Nottingham Forest Football Club
NXT GEN Head Coach
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Salary: Please state your expectations within your application
Location: The City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ
Department: Nottingham Forest Netball
Reporting to: Netball Head Coach
Closing Date For Applications: 2nd October 2026
About the Role:
Nottingham Forest Netball is seeking an ambitious, inspiring and forward-thinking NXT GEN Head Coach to lead the next generation of athletes within our performance pathway. The NXT GEN programme is a key part of Nottingham Forest Netball's performance structure, designed to identify, develop and prepare emerging athletes for the demands of elite domestic netball and, ultimately, the Netball Super League and international pathways. This is an exciting opportunity for an outstanding coach to play a significant role in shaping the future of Nottingham Forest Netball.
The successful candidate will be responsible for creating a high-performance environment in which athletes are challenged, supported and empowered to reach their potential both on and off court.
We are looking for a coach who can combine technical excellence, athlete development, leadership and culture-building, while aligning closely with the wider Nottingham Forest Netball performance philosophy.
Key Tasks and Responsibilities:
Coaching & Performance
- Lead the planning, delivery and review of the NXT GEN programme.
- Develop athletes technically, tactically, physically and psychologically.
- Create an environment that promotes high standards, accountability, learning and enjoyment.
- Develop a clear and identifiable Nottingham Forest style of play.
- Support athletes to understand the demands of elite and professional netball.
- Identify and maximise individual athlete potential.
- Establish a clear pathway between NXT GEN, the Nottingham Forest Netball NSL programme and wider England Netball pathways.
- Work collaboratively with the Nottingham Forest Netball Head Coach, performance staff, pathway coaches and wider support team.
- Contribute to the long-term development of Nottingham Forest Netball's player pathway.
Athlete Development
The successful candidate will place athlete development at the heart of the programme.
They will:
- Create individual development plans for athletes.
- Identify individual strengths, areas for improvement and performance goals.
- Support athletes in developing the technical, tactical and physical qualities required for senior netball.
- Encourage athletes to develop game understanding, decision-making and tactical awareness.
- Help athletes develop resilience, confidence, leadership and accountability.
- Prepare athletes for the physical and psychological demands of high-performance sport.
- Support athletes to understand the behaviours and standards expected within an elite environment.
- Provide regular feedback and meaningful opportunities for reflection and learning.
- Recognise that athlete development is individual and should be tailored to the needs, ambitions and stage of each player.
The Head Coach should be passionate about developing people as well as developing players.
Pathway Development
A fundamental responsibility of the role will be to create a clear and sustainable pathway for emerging athletes.
The Head Coach will:
- Identify athletes with the potential to progress into NSL elite netball.
- Work closely with the Nottingham Forest Netball senior programme to support transition into NSL environments.
- Maintain strong relationships with the NXT GEN development and U19 pathway.
- Collaborate with England Netball pathway structures and other relevant performance programmes.
- Support athletes who are selected for England pathway and other international opportunities.
- Ensure the programme provides appropriate preparation for athletes progressing to higher levels.
- Create opportunities for NXT GEN athletes to experience senior training environments where appropriate.
- Work closely with senior coaches to ensure continuity in playing philosophy, language and expectations.
Nottingham Forest's pathway philosophy places significant importance on developing a sustainable pipeline of athletes and creating seamless progression from age-group and development environments into senior performance, alongside the development of home-grown talent. The Nottingham Forest NXT GEN Head Coach will be central to delivering that ambition within the club.
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Leadership & Culture
- Establish a positive, ambitious and inclusive team culture.
- Set and maintain high standards of behaviour and professionalism.
- Develop strong relationships with athletes and staff.
- Create an environment where athletes feel valued, challenged and supported.
- Promote accountability and personal responsibility.
- Encourage athletes to embrace challenge and learn from setbacks.
- Develop future leaders within the group.
- Role-model the values and behaviours expected across Nottingham Forest Netball.
- Ensure the NXT GEN programme contributes positively to the wider identity and culture of the club.
We want our athletes to leave the NXT GEN programme as better netballers, better teammates and better people.
