Job description
We are a leading sports organization committed to fair play and excellence in officiating. We are seeking a dynamic Referee Manager to lead our officiating program in London, UK. This role offers the opportunity to shape the development path for referees across multiple leagues and foster a culture of safety, integrity, and high performance.
As Referee Manager, you will lead the end-to-end officiating program, from recruitment and training to match assignments and performance review. You will collaborate closely with league operators, clubs, and regulators to ensure consistent, on-field management of games and superior officiating standards.
Key benefits include a competitive salary, performance-based incentives, hybrid working options, and ongoing professional development in a vibrant sports community.
Responsibility
- Lead the recruitment, onboarding, and ongoing development of match officials across all leagues under our purview.
- Design and deliver training sessions, clinics, and assessments to ensure high standards of officiating.
- Assign referees to matches in a fair and transparent manner, balancing experience with development needs.
- Monitor performance using objective metrics, provide feedback, and implement improvement plans.
- Develop and enforce policies on on-field conduct, sanctions, and safeguarding in line with governing bodies.
- Collaborate with operations, clubs, and coaches to coordinate schedules, game management, and incident reporting.
- Manage records, reporting, and data analysis for officiating programs; maintain compliance with data protection.
- Lead initiatives to promote diversity, inclusion, and youth development within officiating cohorts.
Qualification
- Bachelor's degree in sports management, physical education, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.
- Current official refereeing accreditation from a recognized governing body (e.g., FA/UK Football Association, FIFA/UEFA license where applicable).
- Minimum 3 years of on-field officiating experience at a competitive level.
- Strong knowledge of rules across our leagues and excellent decision-making under pressure.
- Proven leadership, coaching, and staff management capabilities with experience in scheduling and program administration.
- Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and stakeholder management skills.
- Comfort with travel and flexible hours, including evenings and weekends as required.
- Commitment to safeguarding, equality, and ethical officiating practices; experience with data management and reporting is a plus.