Sports development officer jobs

Sports development officers get more people playing sport in their area, particularly groups that do not play much now. The National Careers Service gives pay of £23,000 for a starter to £35,000 for an experienced officer, on a 37 to 40 hour week that includes evenings and weekends. Employers expect experience in community sport, so volunteering matters as much as the qualification.

What the job involves

The listed duties are planning and adapting schemes for different groups, running sports programmes and activities, and managing staff, coaches and volunteers. Officers also monitor and review how schemes are going, find funding and sponsorship, manage budgets, carry out risk assessments and write reports on project outcomes.

Funding, budgets, risk assessments and reports are a large part of the list. If you would rather be hands-on all day, see the leisure centre assistant and lifeguard profiles.

Who employs them

The profile does not name employers. It does say apprenticeships are offered with a local authority or community organisation. Look at who is advertising and whether the post is fixed-term.

Routes in

• A foundation degree or HND, usually asking for 1 or 2 A levels or equivalent.
• A degree, usually asking for 2 to 3 A levels or equivalent. Subjects named include sports development, sports coaching, sports science and leisure studies.
• A college course, with entry requirements that vary.
• An apprenticeship, with requirements set by the employer. Our guide to public sector apprenticeships covers how to find them.
• Direct application, if you can show relevant skills from running sports programmes, coaching or volunteering.

The profile says work experience in community sport during your studies matters, because most employers expect it.

Checks and professional bodies

Enhanced background checks are required. GOV.UK lists the DBS levels as basic, standard, enhanced and enhanced with barred lists, and employers decide which one a role needs. The profile points to UK Coaching for coaching qualifications and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences for careers information, and names no professional body for the role itself.

Applying for a sports development post

Because most employers expect community sport experience, your application should lead with it: what you ran, how many people took part, who funded it and what you reported back. Our guide to reading a job description and person specification shows how to match that to the criteria. The STAR method is a good structure for interview answers on a scheme you planned or a budget you managed.

Ask whether the post is permanent, since many community sport roles depend on funding, and read fixed-term contracts in the public sector if it is not. Enhanced background checks are required, so pre-employment checks explains what happens after a conditional offer.

Council terms to check

If the job is with a local authority, the National Joint Council (NJC) Green Book normally applies. The May 2024 copy sets a standard full-time week of 37 hours (36 in London) and a minimum of 23 days’ annual leave from 1 April 2023, with a further 3 days after five years’ continuous service and two extra statutory days. The 2026/27 award of 3.3 per cent on NJC pay points 3 to 43 was agreed on 24 August 2026. Community organisations set their own terms. The NJC pay spine guide explains council pay points.

Questions to ask before you accept

Useful questions to ask are which groups the scheme targets, how long the funding lasts, whether the post includes managing staff, coaches and volunteers, and what reporting the funder expects. Ask how evening and weekend work is rostered and whether the employer pays for coaching qualifications through UK Coaching or similar. The profile lists funding bids and budgets among the duties, so ask what support you would get with them.

Where it can lead

With experience you could become a sports development manager or area manager, move into regional or national policy, or work as a freelance consultant. A move sideways into youth work is possible for those who prefer working with young people over managing schemes.

If you are weighing an offer, use the take-home pay calculator to see the monthly figure. The contract should say whether evening and weekend work is paid at an enhanced rate.