youth sport development jobs

Job Description

Coventry Youth Partnership – Sport and Physical Activity Development Lead

Salary Range: £30,138–£34,444 (pro rata depending on hours worked)

Location: Coventry

Contract Duration: Initial contract up until March 2028

Hours Per Week: 22.5–37.5 (negotiable; full-time and part-time applications welcome)

Reports to: Programme Manager, Positive Youth Foundation

About the Partnership

The Coventry Youth Partnership is a network of youth, community and faith organisations working together to improve opportunities and outcomes for children and young people across the city.

Partner organisations are of various sizes and structures and deliver a wide range of provision.

You can find out more here: www.coventryyouthpartnership.org

This post is employed by Positive Youth Foundation (PYF), the lead organisation of the Coventry Youth Partnership (CYP).

PYF are a youth charity, dedicated to improving the lives of young people. We work directly with young people and the organisations who support them to increase the range and quality of provision available.

We stick by young people for the long-term. You can find out more here: www.positiveyouthfoundation.org

Job Purpose

To lead the development of sport and physical activity across the Coventry Youth Partnership network, working alongside youth, community and faith organisations to grow, strengthen and sustain high-quality opportunities for children and young people.

The role will provide practical, hands-on support to member organisations, building workforce and volunteer capacity, strengthening monitoring and evaluation, and improving their ability to secure investment for sustainable sport and physical activity opportunities.

Working with children and young people, partners and communities, the post holder will co-design inclusive, youth-led opportunities within our priority neighbourhoods, ensuring those furthest from opportunity can take part, take a lead, and benefit from improved wellbeing and connection.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first year, the post holder will have contributed to:

• Member organisations receiving tailored development support, with clear plans to grow and sustain their sport and physical activity offer for children and young people.
• More children and young people in priority neighbourhoods regularly active, particularly those who are currently least active.
• Children and young people shaping, leading and evaluating provision across the Partnership.
• Stronger evidence of impact, and new investment secured by member organisations.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

1. Youth Sector Development

1.1 Provide tailored, hands-on development support to Partnership organisations, enabling them to establish, grow and sustain sport and physical activity provision that is rooted in youth work practice.

1.2 Support organisations to strengthen workforce and volunteer capacity, including access to training, qualifications and ongoing development.

1.3 Support organisations to identify funding opportunities, develop competitive bids, and clearly articulate need, impact and outcomes for children and young people.

1.4 Facilitate peer learning and shared practice across the Partnership, connecting youth, community and faith organisations with one another to extend reach and collective impact.

2. Youth Voice, Participation and Leadership

2.1 Ensure children and young people are actively involved in shaping, delivering and reviewing provision, embedding co-production across Partnership programmes.

2.2 Create and support leadership opportunities that enable children and young people to act as advocates for Sport and physical activity, wellbeing and their communities.

2.3 Support organisations to develop participatory evaluation methods, enabling children and young people to assess impact and inform future provision.

3. Community-Based Delivery

3.1 Co-design and coordinate inclusive sport and physical activity opportunities within priority neighbourhoods, building on existing community assets and the trusted relationships youth organisations hold with children and young people.

3.2 Engage and recruit children and young people to selected programmes, prioritising those who are least active or face barriers to participation, including girls and young women, disabled Children and young people, and children and young people from ethnically diverse communities.

3.3 Coordinate and facilitate selected sessions and events, including community festivals, training workshops and regional activities.

4. Partnership Working and Influence

4.1 Develop and maintain strong relationships with youth, community, voluntary and faith organisations, schools, clubs, commissioners and strategic partners.

4.2 Influence partners and Partnership members to embed sport and physical activity within their delivery, strategies and youth engagement practice.

4.3 Connect youth organisations with the wider sport and physical activity system, including the Active Partnership, clubs, schools, and national governing bodies.

5. Evidence, Learning and Resources

5.1 Coordinate monitoring and evaluation across Partnership sport and physical activity programmes, ensuring consistent data collection with delivery partners, including the collection of evidence in line with programme and funder requirements.

