The Role

The British American Football Association (BAFA) is the recognised National Governing Body for the sport of American football in Great Britain, both contact and flag. BAFA is responsible for all regulatory, competition, performance and development aspects of the game.

The Chair of the Board provides independent leadership of the Board, ensuring BAFA operates with strong governance, strategic clarity, financial discipline and stakeholder confidence as the national governing body for American football in Great Britain. Working in partnership with the Chief Executive, the Chair ensures that BAFA’s Together to Inspire three-year strategy is effectively governed, funded, monitored and delivered — balancing participation growth, performance pathways, safeguarding obligations and financial sustainability in a complex, volunteer-heavy ecosystem. The Chair’s role is not operational. It is to set direction, hold to account, enable delivery and protect the long-term health and reputation of the sport.

Core Responsibilities

1. Board Leadership & Effectiveness

• Lead the Board to operate as a high-performing, disciplined and strategically focused governance body.
• Set the tone for constructive challenge, evidence-based decision-making and collective accountability.
• Agree clear annual board priorities aligned to the three-year strategy (not agenda drift).
• Ensure Board composition, skills and succession planning remain fit for BAFA’s evolving needs.
• Lead annual Board and Chair performance evaluations, with clear follow-up actions.

2. Strategy & Performance Oversight

• Lead the Board’s ownership of BAFA’s strategic objectives, ensuring clarity on:
  • Participation growth (including flag football and youth pathways)
  • Performance and talent development
  • Safeguarding, welfare and integrity
  • Financial sustainability and funding resilience
• Challenge the executive on pace, prioritisation and trade-offs where resources are constrained.
• Ensure strategy reviews remain adaptive to external change (funding, regulation, participation trends).

3. Relationship with the Chief Executive

• Act as a trusted partner and mentor to the Chief Executive.
• Maintain a clear boundary between governance and management.
• Agree clear performance expectations and conduct annual CEO appraisal.
• Ensure the executive is supported, challenged and held accountable for delivery against agreed objectives.

4. Governance, Risk & Compliance

• Ensure BAFA consistently meets the standards expected of a modern, well-governed NGB, including:
  • Safeguarding and welfare
  • Equality, diversity and inclusion
  • Ethical conduct and disciplinary processes
  • Financial controls and audit oversight
• Chair ensures that risk is actively governed, not passively noted.
• Oversee committee effectiveness (Audit & Risk, Safeguarding, Discipline, EDI, etc.).
• Ensure transparency with members and regulators, particularly where difficult decisions are required.

5. Stakeholder Leadership & External Profile

• Act as principal ambassador for BAFA at board-level engagements.
• Build confidence with key stakeholders:
  • Member clubs and leagues
  • Volunteers and officials
  • Sport England and funding partners
  • International federations and external bodies
• Support the Board and executive in navigating competing stakeholder interests while maintaining strategic coherence.
• Protect and enhance BAFA’s reputation, particularly during periods of change or challenge.

6. Culture, Values & Integrity

• Champion a culture of:
  • Integrity and transparence
  • Inclusion and fairness
  • Respect for volunteers and participants
  • Accountability at every level
• Ensure behaviour, decisions and governance processes consistently reflect BAFA’s stated values.

Person Specification

Essential

• Senior leadership experience at board or executive level in:
  • Sport, charity, membership-based or complex stakeholder organisations.
• Strong understanding of non-executive governance, including:
  • Board effectiveness
  • Financial oversight
  • Risk and assurance
• Proven ability to lead through influence, not authority.
• Sound judgement, independence of thought and confidence to challenge constructively.
• Commitment to safeguarding, inclusion and ethical leadership.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, legacy issues and constrained resources without losing strategic focus.

Desirable

• Previous Chair or Senior NED experience
• Experience within national governing bodies or regulated sporting environments.
• Understanding of participation-led sports development models.
• Familiarity with public funding, grant accountability and stakeholder assurance.
• Knowledge of American football, flag football or comparable team sports (helpful, not essential).

Clear Success Measures (Chair-Accountable)

Within the Chair’s first 12–18 months, success will be evidenced by:

Board & Governance

• Board agendas consistently focused on strategy, risk and performance (not operations).
• Independent board evaluation shows measurable improvement in effectiveness.
• Clear committee structures with defined remits and accountability.

Strategic Delivery

• BAFA’s three-year strategy is:
  • Clearly understood by the Board and executive
  • Actively monitored through a small number of strategic KPIs
• Strategic priorities are resourced realistically and reviewed annually.

Executive Relationship

• Strong, trusted and appropriately challenging Chair-CEO relationship.
• Clear CEO objectives and performance reviews completed annually.

Stakeholder Confidence

• Improved confidence and clarity among:
  • Member clubs and leagues
  • Funding bodies
  • Volunteers and officials
• Transparent communication during periods of change or challenge.

Risk & Reputation

• No material governance, safeguarding or compliance failures.
• Risks are anticipated, escalated and managed — not reacted to.
• BAFA maintains a credible, professional reputation with external partners.

Diversity and Inclusion

The British American Football Association embraces equality, diversity and inclusion both on and off the field of play, where everyone can bring their whole selves to the organisation. We encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates irrespective of their age, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership. 

How to apply

If you are interested in applying, please upload your CV and a cover letter outlining your experience and what makes you suitable for the role no later than 5pm on Wednesday 4 February 2026. If you have any questions about the role, please contact nichole.mcculloch@britishamericanfootball.org