Governance, Legal & Finance · Established
Safeguarding Officer
Leads child and adult safeguarding at a club or body.
Do you need a qualification?
Required A qualification, licence or registration is required.
Specialist safeguarding training and background checks are required, and teaching, social work or policing backgrounds are common.
Salary.
What the role involves
- Run safeguarding policies and training
- Handle concerns and referrals
- Work with police and local authorities
Ways in, with or without formal qualifications
Experience, knowledge and interests count in football. These routes are what people in this role commonly point to.
Experience
Teaching or youth-work background
Teachers and youth workers bring behaviour management, safeguarding awareness and planning skills to coaching, education and welfare roles.
Experience
Community and foundation programmes
Part-time delivery roles with club foundations and charities, running sessions in schools and communities.
Experience
Career change from law, finance, tech or marketing
Clubs and governing bodies hire professionals from other industries into legal, finance, data, marketing and operations roles.
Qualifications and licences
You need the relevant qualification, licence or registration in this role.
Safety & welfare
Safeguarding Children Training & Background Check
A basic requirement for most people who work with children in football. It covers recognising and reporting concerns and keeping a safe environment.
Degree
Teaching Qualification (QTS or equivalent)
Required to teach in state schools in many countries. PE teachers often coach school football and move into development roles.
Skills and knowledge
Tools you may use
Where this role is found
Where this role leads
Football Governance & Regulatory Officer
Strongly preferred
Works for an association, league or regulator on rules, licensing and enforcement.
Common stepping stones into this role
Pay and context by region
Illustrative estimates scaled from a UK baseline. Check local job adverts and union or association data.
| Region | Indicative pay | Football structure |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | £28K to £60K GBP | Premier League, EFL Championship, League One and League Two, then the National League system and a deep grassroots pyramid. |
| Spain | €26K to €56K EUR | LaLiga EA Sports and LaLiga Hypermotion, then Primera Federación and regional leagues. |
| Germany | €33K to €70K EUR | Bundesliga, 2. |
| Italy | €26K to €56K EUR | Serie A, Serie B, Serie C and the Serie D amateur tier. |
| France | €28K to €60K EUR | Ligue 1, Ligue 2, National and regional leagues, with a highly developed training-centre system. |
| United States & Canada | $46K to $98K USD | MLS, NWSL and USL pro tiers, a pay-to-play youth model, and a large college (NCAA, NAIA, USports) football system that doubles as a career route. |
| Brazil | R$69K to R$150K BRL | Série A to D, state championships and an intense youth system that sells many players abroad. |
| Saudi Arabia & the Gulf | SAR 150K to SAR 320K SAR | Professional leagues backed by major state investment, with fast-growing academies and a strong demand for international staff. |
| India | ₹770K to ₹1.7M INR | The Indian Super League and I-League sit above state leagues. |
| Nigeria & West Africa | ₦11M to ₦24M NGN | Domestic leagues feed a strong export route to European clubs, with many private academies and scouting networks. |