About Tennis Ireland
Tennis Ireland is the National Governing Body for the sport of tennis in Ireland. Tennis Ireland was founded in 1908 and has almost 180 affiliated clubs and engages with almost 80,000 players. Tennis Ireland has a dual remit to sustain and grow our growing tennis community, and to provide the necessary pathways and performance ecosystem for young players who aspire to play on the professional tennis tour, to achieve against their ambitions. Hence our purpose is to nurture and promote excellence at all levels of our all-island tennis community. Tennis Ireland stages Pro Tour events including the Irish Open Championships and selects teams to participate in the Billie Jean King Cup, Davis Cup and other international events at Junior, Senior and Masters level. Tennis Ireland also supports the delivery of a wide range of competitive, educational and development tennis programmes at local, provincial and national levels.
About the Role
Tennis Ireland, in association with Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland (UBTI), is looking to recruit an Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland Development Officer and a Child Safeguarding Officer. Reporting to the Director of Development with a monthly report into the Ulster Branch Tennis Ireland. The successful applicant will deliver Tennis Ireland development programmes in the Ulster region, working with Clubs, Parks, Schools, Volunteers, communities and Local Authorities to increase tennis participation throughout the province.
The ideal candidate will have a strong tennis background and experience in sports development.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
• To deliver the targets agreed with Sport NI in the Ulster Tennis 5 Year Action Plan 2023-2028. These come under the headings
o Retention and Growth
o Workforce Planning
o Safeguarding
o Equality, Diversion and Inclusion
o Good Governance
• To Act as the Safeguarding Officer for UBTI
General
• To implement in conjunction with our Development Team and other key stakeholders, the relevant objectives from our strategic pillars over the next five years.
• Recognise that our values and behaviours are central to everything we do in Tennis Ireland Values – Integrity, inclusiveness, community, excellence.Behaviours – Leadership, respect, nurture, standards.
Safeguarding
• Act as the Safeguarding Officer for UBTI
• Attend courses, seminars and workshops delivered by NSPCC and liaise with the organisation as required.
• Ensure our clubs and other stakeholders are following the Sport NI safeguarding standards and our 10 safeguarding requirements
• Signpost all our club safeguarding officers to the required training as a prerequisite for conducting the role.
• Conduct safeguarding information workshops and webinars for our stakeholders
• Act as a safeguarding resource to all participants in Ulster tennis.
Retention and growth
• Keep Clubs up to date with all new concepts on club matters.
• Incentivise information sharing, drive efficiency and innovation through the delivery of our Inter Club Forum workshops on the chosen topics selected through our surveys.
• Create online resources for further support to all our affiliated clubs.
• Upload webinar recordings to our website and sign post our members to the site.
• Deliver a grant programme for clubs to run membership recruitment drives.
• Increase the number of clubs with Links to local schools.
• Work with the schools coordinator and increase the number of clubs with Links to local schools.
• Promote the Parks Tennis initiative to increase participation in partnership with Parks Tennis Ireland, the schools tennis coordinator, clubs and Local Councils.
• Promote the Tennis Ireland Lifelong Participation and Long-Term Player Development Pathway
• Promote and manage the Tennis Ireland Club-Mark programme as a benchmark for good governance in clubs.
Competition
• Promote the use of the World Tennis Number (WTN), and level-based competition across the province at community, club, school, and regional levels for all.
• Work with clubs on their internal competition structure and ensure they have a good balance between coaching and organised play
• Promote the Competitions Organisers Webinar and our competition for all documents.
• Promote the Tennis Ireland Activators and Leaders Courses for volunteers, teachers, parents, council sports officers
• Promote the Tennis Ireland Pathway for Officiating
Workforce Planning
• Promote and organise a Coach Developer (Tutor) to deliver Level 1 and Level 2 Tennis Ireland Coaching qualifications in Ulster and encourage Level 2 & 3 graduates to progress to Levels 3 and 4 respectively.
• Promote, facilitate and lead volunteer training.
• Recruit and train coaches from Level 1 courses to deliver the Tennis activators course, the leaders’ course, Teacher training and Lunchtime Leaders in secondary schools
• Promote the officials training pathway for Competition officials
• Facilitate and promote safeguarding training across Ulster.
• Facilitate in conjunction with Tennis Coach Ireland the provision of CPD training for coaches in Ulster.
• Promote the ITF Academy to all coaches, volunteers, parents and players.
Sustainability
• Work with clubs to tackle the 5 basic objectives of our Global sustainable goals as in Travel, Waste, Water, Energy & Biodiversity
• Promote the Sustainable Toolkit at hand to all stakeholders.
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
• Promote our sport as welcoming and inclusive, offering appropriate opportunities for participation and improvement for all.
• Promote inclusion with a focus on addressing social, disability, gender, ethnic and other gradients.
• Promote our Activator and Leaders Courses to targeted audiences with a view to activating programmes on community and public courts.
• Maintain, consolidate and further Develop Enjoy Tennis Activities in the province.
Other Duties
• Assist with the Preparation and submission of funding applications to Sport NI, City Councils and other funders.
• Contribute towards Tennis Ireland and the Branches communications with our stakeholders by providing photos and promotional pieces on development activities around the province.
• Promote and assist with the implementation of the Everybody Active Programmes
• Attend monthly team meetings and any other relevant meetings throughout the year.
• Submit monthly reports to the Director of Development and the Ulster Branch.
Experience/qualifications required
• The ideal candidate will have a strong tennis background.
• Experience in sports development is desirable.
• A good knowledge of safeguarding young people and vulnerable adults.
• Access to own transport is essential as the successful candidate will need to travel throughout the region.
• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and data management software.
Key Attributes
• The ability to work off his/her own initiative.
• The ability to work as part of a team.
• A good “Peoples Person” who likes interacting and enjoys helping others (especially our stakeholders) to succeed in their objectives.
Additional Information
● Position is for a 2-year fixed term contract.
● Salary dependant on experience.
• The role is full-time based on a 37.5 hour working week. Subject to 6-month probationary review.
• Flexibility is required with the successful candidate required to work weekends or out of office hours as necessary.
How to apply Letter of application and CV should be sent by email to hr@tennisireland.ie no later than 12 noon on Thursday the 5th of September 2024.
Only applicants to be invited for an interview will be contacted. All candidates must have existing valid permission to live and work in the UK unrestricted. Appointment will be made subject to satisfactory Criminal Record Checks (Access NI), Safeguarding and suitable reference checks. Tennis Ireland is an equal opportunities employer