Sports development officer
Organise sports based projects and training to encourage people to take part in sport and to have a healthier lifestyle.
About the job
Salary
Source: National Careers Service
Weekly
£346
Entry level
£577
Experienced
Monthly
£1,500
Entry level
£2,500
Experienced
Yearly
£18,000
Entry level
£30,000
Experienced
9,700
people are currently employed
High growth
700 more jobs in 5 years
These figures refer to this job and similar ones with comparable skills and qualifications. They only apply to Scotland. Source: Oxford Economics
What it's like
You'd organise sports based projects and training to encourage people to take part in sport and to have a healthier lifestyle. Your aim would be to make it easier for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy sport.
You could:
work with communities to find the demand for new activities
improve access to sport for young people, people with disabilities and people from disadvantaged communities
support initiatives to reduce crime and rehabilitate offenders
On a day-to-day basis, you'd:
find and train staff, coaches and volunteers
organise, promote and run projects and activities
check on the progress of projects
find funding and make sure it is used well
put local and national policies into practice
go to meetings, seminars and conferences
manage resources and budgets
You could work for a National Governing Body (NGB), for a particular school or for a local authority.
You may have the chance to coach and supervise the sport for which you are qualified. You could concentrate on promoting this specific sport, or promote sport in general.
Hours
Environment
Travel
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Here are some of the skills you'll need to do this job:
- taking responsibility
- motivating others
- coaching
- time management
- taking initiative
- managing resources
- developing a plan
- creative
- verbal communication
- positive attitude
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore the sections shown for more information about getting into this career.
You might have qualifications which are not shown here but will allow you access to a course. You can compare your qualifications by looking at their SCQF Level. For more information about this, check out the SCQF website.
Always contact the college, university or training provider to check exactly what you'll need.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
Care
Childcare and Development
PE (Physical education)
Skills for Work: Sport and Recreation
There are no set qualifications for this role. Many sports development officers have an HNC/HND (SCQF Level 7/8) or a degree (SCQF Level 9/10) in a sport-related subject like:
Sport Development
Sports Coaching
Sports Science
A degree isn't essential. You could get this job through work-based qualifications such as an SVQ in Activity Leadership. You'd need coaching experience and specialist skills in a particular sport.
You could also get into this job through a Modern Apprenticeship in Active Leisure, Learning and Wellbeing.
To enter a sports degree, you'd likely need National 5 qualifications and at least three Highers.
You can enter Higher National Certificate or Higher National Diploma courses with National 4/5 qualifications and one to two Highers or equivalent qualifications.
Qualifications and experience that show fitness and sporting skills such as Sports Leaders UK Award or Skills for Work Sports & Recreation.
You can search sports volunteering opportunities on Volunteer.scot.
To be approved for membership of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme run by Disclosure Scotland.
You may need to pass a fitness test for entry to some courses and jobs.
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