The London Olympics is invigorating the sports jobs market, creating competition for private sector professionals who can strike sponsorship deals, increase their memberships and raise performance standards.
A survey by Sports Recruitment International, a leading sports consultancy, says the days of administrators accepting low salaries because of their passion for the job are ending, as governing bodies offer salaries of up to £150,000 ($265,000, ˆ190,000) for chief executives and £300,000 for performance directors.
While these salaries pale in comparison to the huge sums paid by professional clubs, they represent a marked increase over the past couple of years.
“There is now a much more professional edge to national governing bodies, and they are now run as businesses,” says Amy Johnson of SRI. “The skill sets are very much commercially focused – people who can do deals, who have sales skills. There is also a need for online marketing skills.”
This new breed is also required to find alternative income streams for sports bodies, which had until now been dependent on government funding.
The award of the 2012 games, says SRI, has had “a galvanising effect” on the sports jobs market, shining a spotlight on underinvested sports, and generating more resources, particularly from the private sector, to improve elite performance.
Among those recruited from the private sector is Russell Findlay, the chief executive of the London Youth Games who has joined from Fulham football club. The UK market also attracts talent from abroad.
SRI’s salary survey of 1,300 sports professionals also found many lured into new jobs by packages that include performance-related bonuses, pensions, medical cover and car allowances.
(Source: FT.com)
