Assistant and Specialist Bowling Coach

Job Title: Assistant and Specialist Bowling Coach

Accountable to: Director of Cricket

Contract: 2 year fixed term

Hours: minimum 40 hours per week

Salary: competitive

Location: Taunton

Closing date: 7 September 2023

We have an exciting opportunity for you join our ambitious, committed and supportive team as a Specialist Bowling and Assistant Coach. Within this role you ll be primarily based with the professional squad to support the needs of professional bowlers, however there is also a requirement to work at times with the Academy and Pathway coaches and young players to ensure an aligned approach to developing bowlers into the first-class game.

You will be providing in and out of season specialist bowling and generalised coaching support to a range of professional and pathway players by creating an exceptional, innovative and challenging training environment which inspires their development. You ll be implementing, monitoring and reviewing individual development and performance plans for the professional players, as well as having awareness of Academy bowler development plans. There may also be a need for you to facilitate and deliver specialist coaching to the National Counties and build strong links across the South West.

You ll bring extensive coaching experience and proven expertise of working with and developing elite cricketers within the first-class game, alongside a track record of developing talented young players into elite senior cricketers. You will have strong awareness of how to effectively create a safe and effective environment in which to coach adolescent learners, thorough understanding and support of the principles of safeguarding. You ll have a minimum of UKCC Level 3 coaching or international equivalent and be an ECB Coaches Association member.

Our team members bring a collaborative, innovative approach to their work, with genuine desire to improve player performance alongside wanting the best for each individual. You have the ability to positively influence key stakeholders, have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, are approachable and reflective. Your energy, enthusiasm and commitment are apparent at all times.

This role is subject to a satisfactory DBS check.

Selected candidates will be invited to a first stage interview via Microsoft Teams on Friday 15 September 2023.

Further shortlisted candidates will be invited to a second stage interview to be held face to face at the Cooper Associates County Ground on Monday 2 October 2023.

Please see the job description below for full details of the role. You'll need to refer to this within your application to show how you meet the essential criteria.

If you are interested in this position, simply complete the our application form below - we use fair and safe recruitment methods therefore we don't review CVs as part of our selection process. Please provide as much detail as possible in your application responses as this is how we select candidates for the next stage of the process.

Equal Opportunities and Inclusivity Statement

Somerset County Cricket Club endorses the principles of equality and equity and strives to ensure everyone involved with the Club has a genuine and equal opportunity to participate to the full extent of their own ambitions and abilities, to give of their best and be assured of an environment in which their rights, dignity and individual worth are respected. Everyone is responsible for creating an inclusive working environment and we expect all colleagues, partners customers and suppliers to abide by our equality, diversity and inclusion policies and procedures.

The Club ensures all existing and potential employees receive equal consideration during the recruitment process and beyond, and is committed to the elimination of unlawful or unfair discrimination of any kind and in particular on the grounds of sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, gender reassignment, religion or belief, pregnancy and maternity, and age.

Safeguarding Statement

Somerset County Cricket Club is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults, and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. It is everyone s responsibility to keep vulnerable people safe.

As part of our safer recruitment process all relevant roles are subject to an enhanced or standard DBS check as appropriate, and two satisfactory references. We also require every staff member to undergo safeguarding training appropriate to their role.

We encourage an open, welcoming environment where everyone should feel safe to express any concerns. We have a range of policies and procedures in place which promote safeguarding and safer working practice across all that we do.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Purpose of role

To provide specialist bowling cricket coaching and support to a range of senior professional and Academy players (under the guidance of the Head of Talent Pathway), ensuring the Club s philosophy is delivered from grass roots through to the 1st Class arena and ensuring the continued development of bowlers at all levels. Alongside this, provide specialist and general coaching assistance as and when required by the Head Coach, 2nd XI Head Coach and Head of Talent Pathway.

