reserve the right to close any advertised vacancy before the stated closing date. We recommend applying to our vacancies early, to avoid any disappointment.

For safeguarding reasons, we are unable to progress candidates who have not applied with our application form. Thank you.

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