JOB TITLE: Operations Officer
DEPARTMENT: Matchday Safety
LOCATION: Chelsea Football Club Sites (Stamford Bridge and Kingsmeadow Stadium)
CONTRACT: Full Time
About Us: As a member of the Chelsea FC team you will become part of a long and proud history in the heart of iconic West London, which dates back to the club’s founding in 1905. Since that time the club has won every major domestic and international trophy, being crowned English, European and World Champions in the process.
Chelsea FC are a club which proudly strives to be the best in everything we do, on and off the pitch, as shown by the further success of our Women’s and Academy sides, as well as the excellent work in the community undertaken by the Chelsea Foundation, while engaging with our many supporters from a wide range of backgrounds at home in the UK and around the world.
Job Function:
To support the safe and secure delivery of all matches and events at Stamford Bridge and Kingsmeadow Stadium in accordance with the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds (Green Guide), the General Safety Certificate, and the Club’s Spectator Safety Policy.
This role is full time and includes weekend and the candidate must be flexible and adaptable to differing seasonal work patterns.
Main Responsibilities:
The Operations Officer will support the Matchday Safety & Operations team in ensuring all safety and operational standards are met. Responsibilities include:
Operational Support
- Assist with the supervision of Matchday Stewarding and Security teams
- Support the planning, setup, and operational delivery of matches and events across both stadiums
- Participate in pre-event checks of physical infrastructure in line with SGSA Green Guide requirements
- Assist with the coordination and distribution of matchday documentation, including briefings, checklists, and reports
Safety & Compliance
- Support the implementation of safety procedures to ensure compliance with national legislation and the stadium’s General Safety Certificate
- Assist with routine reviews of risk assessments and contingency planning documentation
- Help monitor and record Health & Safety standards during matchdays and events
- Participate in incident reporting and assist with post-event investigations as required
Collaboration & Communication
- Help maintain effective working relationships with internal departments and external partners including Police, Fire, and Ambulance Services, Licensing Authorities, and SAG representatives
- Assist in delivering Safety Steward inductions and familiarisation activities
- Support training administration for matchday operational teams
Matchday Responsibilities
- Undertake the Safety Officer / Lead Safety Officer role on a rotational basis, with responsibility for operational safety management on event days covered by the Safety Certificate
- Assist in conducting post-match debriefs and compiling Steward and operational reports
- Support monitoring Steward service delivery and customer satisfaction feedback
Protective security and counter-terrorism awareness
- Support proportionate protective security planning, ensuring operational teams understand relevant risks and controls for the event profile.
Personal Specification:
Qualifications:
Essential
- Currently be in possession of or are working towards NVQ level 4 or 5 in Spectator Safety
- Possession of Health and Safety Professional Qualifications including IOSH or NEBOSH
- Safeguarding Level 2 qualification or equivalent
Desirable
Experience:
Essential
- Experience working within a sports ground, event venue, or similar environment
- Understanding of SGSA Green Guide principles
- Experience working as part of a safety, security, or operational events team
- Strong organisational skills and ability to work under pressure
- Good interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate across multi-agency environments
- Good IT literacy (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
Desirable
- Experience within football or sports industry operations
- Experience supervising or coordinating staff
Our Expectations:
- To embody the club’s BLUE behaviours (Brave, Lead, Unity, Edge) in the approach to work and interaction with others
- To adhere to the club’s policies and procedures, including Health & Safety, Financial Authorisation, Confidentiality and GDPR.
- To act as an ambassador for diversity, equality, and inclusion, and demonstrate a positive commitment by treating others fairly in line with our Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Policy and reporting any acts of discrimination through appropriate channels
- To create a safe environment and act to protect all young people and vulnerable adults that are either in your care or attending club premises, and report any concerns to the Safeguarding Lead
- To report any misconduct or suspected misconduct to the HR Department
Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:
At Chelsea we recognise that the diversity of our people is one of our greatest strengths and we are taking positive action to ensure our existing colleagues and job applicants can fully be themselves and bring their own unique experiences and perspectives to Chelsea FC. This means giving full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.
If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please reach out to your recruiter, who will be able to advise and support you.
Chelsea FC is fully committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of all children, young people and adults at risk (vulnerable groups). We therefore require all successful applicants to complete a DBS Check prior to starting employment. Depending on the role, successful applicants may also be required to undergo other child protection screening where appropriate.
This Job Description is not intended to be exhaustive; the duties and responsibilities may therefore vary over time according to the changing needs of the Club
