The Falcons Community Foundation are a registered charity (no. 1107851) who aim is to motivate, educate and inspire via the power of sport. We work across five pillars of activity; Club Development, Grassroots Sports, Health, Social Inclusion and education.

A key focus of our Social Inclusion strand is the award winning HITZ programme which tackles some of the greatest challenges facing young people today – unemployment, crime and disillusionment.

Delivered nationally by Premiership Rugby and funded by partners Land Rover, Wooden Spoon and Comic Relief. HITZ uses rugby to increase young people’s resilience, self-reliance and confidence. It gives them the skills to get back into education, vocational training, apprenticeships and employment. More information on the Hitz Programme can be found on [**www.hitzrugby.com**][1] .

We are looking for an enthusiastic and inspiring sports professional who has proven ability to plan, deliver and evaluate high quality inclusion and educational activities. You will combine your passion for rugby and sport with strong organisational, communication and administrative skills.

You will require the ability to engage positively and build relationships with challenging young people. You will also be expected to be able to communicate with a wide range of strategic partners.

The position will be based at Kingston Park stadium with delivery of the programme in the surrounding areas. Due to the nature of the job some evening and weekend work will be required. Applicants must hold a valid driving license and have access to a suitable vehicle.

**Job Title:** Hitz Development Officer

**Reports to:** Funding & Development Manager

**Purpose of Role**

To develop the Newcastle Falcons Hitz programme through engaging young people in accredited learning and work opportunities with sport at its core.

**Key Responsibilities/Deliverables**

* To develop a social inclusion rugby and educational programme for the Falcons Community Foundation.

* Identify and recruit young people onto the Hitz programme & meet recruitment targets each year.

* To coordinate & deliver outreach rugby sessions at various venues, coordinate other events as and when appropriate. All activities should be appropriate to the needs of the target audience and be line with the Hitz strategic aims.

* To be responsible for high quality delivery of community and social inclusion sessions.

* To work with youth groups, schools, youth agencies, local authorities, pupil referral units & other community initiatives.

* To keep accurate monitoring records for all sessions and contribute to the gathering and analysis of evaluation information on Upshot’s reporting system.

* To work in partnership with our dedicated training provider to support young people with access to functional skills and foundation learning courses.

* To identify and direct young people onto relevant education, training, volunteering opportunities and onto work placements and apprenticeships.

* To liaise with local agencies to ensure growth and sustainability of the programme.

* To maximise opportunities to raise awareness amongst the target audiences and the surrounding areas of rugby activities and encourage their participation.

* To produce regular update reports for Development Manager, funding agencies and related partners as required.

* To identify and follow up potential opportunities to develop activities in line with the strategic development of the Hitz programme.

* Attend regional and national Hitz meetings on behalf of the Falcons Community Foundation.

* Develop and deliver Falcons coaching camps & other community programmes.

**KPIs**

* Achieving Hitz targets as measured by Upshot M&E system.

* Number of participants engaging and completing programmes.

* Increased positive outcomes for young people around health and education.

* Increased engagement of Schools and Clubs with the Newcastle Rugby Foundation.

* Feedback on quality of experience from stakeholders.

**Must have**

* RFU Level 2 Coaching Award.

* Experience of coaching to a wide variety of backgrounds, ages and ability levels.

* Experience of working with hard to reach young people.

* Experience of delivering social inclusion programmes to young people.

* Experience of working in a dynamic team environment.

* Excellent communication skills.

* Strong promotional skills and the ability to manage own workload.

* Ability to work as part of a team and meet organisational demands.

* Ability to create and maintain strong working links and relationships.

* Ability to work to a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends.

* Ability to make decisions and use own initiative.

* Self-motivated, organised, enthusiastic and honest personal attributes.

* Knowledge of local and national rugby initiatives.

* Current UK Driving License.

* Access to a car

**Salary:** £19k to £22k (dependant on experience)

**Closing Date:** Thursday 20th September 2018

**Interviews:** Thursday 4th October 2018

**Start Date:** November 2018

To request an application form please email **melanie.magee@newcastle-falcons.co.uk** .

Please note we will not accept CVs during this application process.

Appointments are subject to Enhanced DBS checks.

[1]: http://www.hitzrugby.com