Head of Elite Athlete Development

The role of Head of Sports Talent Pathways is a critical leadership position responsible for ensuring the successful development and progression of elite athletes through a structured pathway.

This strategic role requires a highly experienced individual with a deep understanding of athlete development science, systems, and the transition needs from junior to elite. The successful candidate will be responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive talent pathway, collaborating with key stakeholders, and driving new initiatives to fill critical talent gaps.

• Key Responsibilities:

Design and execute a comprehensive IIS talent pathway from talent identification through to talent recruitment.

Collaborate with key stakeholders to create clear marketing campaigns and social media publicity around the IIS opportunities and how to sign up for consideration/trials etc.

Actively engage in the long-term strategic planning and review processes with the senior leadership team.

Talent Identification and Development:

• Coordinate and deliver annual talent identification programs, including multi-stage testing and profiling.
• Develop sport-specific benchmarking and profiling systems in collaboration with sports scientists and national/international benchmarks performance standards.
• Drive new initiatives such as talent transfer and special scouting projects to fill critical talent gaps i.e. female heavyweight athletes in combat sports.
• Implement Teamwork's Athlete Recruitment Management Systems (ARMS) to ensure a comprehensive talent database in maintain in all IIS's chosen sports.

Program Design and Delivery:

• Oversee annual planning, marketing and scheduling of creative talent identification campaigns which create the pathways across all IIS sports.
• Ensure every athlete is supported throughout any talent recruitment campaign and all communication is simple and clear to understand.
• Establish through modern video mediums and publish on a frequent basis a 'How to' participate in IIS talent identification and recruitment campaigns.
• Create a clear modern graphical IIS prospectus which outlines the offer to each athlete who we are looking to recruit to the program or to take part in a talent recruitment day.
• Create a payment and reward system for athletes which attracts the best talent to the IIS but enables an elevation of the importance to prioritise an Olympic Medal winning journey over the Indian National title. National titles targeted/prioritised towards the final years of an athlete's career.

Staff and Stakeholder Management:

• Working alongside the IIS HR team recruit and develop a talent scouting and talent recruitment team, this will be the talent pathways team.
• Lead the pathways team to build and develop relationships with key stakeholders, club coaches, parents, national federations and any required stakeholders.

Data, Review & Insights:

• Track and monitor athlete talent using real-time performance analytics, benchmarking tools, and regular reviews.
• Lead pathway reviews and work to elevate the club structure with annual CPD opportunities for club coaches who maintain a positive relationship with the IIS.
• Use national and international performance trends to inform talent recruitment strategy, selection, and long-term investments.

Education and Welfare Integration:

• Collaborate with IIS educational pathways team for athlete welfare, and dual career programs to ensure they embedded within talent development structures.
• Facilitate induction, transition, and exit processes for athletes entering and exiting the pathway.

Compliance and Reporting:

• Ensure compliance with institutional, national, and international regulatory frameworks including anti-doping, safeguarding, and any donor requirements.
• Prepare program reports, athlete summaries, and budget justifications as required.

• Person Specification:

Essential:

• Proven leadership in talent development and pathway management in Olympic or elite sports settings.
• 5–8 years' experience in performance sport (preferably multi-sport or Olympic disciplines).
• Deep understanding of athlete development science, systems, and the transition needs from junior to elite.
• Strong communication, stakeholder management, and program management skills.
• Experience managing budgets, staff, and complex logistics.

Desirable:

• Coaching qualifications in a relevant sport.
• Understanding of India's high-performance sports ecosystem.
• Previous involvement with national/international federations.
• Knowledge of long-term athlete development models and international medal trajectory planning.
• Experience with athlete management systems, data platforms, and performance tracking tools.

• Additional Requirements:

Flexibility to travel and work weekends/irregular hours.

Ability to travel domestically.

Subject to police verification and background checks as per IIS compliance policy.