Main responsibilities

Environment and safeguarding:

• To ensure the Club s safeguarding policies and procedures are adhered to at all times including adherence to the staff code of conduct and consistently advocating the safeguarding of children, young people and vulnerable adults at all times. Appropriate consideration must be given to safeguarding in all activities and decisions which are undertaken
• To ensure the Club s equity, diversity and inclusion policy and standards are upheld and always abide by the Club s code of conduct
• To ensure an exceptional environment that supports the development of players
• To provide a challenging and innovative training environment
• To ensure an environment that provides high levels of support and challenge to the most talented players and facilitates the uptake of elite behaviours

Specialist Bowling Coaching:

• To lead, manage and provide appropriate developmental and training opportunities that ensure an appropriate depth of bowlers ready to compete in 1st XI cricket, ensuring the next bowlers in line to be selected at 1st XI level are capable of delivering and improving on current levels of performance within First Class cricket
• To lead on a continued development of bowler s ability to create opportunities at the start, the middle and at the end of an innings and bowl effectively at the end of an innings within white ball cricket
• To work closely with the Head Coach and Head of Talent Pathway to provide relevant specialist bowling coaching support to the professional and academy players
• To structure and coach one-to-one sessions with the professional players
• To support the Pathway coaches to provide appropriate bowling support to Academy bowlers
• Implement, monitor and review individual development and performance plans for our professional bowlers
• Have a strong awareness of the Academy and Pathway bowlers development and performance plans

Assistant Coaching:

• To assist the Head Coach with preparing, developing and supporting the needs of the professional squad, during the winter and summer.
• To support the Head of Talent Pathway in developing and implementing a long-term strategy to deliver a constant stream of players onto the professional staff
• To support the Head Coach and, when appropriate, 2nd XI Head coach in preparing the teams accordingly
• Provide a challenging and innovative training environment
• Ensure an environment that provides high levels of support and challenge to the most talented players and facilitates the uptake of elite behaviours
• To contribute to the multidisciplinary performance review for each professional and Academy player as requested by Head Coach, Head of Talent Pathway or Director of Cricket
• To facilitate and deliver as requested by Director of Cricket, Head Coach or Head of Talent Pathway, specific specialist coaching to National Counties
• To represent the Club in its promotion on matters relating to the playing and organisation of cricket, as requested by the Director of Cricket, Head Coach or Head of Talent Pathway
• To build strong links and to guide National Counties and key stakeholders, within the Southwest region.
• Take on any other responsibilities or tasks that are within your skills and abilities whenever reasonably asked by the Director of Cricket

Knowledge, skills and experience required:

Essential

• Extensive coaching experience with proven expertise of working and developing elite cricketers within the first-class game
• Track record of developing 1st Class and talented young players into elite senior cricketers
• An excellent knowledge and deep understanding of first-class cricket and the demands of the game
• A strong awareness of and strong evidence to demonstrate, how to effectively coach adolescent learners
• A thorough understanding and demonstrable support of the principles of safeguarding children and young adults
• Up to date Safeguarding Young Cricketers/Safeguarding for Specialist Roles: Coaching and Activators (this must be maintained throughout employment)
• Satisfactory disclosure from Disclosure and Barring Service
• ECB Advanced Coach (Level 3) qualification, with Specialist Coach (Level 4) qualification desirable (or international equivalents).
• ECB Coaches Association members
• Good general IT skills with extensive experience of performance and technical analysis systemsThe ability to devise, deliver and manage coaching programmes for individuals, groups and teams.
• Ability to positively influence key stakeholders
• Demonstrable leadership skills
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and rapport building skill

Key attributes

• Highly organised and prioritises time management
• High levels of motivation and the resilience required to thrive in a varied and demanding high performance role.
• Innovative thinker, curious to explore new ways of doing things
• Energy, enthusiasm, initiative, flexibility/adaptability
• Collaborative approach
• Genuine desire to improve player performance and to want the best for each player as an individual
• Commitment to self-development
• Reflective with high level of emotional intelligence