Careers

About Us

The Sport and Recreation Alliance strongly believes in the transformational power of sport and recreation to positively shape lives and help drive societal and economic growth.

As one of the main and longest standing organisations in the sector, we act to protect and promote the interest of our members - who range from traditional governing bodies of sport (including the Football Association, the Rugby Football Union, the England and Wales Cricket Board, England Netball, Skateboard GB), to outdoor and water pursuits (including Paddle UK, Camping and Caravanning Club and the Royal Yachting Association), to movement and dance organisations (including the British Dance Council and the Royal Academy of Dance).

We are firm believers in ‘life-work’ balance, and while we are a team of high-achievers, who all work hard, strive to deliver for our members and create real world impact, we equally prioritise fostering a fun, inclusive and supportive culture and environment, where everyone can learn, develop and achieve their full potential.

From face-to face training to networking and volunteering – you’ll have all the opportunities you need to make the right moves for you. We know the postholder won’t start with expertise in all these areas and we will help develop your knowledge.

As a member of our team, you’ll be doing everything you can to deliver our strategy, and we’ll be doing everything we can to support you every step of the way.

About The Role

Are you looking for an opportunity to work in the UK sport and physical activity sector and play a leading role in supporting and promoting a network of impactful and inspirational members?

The Sport and Recreation Alliance (SRA) – the representative body of, and voice for, the sport and recreation sector in the UK – is looking for a Membership Officer to join, support and help drive forward our team.

The Membership Officer, reporting to the Membership and Events Manager, plays a vital administrative role within the Membership, Governance, Communications, and Public Affairs Department, including supporting the growth and retention of our diverse membership base, with a focus on building effective relationships with membership organisations and boosting membership sales.

The role combines and requires a mix of strategic thinking – including the ability to plan ahead, identify challenges and opportunities, and update and advise members and the wider team – with essential administrative responsibilities, including managing and maintaining accurate membership data in the CRM system, keeping track of renewal dates with members and following up in timely manner, organising meetings, and preparing agendas and minutes.

This dynamic role also requires a proactive and marketing-savvy approach to networking, relationship-building, and delivering exceptional administrative support to drive membership growth and engagement. The Membership Officer will need to understand the services we provide, and ensure members feel valued and well-supported through excellent written and in-person customer service.

It is a busy role with some responsibility, so it represents a good chance to learn, develop and make your mark.

If that’s of interest to you, please do consider applying. The closing date for applications is 11.59pm on Sunday 29 December.

Further Information

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Oversee the day-to-day administration of the membership inbox as the first point of contact, ensuring all enquiries are signposted to the relevant department and responded to within set timescales.
• Assist the Membership and Events Manager with achieving membership, recruitment and retention key performance indicator targets
• Proactively identify and pursue opportunities to grow the membership base, including outreach to prospective members and underrepresented groups
• Proactively engage and build relationships and support members as needed and be the main point of contact for membership enquiries and chasing for payment.
• Proactively engage with members via telephone, Microsoft Teams / Zoom, email and at face-to-face events and forums - always displaying Alliance values and behaviours.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with partners, exploring collaborative opportunities to add value for members and support organisational goals
• Coordinate and deliver a programme of member and sub-committee meetings, including creating agendas and accurate minute-taking.
• Ensure accuracy of data in our internal and customer relation membership (CRM) databases; monitor and confidently report on membership trends, using data insights to inform strategies for growth and retention.
• Deliver any other marketing, project-related or wider-team activity as and when required to support the Alliance’s strategy.
• Work with the Office Administrator to provide membership and administrative support, for engagements and room bookings taking place at Holborn Tower, when required.
• Support and contribute to overarching mission of the Alliance and team; to protect and promote our members, and help foster a more active nation.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL NEED TO DEMONSTRATE:

• Highly organised with meticulous planning skillsw
• Excellent customer service skills, ideally within a similar environment
• Strong administrative skills and a keen eye for detail
• Proficiency in using CRM systems or databases to manage customer data
• Able to operate well under pressure and manage time effectively
• Able manage multiple tasks and deadlines effectively
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with a friendly and approachable manner
• Confident and comfortable working in a team or in an individual environment
• Flexible as the working environment and duties can change
• An understanding of the landscape we operate in, and our work with members to help increase the number and ability of people to participate in sport, recreation and physical activity.

BENEFITS OF WORKING AT THE ALLIANCE

Below is a list of the range of benefits we offer our employees.

• 25 days paid holiday, increasing to 27 days after 3 years and 30 days after 5 years. Paid bank holidays. You also have the option to buy an additional 5 days leave per year.
• In addition, we offer 3.5 privilege days which is taken between Christmas and New Year.
• 2 moments that matter days to be taken each year which can be used for whatever is important to you - from celebrating a birthday to a movie day.
• 4 volunteering days per year.
• No long-hours culture. Our team work hard but we strongly discourage late working. We like our team to be able to enjoy their personal life as well as their time at work.
• Centrally located attractive office in Holborn which includes collaboration spaces and is close to shops, cafes, bars, gyms and sport clubs. 
• Hybrid working from day 1 – all the team do a mixture of working at home and office
• Focus on learning and development. The team are encouraged to discuss their career paths with their line managers as our new approach to performance appraisals. We also tap into the expertise within the sector for employees to shadow with possible mentoring opportunities and a focus on learning from each other including our Board members.
• Enhanced sick leave, maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Special leave ranging from dependents and carers leave, household emergency, moving house through to bereavement leave for family members and pets.
• Private healthcare with Vitality which includes a range of reward partners.
• £250 annually towards gym, sports club or sports equipment purchases.
• Choice of 2 pension providers.
• Access to an employee assistance programme through Health Assured should you need additional financial or emotion support. We annually train members of our team to become Mental Health First Aiders.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply, please send a CV with a covering letter outlining why you want the role and how you meet the role specification. Your covering letter should be 2 sides of A4 maximum. Please send your CV and covering letter to recruitment@sportandrecreation.org.uk

If you would like an informal chat about the role, please contact the recruitment inbox and we will ask the recruiting manager to make contact to discuss.

The closing date for applications is 11.59pm on Saturday 29 December. Should we receive a large volume of applications, we may decide to close the application process early. We aim to hold online interviews on Tuesday 7 January. This will be followed up with a face to face interview should you be successful at the first stage.  

Whilst we offer hybrid working, there is an expectation to be in our London office two days per week. You must also prove you have eligibility to work in the UK.

PROTECTING YOUR DATA

Prior to submitting an application, please refer to our privacy notices on our website.

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Diversity is valued within our team. More than just encouraging your application, we're committed to conscious inclusion that (we hope) cultivates an ethos of belonging, connection and shared purpose. It’s this philosophy that drove us to shape our values and behaviours and we open our doors to those who share those values.

Every role in the Alliance team is open to applications from all sections of society. We believe in the potential of everyone; regardless of race, religion or belief, ethnic origin, different physical ability, family structure, socioeconomics, age, nationality, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other difference that makes you, well, you.

Our recruitment process anonymises your application at shortlisting stage. If you are invited to interview and you have a physical or mental medical condition which could impact on your ability to participate in the Alliance’s recruitment process, please let us know before your interview by emailing the recruiting manager who is recruiting for this position or HR.

EQUALITY & DIVERSITY MONITORING

It would really help us if you were able to complete our equality and diversity monitoring survey here. This is anonymous and does not form part of the recruitment process.

Apply for role

Closing date: 29th December 2024