JOB DESCRIPTION Training Manager Title: Location: Eastern or Southern Africa - must have current work authorization Reports to: Director of Programs Travel: Start Date: November 1, 2025 up to 50% Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is a global adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to equip young people with the life-saving information, services, and mentorship they need to live healthier lives. GRS’s signature ‘SKILLZ’ programs have reached 25 million adolescents in 60 countries through a network of 23,000 trained mentor ‘Coaches’. GRS’s youth-centered model equips young people with the knowledge, skills, and agency to make healthy choices; connects them to positive mentors, peers, and support systems that respond to their needs; and supports them to take action – practicing healthy behaviors and accessing the services and opportunities they need to thrive. Key to the GRS methodology is the ability to transform community members into youth-friendly “Caring Coaches” who are respected and admired by young people. Soccer experience is not a requirement or key focus area. The main role of the Caring SKILLZ Coach is to deliver the health-focused SKILLZ curriculum to young people in their communities. GRS uses the power of soccer to recruit young people and keep them engaged in the health promotion program. While recreational soccer may follow SKILLZ sessions, fundamentals of the sport are not part of our program. Caring SKILLZ Coaches go far beyond simply passing on information in the curriculum to young people. A Caring SKILLZ Coach is a skilled facilitator who role models the behaviours they are trying to promote, and most importantly, demonstrates a clear passion for the work they are doing. In order for GRS’s approach to learning to work effectively, Coaches must be carefully selected, effectively trained, and continuously supported. Coaches must be viewed not only as implementers of programs but as beneficiaries themselves. Overall Description: The Training Manager will be responsible for managing Grassroot Soccer’s capacity building approach for the near-peer mentors who deliver the organization’s adolescent health programming. The Training Manager will ensure recruitment, training, and support of these mentors is evolving and scalable in resource limited environments. The Training Manager will require strong technical expertise in facilitation, adult learning, and program management as well as experience digitizing training platforms. The position is both externally and internally facing and requires excellent communication skills (oral and written) across the entire range of GRS stakeholders, including adolescent participants, Coaches, team members, partner organizations, donors, and government officials. The Training Manager will report to the Director of Programs as 1 part of the Global Partnerships Team and will work closely with the Global Research and Development team, namely the Digital Health Specialist, the Senior MEL Manager, and the Senior Manager - Product Development. Key Focus Areas Trainer Development ● Lead Coach Development Committee, comprising of program staff and Trainers from GRS and partner organizations ● Oversee GRS’s Global Trainer Pool, ensuring GRS has consistent training capacity by geography and/or technical areas ● Adapt and/or develop and operationalize systems to ensure quality and consistency across ● Training pool Identify gaps in Trainer proficiencies and propose/develop solutions to strengthen Trainer capacity ● Stay informed on emerging needs within the adolescent health sector and propose ideas to scale Trainers, staff as needed Strategy, Content, and Innovation ● Lead a comprehensive review of the organization’s approach to Coach Development (recruitment, training, and Coach support) ● Develop and monitor global workplan for Coach Development ● Develop, pilot, and iterate new training content, format, and tools across the Coach life cycle ● Review, update, and/or develop systems and tools to ensure quality assurance, performance tracking, and consistency as programs scale ● Develop and oversee workflows to operationalize and monitor any new systems or tools ● Working closely with the Digital Health Specialist, integrate technology into Coach Development to improve accessibility and engagement ● Support Global MEL team with routine monitoring of Coach Development KPIs Project-Specific Technical Assistance ● Provide technical support to GRS teams as well as partners implementing SKILLZ ● Working closely with GRS Program Managers, contextualize Coach development approach and tools for specific projects and partners ● Lead high priority trainings as required Qualifications: ● 7+ years of demonstrated experience developing and implementing training systems, content, and quality assurance processes in resource limited environments, ideally in youth development and/or health sectors 2 ● Demonstrated experience integrating digital learning tools and platforms into training or capacity building programs for young people ● Experience providing technical assistance to partners across diverse contexts ● Demonstrated experience working with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders (e.g., from young people to global headquarters to boards to partners to field teams) ● Bachelor’s degree in relevant field ● Willingness and ability to travel domestically and internationally (up to 50% of time) with active passport ● Preferred: ○ Master’s degree in relevant field ○ Knowledge and experience working in adolescent health ○ Experience in a cross-cultural work environment ○ Passion for working in adolescent health and/or youth development Ideal candidate should have exceptional skills in the following: ● Expertise in adult learning methodologies, coaching, and facilitation ● Attention to detail ● Effective communication, both oral and written, in