Academy Player Care Manager (U18)
The Role
We're looking for an Academy Player Care Manager (U18) to join our Academy Operations team and play an important role in supporting the wellbeing and development of our young players.
Working closely with players, parents, host families and multidisciplinary colleagues, you'll provide individual player care support for the Under 18 age group while helping to create a challenging and caring environment. You'll also take ownership of key programmes including the Lifelong Learner Programme and Host Family Programme, ensuring players receive the support they need throughout their Academy journey.
As part of our wider Player Care team, you'll contribute to the Academy's wellbeing strategy, build effective relationships across the Academy, and help young people develop both personally and professionally.
Who we are
We are one of the most famous clubs in world football, with a rich heritage and history of success – read more about our history, here.
Beyond that, we are passionate about our local community and, behind the scenes, we have a wide variety of opportunities and career paths for all. We have a very defined purpose: to act for a winning team, culture and community. We achieve this by ensuring we are courageous in the pursuit of progress, we champion our community and each other, and that we do the right thing (even when no one is looking).
Our Commitment to Safeguarding
We are committed to ensuring that our environments for children, young people and adults at risk remain safe and inclusive. We therefore require successful candidates to complete a DBS check and other essential background checks prior to starting their employment. Depending on the responsibilities of the role, a DBS will be either a basic, standard, or enhanced check.
Your day-to-day
Support our young players and families - you'll build positive relationships with Under 18 players and their parents, providing tailored support and acting as a key point of contact when required
Deliver the Lifelong Learner Programme - you will manage and coordinate engaging life skills and personal development activities that are age-appropriate, relevant and aligned to Premier League requirements
Lead the Host Family Programme - you'll support host family recruitment, coordinate player placements for all hosted players, including those in the Full Time Training programme, oversee monthly processes and maintain regular contact with host families
Contribute to player wellbeing - you will support the Academy Mental Health & Wellbeing Strategy, including player wellbeing screening and transition support initiatives
Maintain accurate player care records - you'll ensure information relating to Under 18 player care is organised, up to date and managed with discretion
Connect players with the right support - you will work closely with families, colleagues and relevant departments to help resolve issues and support each player's development
Collaborate across the Academy - you'll contribute to multidisciplinary meetings, share insights and work alongside colleagues to support player progress
Assist Academy events and programmes - you will support with tours, tournaments and wider player care initiatives across the Academy when required
Position of Trust - As someone in a position of trust role involving regular, direct contact with children or vulnerable adults you will be expected to uphold high standards of conduct to prevent abuse, including sexual, physical, or emotional harm. This role requires you to keep updated with both Club and FA Safeguarding training and education
What we are looking for
Experience supporting children, young people and families - you can draw upon previous experience, ideally in a similar player care role, providing guidance, support and welfare-focused care
Experience working in a fast-paced environment - you're comfortable managing a varied workload and responding to changing priorities
Outstanding stakeholder management skills - you build positive relationships and communicate effectively with a range of internal and external contacts
Experience working within multidisciplinary teams - you're confident collaborating with different specialists to achieve shared objectives
Excellent organisational skills - you can coordinate programmes, manage records and balance multiple responsibilities effectively
Knowledge of safeguarding practices - you understand the importance of safeguarding legislation, policies and processes when working with young people
Confident IT skills - you're confident using Microsoft Office 365 and maintaining accurate administrative records
A caring, approachable and trustworthy approach - you build trust quickly, handle sensitive matters discreetly and contribute positively to team culture
Why choose us
At Arsenal, we want everyone to feel a sense of trust and belonging, so we are proud of both our club values and also what we offer to our employees. As one of our Gunners, you will receive:
An exciting reward and recognition scheme
Generous holiday allowance which increases with your length of service
Great internal learning and development programmes
A flexible hybrid working model
Priority access to apply for match tickets
A competitive health and wellbeing benefits package
A leading Employee Assistance Programme
Great discounts with some of our Partners
An opportunity to play a vital role in delivering our ED&I strategy by joining one of our Employee Networks
Discover why ‘Our Gunners’ are proud to be part of our team - view their stories here.
Arsenal for Everyone
Arsenal for Everyone is our commitment to promoting and embracing equality, diversity and inclusion, so that everyone connected to the club feels like they belong to the same Arsenal family. We believe that diversity of background, skills and experience drives our success on and off the pitch.
Disability Confident Leader
We are a Disability Confident Leader. We actively welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you need disability-related adjustments to the recruitment process, please indicate this in your application.
If you are likely to meet the definition of being a ‘disabled person’ according to the Equality Act 2010, you may be eligible to apply for an interview via the Disability Confident Scheme - please indicate this in your application form below. The information you share with us about your health or disability will not be used in recruitment decisions.
Application Closing Date - Friday 14th August, 2026
Please note: we reserve the right to close the position early if application volumes are particularly high. We encourage you to get your application in sooner rather than later.
Updates on the status of your application will be sent via email, please routinely check your spam and junk folders, as occasionally emails sent via the Teamtailor platform will find themselves there.
Good luck!