Racing & Development Officer

Racing and Development Officer

Who We Are

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing, powerboating, and windsurfing. Our vision is to facilitate active life on open water by providing an environment in which our activities are developed, supported, and promoted at all levels - from recreation to competition to success on the international stage through our values of Leadership, Passion, Belonging, Excellence, Integrity, and Clarity.

Role Overview

Irish Sailing wishes to recruit a Racing and Development Officer to join its team. The role is responsible for helping to implement initiatives to grow and enhance the quality of racing at all levels, with a focus on club support, race official training, junior and youth pathways, and regional collaboration. This role provides direct support to clubs by way of managing day-to-day race official development, and coordinates joint racing programs, ensuring alignment with the strategic direction set by the Racing Manager.

This role will support the growth and sustainability of Irish Sailing’s racing activity through training and structured youth racing opportunities while also providing direct development support to clubs ensuring alignment with the strategic direction set by the Racing Manager.

Reporting to: Racing Manager, Irish Sailing

Key Responsibilities

Race Official Training and Development

• Support the Racing Manager in planning and implementing a national race official training and development program on an ongoing basis.

• Manage the certification and tracking of race officials and provide ongoing development opportunities to improve skills and officiating consistency across the Country.

• Liaise with clubs to identify local needs for race official training and facilitate the scheduling of courses to build a sustainable pipeline of qualified officials within a national race official training programme.

• Manage records of race official qualifications and assist in organising applications for recognition and reappointment opportunities.

Development, Club Support and Regional Collaboration

• Act as liaison with clubs for all racing-related initiatives, offering guidance and resources to support local racing development.

• Coordinate regional collaboration initiatives, including inter-club leagues and joint racing programs, to foster local racing networks and increase participation.

• Support clubs in organising and promoting events, ensuring alignment with Irish Sailing and World Sailing standards and strategic goals.

• Identify and realise projects and initiatives to develop and increase participation in Irish Sailing that promotes our sports across communities, highlighting greater inclusion.

• Actively build and develop relationships with Sport Ireland, LSP’s, clubs, centres, other third parties to facilitate the reach of Irish Sailing to target groups and to explore potential locations for increasing participation in our sports.

Junior and Youth Racing Pathways

• Develop accessible entry points by creating programs for clubs and schools to introduce juniors to racing. Coordinate regional youth racing by organising leagues and introductory events at the regional level, building a pathway to higher competition and developing young talent.

• Collaborate on strategic youth development by supporting and working with the Racing Manager to align youth racing programs with Irish Sailing’s goals, supporting club-level training and national events to increase competitive and non-competitive participation.

Team and Match Racing Programs

• Support team racing and match racing activities, coordinating events and competitions with relevant stakeholders.

• Actively support the further development of Schools & Scouts affiliation.

• Provide support and co-ordinate the movement of the Irish Sailing Firefly fleets across the Country when moving from host clubs in line with contracts.

• Support clubs and organisations in establishing and growing team and match racing programs, promoting local and regional engagement.

Event and Competitions Support

• Provide operational support to clubs for local and regional events, ensuring that events meet Irish Sailing’s standards for safety, quality, and inclusivity.

• Oversee event coordination tasks such as scheduling, resource allocation, and on-site support for key regional and junior events, facilitating smooth event delivery.

  
  

Communication and Reporting

• Serve as a liaison between Irish Sailing, race officials, youth program coaches, and clubs for all program-related updates and queries.

• Report on all aspects of activity and performance and any strategic feedback and support requirements to the Racing Manager.

• Partner with the Communications team to share local racing success stories, event updates, and youth racing highlights across Irish Sailing’s channels.

Support for the Racing Manager

• Assist the Racing Manager in implementing key racing policies, event safety protocols, strategic initiatives, and support for relevant policy & working groups.

• Collaborate on special projects or working and policy groups as directed, bringing club and grassroots insights to inform higher-level strategy and policy development.

Knowledge & Experience

• 1-3 years’ relevant professional or voluntary experience in sailing, and a working knowledge of race management, coaching or youth sport development.

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective stakeholder engagement and club/class liaison.

• Ability to build strong relationships at various levels, foster a positive work environment, and influence objectives with diverse stakeholders including young people, parents, volunteers, tutors, and colleagues in sports.

• Flexibility to travel to support clubs and attend events across Ireland, if required.

• Self-motivated with strong administrative and organisational skills.

  
  

Desirable Criteria

• Third Level Qualification in the following: Outdoor Education / Business Management / Marketing / Sports preferable but not essential.

• Knowledge and experience of sport in general and sailing.

  
  

Personal attributes

• Passionate about and a commitment to developing our sports with a desire for a career in Sailing.

• Strong leadership and decision-making skills, particularly in managing sensitive issues.

• Positively contribute to the Sport Ireland and Irish Sailing Strategic Plans and programmes.

• Self-motivated with strong, administrative, time management, planning and organisational skills.

• Integrity and empathy, be resourceful and work on own initiative in a flexible and co-operative manner.

• Ability to problem solve and make effective decisions.

• Capable of consulting, communicating, and networking appropriately and effectively.

• Competent in analysing data to identify trends, measure success, and make informed decisions.

• Ability to be flexible and respond to challenges as they arise.

Location: Irish Sailing’s Head Office location is in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.

Role Location: Office / Hybrid mix

Status: Permanent full time

Closing Date: Friday 29th of November 2024

Irish Sailing is dedicated to creating a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace. If you are excited about this role but do not meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply—you may be the perfect fit for this or other roles. As an equal opportunities’ employer, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to an inclusive environment for all employees.