Introduction:

Badminton is a sport for everyone. And at Badminton England we want to make our sport the most inclusive and accessible sport in the country. We are at the heart of a thriving badminton community to nurture a lifelong passion for our sport, consistently performing and delivering inspirational moments, openly attracting everyone who wants to get involved in our sport - whatever age, ability or gender. Our people love playing, watching and supporting badminton and we want to grow our badminton community - players, coaches, schools, clubs, counties, leisure operators, volunteers and fans.

• We do what matters; we are courageous and honest, always putting the best interests of badminton first.

• We include intentionally; we create safe and connected environments that welcome open and diverse views.

• We play for each other; we listen, respond to feedback and celebrate the successes of our sport and communities.

• We always aim to do today brilliantly; we innovate and constantly challenge the status quo through collaboration, active listening and encouragement of others.

With more than a million players playing badminton every month in England, badminton is the nation’s most played racket sport and the sixth biggest sport overall in this country. Quite simply, we want to inspire everyone to play more, support the sport and love, live and breathe badminton.

Role summary

We’re searching for an NBL Manager – Maternity Cover

The National Badminton League Manager will lead the development, delivery and expansion of the National Badminton League (NBL). This pivotal new role will drive the continued growth, professionalism and visibility of the NBL, ensuring it becomes an exciting, innovative and inspiring domestic league that strengthens badminton across England.

This role will work closely with teams, players, volunteers, contractors and colleagues across Marketing, Communications, Development, Competitions and Commercial to shape a modern, high quality league experience. A central expectation of the role is to continually explore new and imaginative ways of presenting badminton, enhancing the league’s look, feel, storytelling and digital presence, and elevating the fan experience both in venue and via streaming platforms.

Key responsibilities:

• Lead the delivery of the National Badminton League, ensuring a high-quality, professional and engaging competition.

• Work with the Senior Leadership Team to develop and implement the strategy for the League to enable it to evolve and develop successfully over time.

• Work closely with NBL teams to continually reimagine and improve the look, feel and presentation of the league — in person, online and through streaming channels — to elevate the spectator and player experience.

• Drive innovation in how badminton is showcased, testing new formats, presentation ideas, engagement methods and broadcast approaches to inspire players, teams, fans and new followers.

• Design, plan and deliver the National Badminton League Finals, creating a high impact, exciting and modern showcase event. Also lead on any other centrally organised league events.

• Manage league operations, including scheduling, regulations, venue coordination and season long planning, ensuring consistent delivery standards.

• Lead and coordinate contractors, volunteers and wider league workforce, ensuring effective delivery, high morale and professional standards.

• Inspire and motivate team directors, players, volunteers and contractors to deliver an exceptional and ambitious league experience.

• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications to enhance the league’s brand identity, visibility, storytelling and digital reach.

• Work with Development and other internal teams to ensure the NBL supports the sport’s growth, inspires participation and connects positively to local badminton communities.

• Work with Commercial to seamlessly embed sponsors and other commercial partners into league activities to meet partner objectives and support the commercial evolution of the league.

• Contribute to the sustainability and commercial evolution of the NBL, supporting team stability and identifying future growth opportunities.

• Develop and produce framework and guidance documents to clearly set out expectations for the league.

Successful Candidate:

• Experience managing leagues, competitions or major sporting events at national or regional level.

• Strong understanding of league operations, scheduling, standards and team support.

• Demonstrable ability to innovate and enhance the presentation of sport, both in venue and digitally/streaming.

• Creativity and vision to reimagine how a sport can be presented to capture the imagination of players, teams and fans.

• Strong leadership and ability to inspire teams, volunteers, contractors and players around a shared ambition.

• Proven project and operational management skills, delivering complex, multistakeholder programmes.

• Experience collaborating with marketing or communications teams to elevate brand identity and audience engagement.

• Understanding of how competitions contribute to participation growth, talent pathways and community engagement.

• Commercial awareness and experience contributing to sustainable event or league models.

• Excellent relationship building skills across teams, stakeholders, event workforce and internal departments.

• Ability to use data, insight and evaluation to drive continuous improvement.

• Ability to problem-solve to overcome strategic and operational issues, sometimes in a time-restricted / high pressure environment.

• Willingness to travel on a regular basis to visit matches, undertake site visits etc.

• Commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion, ensuring the NBL reflects Badminton England values.

Application process:

Please send us your CV along with a cover letter explaining why you’re a great fit for the role. The closing date for applications is 12th July 2026 . Please send your application as soon as possible.

We reserve the right to close or withdraw the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role.

Working for Badminton England:

Find out what it is like to be part of our amazing team, check out our Working at Badminton England Information page here

Our Benefits:

Find out more about the benefits of working at Badminton England here

Job Title: NBL Manager

Responsible to: Sport Director

Office Location: National Badminton Centre, Milton Keynes (Hybrid working with minimum 2 days in the office to include Thursdays)

Term: Fixed-Term, Maternity Cover

Hours: Full-time (35.58h)

Salary: £34,000-£39,000 (Depending on experience)

Diversity & Inclusion:

"We positively celebrate Diversity & Inclusion at Badminton England. Our aim is to become the UK’s most inclusive National Governing Body - for our staff and members, reflecting and connecting with the diverse communities that we serve. We want people from all walks of life to feel valued for their individuality, thrive in our business and share a sense of belonging. To find out more about D&I at Badminton England, head over to our website to read out Inclusion Strategy.”