Panathlon Challenge
Panathlon Strategic Lead - South
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Role Title: Panathlon Strategic Lead - South
In 2025, Panathlon gave over 74,000 young people with disabilities and special needs the opportunity to take part in competitive sport.
Our sporting programmes – which include multi-sports, swimming, football, ten-pin bowling and boccia – give participants the opportunity to represent their school in sporting competition that they are so often otherwise denied. Last year, over 9,600 Young Leaders were specially trained to officiate at our events and support competitors. In addition, our in-school ‘virtual’ programme contains simplified activities that can be delivered in school by staff. Our events have a transformational impact on individual participants and a positive ‘ripple effect’ across school environments and communities.
Reporting to: Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Location: Field & Remote-based (Requiring travel across assigned territories and including termly SLT in person meetings in Essex.) Salary: £42-45k p.a.
Core Purpose: To work collaboratively with the 3 Strategic Leads to ensure strategic thinking around sport, educational, country specific, infrastructure so issues are addressed in alignment to the developing Panathlon Foundation Strategy.
To oversee operations in their designated catchment area by line-managing contractors and delivery partners, ensuring standard-compliant, high-impact Panathlon sports activity .
Strategic Leads are a key part of the Panathlon Foundation’s workforce and play a key role in enabling the Strategic and Action Planning
Strategic Leads work to connect, collaborate, influence where SEND children can be active in a way that is right for them. The work is achieved by considering how we better understand our communities, enable and influence change and seek Investment opportunities
Develop meaningful partnerships with communities and the organisations that support them in our designated Lead area
Working as a Strategic Lead on appointed key areas of work, such as primary, secondary, sport specific, health, inequalities, investment, workforce etc.
Regional Leadership Through leadership of their designated area, Strategic Leads will develop meaningful partnerships with schools, communities, local organisations and stakeholders that support SEND children and young people. By building strong local networks and understanding regional needs, opportunities and challenges, Strategic Leads will help shape and deliver programmes that are relevant, accessible and responsive to local circumstances. This collaborative approach will support the co-design of opportunities that enable more children and young people to engage in Panathlon activities both within and beyond the school environment. Strategic Portfolio Leadership Alongside their regional responsibilities, Strategic Leads will take ownership of key strategic areas of work across the organisation. These areas may include primary education, secondary education, sport-specific programmes, health and wellbeing, inequalities, investment, workforce development and other strategic priorities. In some cases, a specific area may be led by an individual Strategic Lead on behalf of the wider team. The purpose of Strategic Portfolio Leadership is to: • Provide strategic direction and help shape Panathlon's long-term vision and priorities. • Champion and advocate for key areas of work across the organisation, wider sectors and partner networks. • Support and empower leadership across the organisation through Regional Managers, contractors and delivery partners. • Create opportunities for collaboration, learning and knowledge-sharing between teams, regions and external partners. • Identify innovation, best practice and growth opportunities that strengthen Panathlon's impact nationally.
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Key Performance Pillars & Responsibilities Pillar 1: Performance, Contract, & Asset Management Directly manage, review, and evaluate regional independent contractors and delivery organisations. Enforce Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) across all active Service Level Agreements (SLAs), tracking total delivery days, administration time, and participant numbers. Work with the Operations manager to manage operational logistics, including the management, tracking, and maintenance of regional charity assets (e.g., Panathlon-branded delivery vans, equipment stock, storage facilities, and fuel card allocations). Manage Regional finance to support the central head office team to ensure income is correctly billed and costs correctly verified.
Pillar 2: Strategic Infrastructure & Partnership Development Establish and formalise long-term working relationships with School Games Organisers (SGOs), Active Partnerships (County Sports Partnerships), and Local Authorities. Secure and maintain strategic agreements with regional "Host Venues" to optimise event space and manage local delivery costs. Act as the Key and Primary ambassador for Panathlon in the allocated area, integrating its formats into local school sports calendars and localised disability frameworks.
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Pillar 3: Business Development, Income Generation, & Funding Conduct continuous regional mapping to identify and exploit local financial opportunities, including regional Community Foundations, Local Authority grants, and corporate CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) networks. Collaborate with the Fundraising team to draft, submit, and pitch high-quality funding applications tailored to regional expansion. Support the Fundraising Team on Nationwide programme-based applications, theme-based applications and provide information and knowledge to assist with small localised grants To develop opportunities for sustainable localised operations via the Fundraising personnel
Pillar 4: Compliance, Quality Assurance, & Impact Reporting Conduct regular field visits to monitor event-day quality, ensuring strict adherence to health & safety, policies, and Panathlon branding compliance. Work with the Operations Manager to collect, clean, and analyse regional participation data against funder targets (e.g., tracking total distinct numbers of SEND children reached). Deliver quantitative data with qualitative case studies (including verified media consents and high-quality photography) for stakeholder and donor reporting.
Pillar 5: Organisational Development & Senior Leadership Actively participate as a member of the Panathlon Senior Leadership Team. Work as a Strategic Lead Team and to pass on information directly which can help inform strategic national board decisions and sit on SLT meetings Work as a Strategic Lead Team to address designated themes, operational efficiency etc Work as a Strategic Lead Team to collaborate with the Operations Manager to enhance operating policies, delivery manuals or sports specific issues, logistical issues, contribute to the review and updating of national charity policies, including safeguarding protocols, data management (GDPR), and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) frameworks. Identify and mitigate organisational risks. To use designated Regional Managers within their Strategic Lead areas as a further springboard for knowledge, leadership in more localised areas Assist the CEO in compiling comprehensive executive briefings for the Board of Trustees, high-value corporate partners, and statutory bodies (e.g., Sport England).
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