Pathway · Step up
Football Operations Manager to Technical Director
How to move from Football Operations Manager to Technical Director: what to learn, what to prove and what formal steps, if any, are needed.
Qualification check for Technical Director
Strongly preferred
Most employers will expect a qualification for the new role, but evidence of experience also counts. Not always required, but senior coaching licences or a strong management profile are expected.
2 to 4 yearstypical timeline
4new skills to build
1qualifications to consider
+231%mid-point UK pay change, illustrative
The move at a glance
Football Operations Manager
Runs the day-to-day football operations of a squad.
Technical Director
Sets the football philosophy and builds the pathway from academy to first team.
Skills and knowledge to build
Experience and routes that help
Qualifications to consider
Tools to learn
What the new role asks of you
- Define the playing model and standards
- Appoint and support coaches
- Align recruitment and development
Practical steps
- Ask for a small piece of the new role's work before you apply, for example one of the tasks above.
- Close the top gap first: Leadership.
- Keep a record of two results that show you working at the next level.
- Talk to three people who do the job. Ask how they got in, and who they would recommend you speak to.