Elite Talent Pathway Director

The position of Senior Leadership Role in Elite Athlete Development is a strategic opportunity to drive the development and implementation of comprehensive talent pathways for athletes. This role will be responsible for overseeing the design, execution, and evaluation of programs aimed at identifying, recruiting, and confirming elite athlete potential.

Key responsibilities include:

• Design and execute a comprehensive talent pathway from talent identification through to talent recruitment and confirmation.
• Collaborate with marketing teams to create clear marketing campaigns and social media publicity around opportunities and how to sign up for consideration/trials.
• Actively engage in long-term strategic planning and review processes with 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.
• Implement Athlete Recruitment Management Systems (ARMS) to ensure a comprehensive talent database.

Program Design and Delivery:

• Oversee annual planning, marketing, and scheduling of creative talent identification campaigns creating pathways across all sports.
• Ensure every athlete is supported throughout any talent recruitment campaign and all communication is simple and clear to understand.
• Establish 'How to' participate in talent identification and recruitment campaigns through modern video mediums.
• Create a clear graphical prospectus outlining the offer to each athlete who we are looking to recruit or participate in a talent recruitment day.
• Create a payment and reward system attracting best talent while prioritising an Olympic Medal winning journey over National titles targeted/prioritised towards final years of an athlete's career.

Staff and Stakeholder Management:

• Recruit and develop a talent scouting and recruitment team.
• Lead the pathways team to build and develop relationships with key stakeholders, club coaches, parents, national federations, and 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 CPD opportunities for club coaches maintaining a positive relationship with the Institute.
• Use national and international performance trends to inform talent recruitment strategy, selection, and investments.

Education and Welfare Integration:

• Collaborate with educational pathways team for athlete welfare and dual career programs ensuring they are 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.
• 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 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 Institute compliance policy.