Outdoor Projects Lead

The closing date for applications is 26th September 2025. 

This role is fixed term contract for 3 years (September 2025 - August 2028)

PURPOSE

To shape and lead the effective delivery of our outdoor basketball court programme including our national #ProjectSwish campaign and the PlayZone’s strategic investment along with all related resources, partnerships and support required to be successful.

Working in partnership with the Football Foundation, local authorities and partners to develop great outdoor spaces, creating safer and more inclusive and accessible spaces that bring communities together.

This role requires the successful candidate to be able to collaborate with a wide range of strategic and local partners. Focusing on community engagement activity and local partnerships that identify locations, requirements, design, and technical guidance ensuring courts are fit for purpose and created to meet the needs of the communities around them.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Programme Strategy & Delivery

• Manage and oversee the #ProjectSwish campaign and the PlayZone’s strategic project, ensuring delivery against partner expectations, KPIs, and basketball participation targets.


• Track and report on the number of courts created or regenerated, alongside subsequent activation, participation levels and membership.

Standards & Compliance

• Govern project standards and delivery, ensuring a minimum operating standard is met.


• Ensure compliance with statutory requirements and sector good practice so that outdoor courts, including PlayZones, are safe, inclusive, and fit for basketball purpose.

Partnerships & Investment

• Lead the strategic management of partnerships and investors to secure continuous support for outdoor projects.


• Strengthen relationships that sustain investment and engagement in outdoor basketball development.

Promotion & Activation

• Use the national #ProjectSwish campaign to promote PlayZones and drive activation, participation and membership opportunities.


• Deliver high-quality launch events and community engagement activities in collaboration with partners.

OPERATIONAL ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Planning

• Manage the outdoor basketball programme including #ProjectSwish and PlayZones (from a basketball perspective).


• Manage high-level partnerships to ensure all planning, design principles, priority locations, and partner objectives/targets are delivered, with risks and communications managed effectively.

Project Delivery

• Ensure that the local engagement, demand activity and feasibility can be serviced on identified projects.

Technical Expertise

• Support on design, sports compatibility, community access, links with basketball community bodies, youth engagement and sustainability so we have more assurance on project/site legacy.

Communications

• Delivery of frequent key messages and ongoing communications with all internal and external communications across all partners. To think creatively and actively seek out opportunities to raise profile and generate positive news stories using our #ProjectSwish campaign.


• Work closely with the Communications Team to plan and monitor the @projectswishengland Instagram page, and to ensure the website and communications information related to participation and programmes is up to date.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Establishing effective monitoring, reporting to enable nationwide tracking of activations, participation and other KPIs.

Relationship Building

• Build relationships and collaborate with key partners and local communities to provide access and to activate safe, appealing attractive outdoor courts with easy to access playing opportunities.
  
  

Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Abide by all of Basketball England’s rules, regulations and policies (including but not limited to: Equal Opportunities & Equity Policy; Safeguarding Policy; Code of Ethics & Conduct; Anti-Doping, Anti-Betting, Anti-Corruption and Confidentiality).

Other duties

Any other duties as required by the line manager that are commensurate with the grade.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications:

A degree in a relevant subject or compensating work experience in a relevant, related field.

Experience:

Experience of working on facility capital investment projects.

Demonstrable experience of:

• Project Management: Experienced project manager with a track record of delivering impact and projects to time and budget.


• Strategic Planning: Experience of contributing to development and delivery of strategies.


• Relationship Management: Building trust and strong relationships with a range of stakeholders internally and externally.


• Target Driven: Target-driven approach with the ability to meet outlined KPIs.


• Monitoring and evaluation: Managing the operational evaluation and data analysis of programmes.

Personal Skills:

• Confident & Motivated: Confident with a high degree of self-motivation and initiative.


• Mental Agility & Initiative: Excellent mental agility with the ability to use own initiative to self-organise, plan and work effectively, taking account of daily changing and competing priorities.


• Quality Work at Speed: A proven ability to produce high quality work and meet deadlines at speed and under pressure.


• Teamwork: Ability to work as a member of a team, with an understanding of what behaviours contribute to effective teamwork. Appreciation of the significance of confidentiality.


• Communications: Excellent interpersonal and communication skills demonstrating an ability to communicate upwards to a senior level (including CEO, Directors and the Board) and relate to a wide range of people and organisations in the right appropriate format.


• Solution Development: Ability to anticipate issues, problem solve, manage ambiguity and make sound judgements on sensitive matters.


• Time Management: Ability to multi-task and prioritise work.


• Initiative: Ability to demonstrate initiative and work well under pressure and having an ability to plan and prioritise own workload with minimum supervision.

Technical Skills:

• Attention to Detail: An eye for detail with an ability to maintain a high level of accuracy in preparing and entering information.


• Advanced ICT: Significant advanced expertise in the use of Microsoft packages (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and other related ICT software.


• Numeracy & Literacy: Excellent numeracy, literacy, spelling and presentation in typewritten and other work.

Other:

• A genuine interest in basketball / sport.


• Passionate about people and helping to build great teams and culture.


• Commitment to Basketball England’s values and to promoting safeguarding, EDI, and ESG standards.


• Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) principles and policies.


• Willingness to work flexibly, including evenings and weekends when required.


• Subject to satisfactory DBS check, renewed every three years.