Compliance & Audit Manager

At The FA, our County Football Associations are at the heart of delivering football across England. We're looking for a collaborative and forward-thinking Compliance & Audit Manager to help ensure that key standards, controls and services are implemented effectively across the County FA network. In this influential role, you'll work in partnership with County FAs, colleagues and delivery partners to evaluate compliance, identify risks and opportunities for improvement, and shape the future of our audit and assurance framework.

Most importantly, you'll foster a culture built on trust, continuous improvement and shared accountability, ensuring our approach reflects both our organisational values and the strength of the partnership between The FA and County FAs.

This is a role with genuine long-term impact. During the initial phase, you'll lead the development and embedding of compliance and audit frameworks across three key operational areas, establishing a robust and proportionate approach that reflects the needs of both The FA and County FAs. As these frameworks mature, you'll move into a delivery and assurance phase, overseeing their implementation, evaluating outcomes and ensuring standards are applied consistently across the network.

Looking further ahead, you'll use the insights, trends and learnings gathered over time to drive continuous improvement, helping to evolve existing standards, introduce new approaches and raise the bar for operational excellence across grassroots football.

Please note that whilst the role is contractually Wembley based, regular travel will be required. Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from either your contractual location or travelling to CFAs for part of the week, and as and when required by the needs of the role. The remaining days can be worked remotely.

We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.

• Design, implement and manage a robust compliance and audit control framework across multiple functions including but not exclusively:
  • Progress the Games Governance strategic pillar Standards:
    Governance, Finance, Safeguarding, Customer Service and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion
  • Business Optimisation:
    Safeguarding administration, Discipline, Finance, Referee administration, Marketing & Communication, Business Services.
  • County FA Partnership Funding Agreement.
• Work with The FA Procurement team to recruit independent assessors where required and appointed manage supplier(s).
• Design, implement and manage Quality Assurance processes to ensure internal and external compliance assessment processes are being executed consistently, fairly and effectively.
• Ensure mandated requirements are being met, with effective oversight and interventions as required.
• Create methods to demonstrate the impact of implementing Standards, Business Optimisation and the County FA Partnership Funding Agreement.
• Adapt to a changing environment and to horizon scan to ensure readiness for and development of new standards.
• Contribute to the review and development of existing Standards and project manage the development and implementation of new Standards where required.
• Ensure high‑quality training and education programmes are in place to assist County FAs to meet their Progress the Games Governance requirements.
• Conduct regular compliance risks assessments across defined programmes and services.
• Investigate reports of contract violations or unethical behaviour.
• Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
• As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

• Pr…