Business Strategy Manager (MBA Graduate Programme)

In 2026 The FA will be launching a new MBA programme as part of a wider talent initiative.

The programme aims to better enable the business to deliver against the 2024 - 2028 strategy by increasing business performance and providing supplementary expertise in key Divisions or across functional programmes of work.

This is a two-year fixed-term opportunity offering the chance to work on a rotational basis across a range of high-impact projects within the federation. You will be based in Wembley with an expectation of being on site at least 2 days per week. There may also be occasional travel to St. George's Park

The objective of the programme is to introduce talent into our leadership population in order to improve business performance and provide the division with a strategic and consultative leader to challenge, support and help the business evolve in order to meet and exceed our new strategy objectives. The success of the role will see opportunities for the cohort to work within the association or the wider football community. Please note there is no guarantee of a permanent role at the end of the 2-year cycle. This is not a graduate level role. We are seeking individuals with prior professional experience who are ready to operate with credibility and influence in a complex, fast-paced organisation.

You may not have worked directly within football previously; however, we are seeking individuals who can translate technical thinking into clear strategic plans and deliver them effectively through strong operational execution. If you believe in the power of football and the impact it can have on our communities, we'd love to hear from you.

What will you be doing?

The programme is responsible for helping the business to analyse, evaluate and define strategic initiatives which directly contribute towards The FA's strategic objectives.

You will be assigned 3 projects over a 2 year period, each placement lasting 8 months.

Responsibilities include:

Strategic Analysis & Delivery

• Analyse, evaluate, and provide robust recommendations on strategic initiatives aligned to organisational goals
• Translate strategic intent into clear, executable operational plans with defined outcomes and success measures
• Support prioritisation of initiatives and alignment of resources to maximise impact
• Track and analyse KPIs, identifying opportunities to improve performance and delivery

Cross-Functional Project Leadership

• Lead and support delivery of cross-functional projects across a diverse portfolio (including compliance, transformation, and major operational programmes such as tournament delivery)
• Define project scope, objectives, timelines, and resource requirements in collaboration with stakeholders
• Maintain hands-on oversight throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring delivery against agreed outcomes
• Identify, manage and mitigate project risks, issues and dependencies.

Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-Team Collaboration

• Provide strategic insight and delivery support to senior management, business partners and the strategy team
• Build strong relationships across divisions to drive alignment, accountability, and effective collaboration
• Engage internal and external stakeholders to encourage innovation and coordinated, joined-up delivery
• Offer consulting-style support to help teams scope, plan, and deliver strategic initiatives effectively

Governance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Work closely with the Strategy and Business Management functions to ensure alignment with PMO best practice Monitor and report on key milestones, risks, and trends to enable transparent decision-making Champion continuous improvement by refining tools, methodologies, and ways of working across the programme Promote consistency, efficiency, and integration in project and programme delivery
• Execute additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure that the highest standards of health, safety, and well-being can be maintained.
• As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

• MBA Level Education, ideally having graduated within the last 5 years
• Proven experience in strategy, operations, consulting, transformation, or project delivery roles
• Ability to translate strategy into structured operational plans and deliverable outcomes
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management capabilities
• Ability to operate effectively in ambiguous, fast-paced environments
• Strategic thinker with strong operational execution capability Confident and credible with senior stakeholders
• Highly collaborative and relationship-driven
• Experience in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel is a requirement.
• A working knowledge of Microsoft Project and Microsoft Visio is an advantage, but not a necessity.

Unfortunately, we cannot offer sponsorship for this role so you will need to provide right to work in the UK.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles. To achieve this, we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire, which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

We pride ourselves on offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encourages you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and well-being.
• Free, nutritious lunches at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional 'Thank You' day's leave, volunteering days, as well as 25 days of annual leave (based on a full-time, permanent contract)
• A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page, via the button below.

Currently, we are working within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model, and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary. The contractual location of this role can be found on the FA Careers page.

We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

As part of the FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.