Performance Support & Multidisciplinary Working
The Head Coach will work collaboratively with the wider Nottingham Forest Netball performance team.
This may include:
- Strength & conditioning
- Performance analysis
- Medical and physiotherapy support
- Nutrition
- Psychology / wellbeing
- Talent identification and pathway staff
- Senior coaching staff
- NXT GEN Development/ U19 / academy coaching staff
The Head Coach will ensure that support services are effectively integrated into the athlete development programme and that communication between coaches and support staff is consistent and purposeful.
Recruitment & Talent Identification
The Head Coach will contribute to the identification and recruitment of athletes capable of progressing through the Nottingham Forest Netball pathway.
Responsibilities may include:
- Supporting player identification and recruitment.
- Attending relevant competitions and talent events.
- Building relationships with clubs, schools, universities and pathway programmes.
- Monitoring emerging talent within the region and nationally.
- Contributing to selection processes.
- Ensuring selection decisions are transparent, objective and aligned to programme requirements.
Communication & Stakeholder Management
The successful candidate will build strong relationships across the Nottingham Forest Netball environment.
They will communicate effectively with:
- Head of Netball Operations
- Franchise Pathway Lead
- Athletes
- Parents/guardians where appropriate
- Nottingham Forest Netball senior coaching staff
- NXT GEN development and U19 coaches
- Performance support staff
- England Netball pathway personnel
- University partners
- Clubs and talent development organisations
- Wider Nottingham Forest Netball stakeholders
The Head Coach will be expected to represent Nottingham Forest Netball professionally and positively at all times.
Planning, Review & Evaluation
The Head Coach will take responsibility for the effective planning and evaluation of the programme.
- Annual and seasonal planning.
- Training plans.
- Competition preparation.
- Individual athlete development plans.
- Performance reviews.
- Selection processes.
- Post-match analysis.
- Programme evaluation.
- Reporting on athlete progression.
- Setting measurable objectives for the team and individual athletes.
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Success will not be measured solely by results. The Head Coach will be expected to demonstrate clear evidence of athlete progression, programme quality and pathway outcomes.
What are we looking for:
Essential
We are looking for an individual who can demonstrate:
- Experience within NPL, NXT GEN, or equivalent high-performance environments.
- Level 2 England Netball coaching qualification.
- Strong technical and tactical knowledge of the game.
- Experience of developing young or emerging athletes.
- An understanding of the demands of elite performance environments.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Strong leadership and organisational ability.
- The ability to create positive, challenging and inclusive environments.
- Experience of planning, delivering and reviewing structured training programmes.
- The ability to provide clear, constructive and individualised feedback.
- A commitment to safeguarding and athlete wellbeing.
- A commitment to continuing professional development.
Desirable
- Experience within NSL or equivalent high-performance environments.
- Level 3 England Netball coaching qualification.
- Experience of coaching athletes within an England Netball pathway.
- Experience of working within a multidisciplinary performance team.
- Performance analysis experience.
- Experience of talent identification and recruitment.
- Experience of developing individual athlete development plans.
- Previous experience of working within a professional sporting organisation.
- A strong network within the domestic netball pathway.
Forest For Everyone
We aim to create a culture which embraces and celebrates our differences, enables individuals to feel comfortable, maximise their potential and eliminate discrimination.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an equal opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all suitably qualified persons, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender reassignment, marital / civil partnership status, pregnancy / maternity leave, race, religion/belief, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is a signatory of the FA’s Football Leadership Diversity Code. We are committed to developing policies to promote equal opportunities and diversity within our workforce. To monitor our progress against these commitments, we Invite all applicants to provide diversity data during the application process.
Disability Confident Committed Employer
We are a Disability Confident Committed employer. We 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 selections.
Our Commitment to Safeguarding
As part of the Club’s commitment to safeguarding, the successful applicant may be required to undergo a Disclosure Barring Service (“DBS”) check. The level of check required will depend on the requirements of the role. Individuals will be asked to declare any convictions, cautions, reprimands, warnings or bind-overs that they are required to disclose for the level of check applicable to the role, in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 (as amended) and the DBS filtering rules. The results of any check will be considered on an individual basis
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