English and other local languages, with wide range of external and internal stakeholders (e.g., young people, Ministry leaders, Civil Society leaders, board members, senior leadership, staff) ● Time management and prioritization ● Ability to proactively identify issues, propose and implement solutions ● Building relationships with wide range of staff and partners, and operating within diverse social and cultural contexts, often virtually over multiple continents, and time zones ● Thinking strategically yet knowing how and when to dive into the details ● Ability to see and tell stories from numbers Successful leaders at Grassroot Soccer are bold, yet humble. They are passionate about the mission of Grassroot Soccer and understand their role on the Grassroot Soccer team to achieve its mission. Day to day, they are… ● Proactive: can anticipate both opportunities and obstacles and take action ● Professional: level-headed; ability to de-escalate difficult situations, behave exceptionally, and manage/minimize distractions ● Problem Solvers: comfortable with ambiguity, can creatively unlock bottlenecks and turn problems into opportunities …they demonstrate lots of… 3 ● Common Sense: prioritizing the right things at the right time; making good, quick, informed decisions balancing multiple issues and points of view ● Self-awareness: know where one’s blind spots are, recognize differences, and build a team to complement one’s skills and weaknesses …and a strong bias for… ● Follow-through and Outcomes: deliver results, not just create lots of activity ● Treating People Well: empathetic, kind, great listener, yet can make tough decisions and hold oneself/others accountable All candidates should apply using the following link: https://forms.gle/rdqTTsysCaDVw7Gd6 Application Deadline: Open until filled. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. At GRS, we are committed to fostering a workplace where all employees feel valued, supported, and empowered. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to promote well-being, including health insurance, dental insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, professional development opportunities and more. At Grassroot Soccer, we are committed to offering competitive and fair compensation. Salaries are determined based on multiple factors, including experience, qualifications, and the geographic location. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe in fair and equitable pay practices. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all employees, regardless of background, have equal access to opportunities for growth and success. Grassroot Soccer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We strive to create an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve. 4
GRASSROOT SOCCER (UK)
USA, Preferred Pierce County/Seattle, WA
Full-time
JOB DESCRIPTION Senior Coordinator, US Programs Title: Location: USA, Preferred Pierce County/Seattle, WA (up to 20% travel domestically) Reports to: US Senior Expansion Coordinator Start Date: December 1, 2025 Overall Description: The Sr. Coordinator, US Programs will provide targeted support to funded projects across Grassroot Soccer US geographies to ensure GRS is able to execute deliverables and meet the grant requirements. The Sr. Coordinator, US Programs will also provide support and build, adapt, and/or refine tools and templates that will streamline, strengthen, and institutionalize technical assistance over the long term, specifically for youth mental-health programming in Pierce County, WA. The Sr. Coordinator will advise on best practices, execute deliverables, and lead cross-functional processes. The position is both externally and internally facing and requires excellent communication skills (oral and written) across the entire range of GRS stakeholders –adolescent participants, coaches, team members, partners, donors, youth soccer organizations (clubs, MLS teams, etc) and after-school community programs. Grassroot Soccer (GRS) is an adolescent health organization that leverages the power of soccer to educate, inspire, and mobilize at-risk youth to overcome their greatest health challenges, live healthier, more productive lives, and be agents for change in their communities. Since 2002, GRS programs have reached 13 million young people in more than 60 countries with life-saving HIV prevention, sexual and reproductive health, and mental health information and services. Grassroot Soccer is looking to continue scaling its impact in the United States in anticipation of the 2026 World Cup via domestic and international partnerships focused on youth mental health. Responsibilities: Provide Technical Assistance to Partners (40%) ● Support deliverables as needed for funded projects on the GRS US expansion team, including but not limited to: o Program and product design (curriculum, coach development, M&E, research) o Coach development planning, implementation, and monitoring o Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) to ensure learnings are integrated across the program cycle and integrated into program design and coach development initiatives o Other workshops, trainings, or technical assistance as needed Strengthen and Sustain Technical Assistance (30%) ● General support of implementation and implementing partners in Pierce County and greater Puget Sound: 1 o Ensure that GRS is meeting program goals and deliverables under current grant agreements o Support US expansion team to troubleshoot project-based needs and identify feasible solutions o Develop and/or refine templates for internal and external reports on technical assistance o Develop and/or refine tools to strengthen technical assistance package ● Program Design o Support internal Program Design initiatives to ensure the GRS Technical Assistance package is current and addressing the most in demand area for adolescent