Head of Football Intelligence & Innovation | FA

Head of Football Intelligence & Innovation | The FA

12 December 2025 | Analysis, Data Analyst

As Head of Football Intelligence and Innovation, you will foster collaboration across departments, harnessing the full breadth of expertise within the organisation and lead a holistic approach to football intelligence and innovation. This will include embedding AI, data, insight, and human innovation across the technical and learning departments, driving a culture of evidence-based decision-making, grounded in well-articulated performance questions, and pioneering new approaches to high performance.

The role will play a critical part in supporting national teams, enhancing coach education, and advancing our understanding of What It Takes To Win (WITTW). The role will be focused on finding appropriate solutions which help create Winning England Teams and Elite Qualified English Coaches. Acting as a connector and ‘rate accelerator' they will help all think beyond the day-to-day, giving permission to explore bolder ideas without either chasing trends or threatening existing work.

While the successful candidate will be AI fluent, they will bring multidisciplinary experience, knowing that their role is not to lead the way in emerging technologies but rather to lead their adoption in football, bring a strong lens and understanding of the market and knowing what is relevant for their context, and why, to provide England teams and the home developed football workforce with a lasting competitive advantage.

In order to apply, please send a cover letter and CV through to Elite Performance Partners at
who we are partnering with to support us throughout this process.

• Brings together our current departments and expertise across men's, women's, para and FA Learning, working closely with coaches and performance staff on critical performance questions, environment design at camps and day to day practice.
• First and foremost a connector, will define innovation in this context as ‘new and useful answers to critical performance questions' and enforce a problem-first approach.
• Lead an innovation operating model including data, advanced analytics and AI in line with our core priorities, acting as an accelerator to our strategic priorities.
• Establish clear priorities and frameworks to guide innovation across all technical functions.
• A visible leader and trusted advisor to the Chief Football Officer and wider leadership team, shaping how the FA leverages innovation, data and AI as a long-term advantage.
• Experienced in cultural change, will be able to drive an environment of psychological safety, curiosity, collaboration and experimentation across technical staff.
• Assess current capability, resources and lead a high performing direct and/or matrix team structure with expertise in data science, innovation and performance analysis. Will know what the FA knows, and what it doesn't, and bring the network, knowledge and understanding to lean on external experts as required, particularly within AI.

• Champion the integration of AI, machine learning and predictive modelling across the technical and learning ecosystem, focusing on those that will make the difference against our core priorities. as opposed to ‘shiny one-offs'.
• Ensure industry-leading AI is at the heart of scouting, opposition analysis, injury prediction, training load optimisation, human development and decision-support systems through a combination of internal build and external commissions as appropriate.
• Identify, evaluate and implement emerging technologies that enhance football performance, player development, and coaching effectiveness.
• Build an innovation operating system where all innovation starts from critical performance questions and which collects and retains our intellectual property via a knowledge management strategy which includes the soft, tactical and conversational IP.
• Help lead a phased innovation capability build at St George's Park's innovation centre, ensuring the physical design reflects the actual training and decision workflows.
• Hold clear accountability for data,…