Senior Performance Sport Manager

The Student Experience Directorate is striving to play a pivotal role in developing, delivering and transforming a Wider Student Experience that is as impactful as anything in the world. We remain steadfast in our core commitment to accelerating the growth of far-reaching and market leading programmes across performance, participation, community outreach and engagement, whilst fostering a culture that safeguards academic excellence.

Durham University is one of Europe's leading sport universities and has been ranked in the top three for BUCS performance since 2013. In 2019 the University completed the construction of a £32m Sports & Wellbeing Park. The University was awarded the Times and Sunday Times Sports University of the Year for 2023. Our performance sport programme supports 12 sport clubs and over 50 students who are on professional or international playing pathways each year. The programme has won 134 BUCS National Championships since 2009 and supports National League programmes in Football, Hockey and Rugby.

The Senior Performance Sport Manager will be the strategic lead and oversee delivery of our Performance Sport Programme. Working directly with the Head of Sport, the Senior Performance Sport Manager will seek to develop partnerships which strengthen our performance programme with national and regional national governing bodies, professional sport clubs as well as local community relationships.

Key delivery strands include:
- Performance Sport services management
- Scholar recruitment at undergraduate and postgraduate level
- Develop new and maintain existing partnerships with external stakeholders
- Line management for Head coaches and other delivery staff including Strength & Conditioning lead and Recruitment team

Service Delivery/Development:
- Contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion and the University's values.
- Develop and apply an in-depth understanding of university policy and external developments when carrying out your role.
- Ensure that policy and regulatory standards are met in services you are responsible for.
- Use your professional knowledge and experience as a strategic delivery lead to resolve problems, shape processes and activities, develop systems, and provide subject matter expertise and advice.
- Use your managerial and leadership expertise to identify priorities and shape the university's performance sport programme to achieve the required outcomes.
- Look for ways to continually improve services and take a lead role in the development and implementation of assigned policies, processes and standards.
- Initiate and manage business process reviews to improve the service in your area.
- Ensure data (commercially sensitive and/or personal) is appropriately stored and managed.
- Manage quality and regulatory audits of systems and procedures.
- Support the welfare, wellbeing and employment of your staff by providing professional guidance.

Planning and Organisation:
- Contribute to the development of operational plans relevant to your area.
- Oversee the analysis of data about the service levels provided by your area and make recommendations for improvement in reports to senior managers and committees.
- Allocate and monitor designated budgets, expenditure and resources.

Team Development:
- Manage and develop the people, performance and resources of the identified teams to ensure that a customer-focused service is provided.
- Help shape the skills and expertise needed to deliver a professional service by recruiting, inducting and training team members and structuring the team in a way that will best meet operational and strategic priorities.
- Ensure that your team can deliver the required services by devolving and delegating responsibilities to appropriate team members.
- Carry out regular performance reviews to provide feedback on objectives and expectations and identify any development needs.
- Handle most HR issues and support the welfare and wellbeing of your team, referring more complex issues to specialist services or more senior managers.

Communication/Liaison:
- Use your professional knowledge to identify and recommend priorities for long-term business plans.
- Provide professional guidance and advice when managing complaints, referrals and specialist services.
- Design creative and innovative communications to promote and increase engagement relating to your service.
- Influence University policy, standards and governance by leading operational business meetings, working groups and sub-committees.
- Create strong working relationships, including internal and external networks, using your networks to increase your knowledge and skills, swap information with peers and positively influence the University's reputation.
- Represent Sport and the University at promotional events.
- Identify opportunities to develop and increase participation in special interest groups.

Essential Criteria:
1. Educated to degree level (or equivalent experience).
2. A track record of successfully working in performance sport environments with a preference towards higher education sector.
3. Professional practitioner with specialist knowledge and proven experience to influence delivery, and services in Performance Sport environments.
4. Experience of providing specialist advice and guidance to a range of stakeholders, including more senior colleagues.
5. Experience of participating in internal or external networks to share and discuss good practice, develop strong and productive working relationships and positively influence the University's strategy for performance sport.
6. Experience of implementing policies and procedures supporting service improvements.
7. Track record of management and development experience or an enhanced management qualification applied across a range of teams.
8. Excellent spoken and written communication skills including the ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally.
9. Committed to continuing professional development to maintain professional recognition.
10. Extensive knowledge and experience of ensuring compliance with regulatory and organisational policy and guidelines.
11. Ability to contribute to planning at operational and strategic levels.
12. Ability to solve problems and decide on and plan appropriate solutions.

Desirable Criteria:
13. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps.
14. Knowledge and understanding of the UK University Sport system.
15. Baseline knowledge of other sporting environments outside the UK, namely the NCAA.

Benefits:
- 30 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year (42 days total).
- Generous pension scheme with automatic enrolment into the University Superannuation Scheme (USS).
- Ample parking across campus, cycle to work scheme, discount with local bus and train companies, and Tusker Car Benefit Scheme for electric or hybrid vehicles.
- Comprehensive range of development courses, apprenticeships and access to qualifications.
- Wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme.
- On-site nursery rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and holiday camps for children aged 5-16.
- Generous family-friendly policies including maternity and adoption leave.
- Volunteering opportunities in the local community.
- Exclusive discounts via benefits portal.
- Various salary sacrifice schemes.
- Relocation support including help with removal costs, house hunting and schools. Visa costs covered for eligible roles with an interest-free loan scheme for dependant visas.