health (specifically mental health) as well as delivery models ● Coach Development o Create and/or refine tools to scale up trainers and/or deliver some components of coach development o Working closely with GRS Master Coaches and US Expansion Coordinator to scale up trainers who can be deployed to support coach development o Work closely with the US expansion team to identify coaches and trainers to support various programs in Washington State. o Prepare trainers and coaches for upcoming technical assistance ● M&E o Work closely with Global M&E team to adapt and operationalize tools as needed o Brainstorm ways to operationalize learnings from data reviews and other analyses ● Research o Work closely with the Global Research team to design, improve, and/or operationalize GRS’s approach to youth-led research in the US Other (30%) ● Manage key relationships where appropriate ● Support GRS Coach Development process (including improving the Coach Development Toolkit and resources specific to US mental health programming) ● Stay informed on best practices in adolescent health program implementation (attend external trainings, workshops, webinars) to generate new ideas and ways to strengthen SKILLZ approaches specific to mental health in the US Identify opportunities to share information, exchange best practices amongst partners and/or within Grassroot Soccer ● ● Contribute to new Business Development opportunities through support for program design, partner mapping, stakeholder engagement, proposal writing, and networking ● Support the development and leadership teams in business development meetings, proposals and solicitations to drive GRS core programs. ● Support the curriculum team to assist in improving GRS’s core programs and geographies ● Where appropriate, provide training and ongoing support of key local partnerships. ● ● Manage, evaluate and summarize each program and partner. Implement GRS training and support for implementing partners in the US Market. Qualifications: 2 ● 3+ years of demonstrated experience implementing and/or providing technical assistance to partners in donor funded projects ● Bachelor’s degree in relevant fields (sport for development, youth mental health, education and/or development). ● Demonstrated experience working with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders (e.g., from young people to global headquarters to boards to partners to field teams) ● Willingness and ability to travel domestically (very infrequent international travel may be required) up to 10% of time. ● Preferred: ○ High proficiency in Spanish language (fluency preferred) ○ Master’s degree in relevant field ○ Knowledge and experience working in adolescent health and mental health ○ Experience in a cross-cultural work environment ○ Experience with a range of donor organizations and relevant donor rules and regulations ○ Experience in or with the US soccer community Ideal candidate should have exceptional skills in the following: ● Attention to detail ● Effective communication, both oral and written, in English, Spanish and other languages, with wide range of external and internal stakeholders (e.g., young people, board members, senior leadership, staff) ● Time management and prioritization ● Ability to proactively identify issues, propose and implement solutions ● Building relationships with wide range of staff and partners, and operating within diverse social and cultural contexts, often virtually over multiple continents, and time zones ● Thinking strategically yet knowing how and when to dive into the details ● Managing budgets ● Ability to see and tell stories from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. Successful leaders at Grassroot Soccer are bold, yet humble. They are passionate about the mission of Grassroot Soccer and understand their role on the Grassroot Soccer team to achieve its mission. Day to day, they are… ● Proactive: can anticipate both opportunities and obstacles and take action ● Professional: level-headed; ability to de-escalate difficult situations, behave exceptionally, and manage/minimize distractions ● Problem Solvers: comfortable with ambiguity, can creatively unlock bottlenecks and turn problems into opportunities 3 …they demonstrate lots of… ● Common Sense: prioritizing the right things at the right time; making good, quick, informed decisions balancing multiple issues and points of view ● Self-awareness: know where one’s blind spots are, recognize differences, and build a team to complement one’s skills and weaknesses …and a strong bias for… ● Follow-through and Outcomes: deliver results, not just create lots of activity ● Treating People Well: empathetic, kind, great listener, yet can make tough decisions and hold oneself/others accountable All candidates should apply using the following link: https://forms.gle/rdqTTsysCaDVw7Gd6 Application Deadline: Open until filled. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. At GRS, we are committed to fostering a workplace where all employees feel valued, supported, and empowered. We offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to promote well-being, including health insurance, dental insurance, retirement plan, paid time off, professional development opportunities and more. At Grassroot Soccer, we are committed to offering competitive and fair compensation. Salaries are determined based on multiple factors, including experience, qualifications, and the geographic location. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe in fair and equitable pay practices. We are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, ensuring that all employees, regardless of background, have equal access to opportunities for growth and success. Grassroot Soccer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We strive to create an inclusive workplace that reflects the diverse communities we serve. 4