Sports Development Officer
Also advertised as: Active Communities Officer, Community Sports Development Officer, Participation Officer, Sport and Physical Activity Officer, Sports Development Officer
Runs programmes to increase participation in sport within a local community.
What the job involves
Sports development officers design and deliver initiatives that get more people active, often targeting specific groups such as young people, older adults or those with disabilities. You work with schools, clubs and local councils to organise sessions, events and funding bids. The role mixes project management with hands-on delivery.
Typical responsibilities
- Design and deliver community sports programmes
- Build partnerships with schools and clubs
- Apply for funding and grants
- Monitor and report participation outcomes
- Organise local sporting events and festivals
Common employers
- Local councils
- Leisure trusts
- National governing bodies of sport
- Charities promoting activity
Pay, hours and working environment
Typical pay
£21,000 – £25,000 a year
With experience
£27,000 – £34,000 a year
Typical hours
37 hours, some evenings and weekends for events
Working environment
Mix of office, community venues and outdoor sites
Remote working
hybrid
Demand for this work
steady
Pay ranges are indicative guidance drawn from advertised UK vacancies and published careers information. They are not an offer, and actual pay varies by employer, location and experience.
Skills and qualifications
Core skills
- Project management
- Community engagement
- Coaching knowledge
- Written reporting
- Partnership building
Transferable skills you may already have
- Coaching or volunteering experience
- Event organisation
- Communication
Requirements employers ask for
- Project management
- Community engagement
- Coaching knowledge
- Written reporting
- Partnership building
- GCSEs including maths and English
- Enhanced DBS check
Useful but not essential
- Coaching or volunteering experience
- Event organisation
- Communication
- Degree in sports development or sports science
- Coaching qualifications in one or more sports
Helpful qualifications
- Degree in sports development or sports science
- Coaching qualifications in one or more sports
Ways into this career
A degree is only one route. Where an apprenticeship, work-experience or qualification route exists, it is listed here alongside the academic option.
Apprenticeships and work-based routes
- Community Sport and Health Officer (Level 3)
Degree and college routes
- Related subject: PE and sport
- Related subject: Sports science
- Related subject: Community development
Where this career can lead
next
Senior Sports Development Officer
next
Sports Development Manager
next
Head of Active Communities
The good parts and the hard parts
What people enjoy
- Meaningful community impact
- Varied work across sites and groups
- Combines office and outdoor activity
What people find hard
- Funding for programmes can be short-term
- Success can be hard to measure and report
Common questions
- Do you need a degree to become a sports development officer?
- No. As well as degree routes, this career can be entered through an apprenticeship or by building experience and qualifications on the job. preferred
- How much does a sports development officer earn in the UK?
- Typical advertised pay runs from £21,000 to £25,000 a year, rising towards £34,000 with experience. Figures are indicative guidance rather than an offer.
- What skills transfer into this career?
- Skills that transfer well include Coaching or volunteering experience, Event organisation, Communication.
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Where this information comes from
- National Careers Service
- Institute for Apprenticeships
Last reviewed 14 September 2026.
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