5.2 Support organisations to strengthen their own monitoring, evaluation and impact measurement systems.

5.3 Contribute to communications, including case studies, that demonstrate the value of sport and physical activity in youth development.

5.4 Manage programme budgets and resources effectively, reporting regularly to the Programme Manager on delivery, impact and partnership development.

Safeguarding and Compliance

• Adhere to Positive Youth Foundation safeguarding policies and procedures at all times, maintaining high standards of health, safety and safeguarding across all activity, including safe travel arrangements where required.
• Understand the risks affecting children and young people, particularly those in challenging circumstances, and respond appropriately to concerns and incidents.
• Carry out all duties with due regard to the Positive Youth Foundation Health & Safety, Equal Opportunities and Data Protection policies.

Coventry Youth Partnership – Sport and Physical Activity Development Lead

Person Specification

Knowledge

Essential:

• Understanding of the challenges facing children and young people, particularly those furthest from opportunity, and how sport and physical activity can be used within youth work to support positive change.
• Understanding of the voluntary, community and faith sector, including how small, volunteer-led and faith-based organisations operate, are governed and are funded.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding issues affecting children and young people, particularly within community settings.
• Understanding of how to deliver safe, engaging sport and physical activity for children and young people who may be disengaged from services, and how to support others to achieve this.
• Understanding of community development approaches, including asset-based and place-based working and co-production with children and young people.
• Understanding of monitoring, evaluation and impact measurement within youth and community settings.
• Knowledge of fundraising processes, including grant funding, community investment and partnership development.

Desirable:

• Awareness of local and regional partnerships, networks and structures influencing youth work, community development and sport and physical activity.
• Knowledge of sport and physical activity infrastructure, including the Active Partnership, clubs and national governing bodies.
• Knowledge of workforce and volunteer development in a community setting.

Skills & Atributes

Essential:

• Ability to build trusted relationships with children and young people, community and faith leaders, volunteers and partner agencies across diverse communities.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills, particularly when working with children and young people and community organisations.
• Ability to support organisations to strengthen their offer, including fundraising bids, impact narratives and monitoring systems.
• Ability to involve children and young people meaningfully in shaping, leading and evaluating provision, including through participatory methods.
• Ability to accurately record, analyse and present information on participation, outcomes and impact.
• Ability to plan and coordinate activities, motivating staff and volunteers to deliver high-quality provision.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.

Desirable:

• Ability to influence partners and facilitate collaboration and peer learning across a network of organisations.
• Ability to support organisations to develop sustainable progression opportunities for children and young people.

Experience

Essential:

• At least three years’ paid experience of co-ordinating and delivering high-quality youth work or sport and physical activity provision for children and young people.
• Experience of supporting youth, community or faith organisations to grow and develop (capacity building).
• Experience of using sport and physical activity as part of youth or community work.

Desirable:

• Experience of embedding long-term sustainability within projects.
• Experience of contributing to successful funding bids and managing programme budgets.

Education

Essential:

• Relevant professional training or qualification relating to children and young people, community development, or sport and physical activity, or equivalent experience.

Safeguarding

Positive Youth Foundation puts safeguarding at the forefront of all its activities. The successful applicant will demonstrate a firm commitment to effective safeguarding practice and high professional standards in keeping children and young people safe. An enhanced DBS check is required for this role.

Equal Opportunities

Positive Youth Foundation is fully committed to the fair treatment of its staff, potential staff and users of its services, regardless of race, gender, religion, sexual orientation, responsibilities for dependants, age, physical/mental disability or offending background. We actively promote equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and welcome applications from a wide range of candidates, including those with criminal records.

For further information, please contact nikki@positiveyouthfoundation.org

To apply please send your CV and cover letter to info@positiveyouthfoundation.org

Closing date 26th November 2026 5pm

Pay: £30,138.00-£34,444.00 per year

Work Location: In person