Product Manager

Introduction 

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) is the national governing body for football in Ireland, driving the growth, promotion, and development of the game at all levels. We are passionate about inspiring participation, supporting talent, and celebrating the power of football to unite communities across the country. With a proud history and an ambitious vision for the future, the FAI is committed to fostering excellence on and off the pitch, ensuring the game is inclusive, accessible, and a source of national pride. 

 

The Purpose of the Role 

The Product Manager is responsible for owning the vision, roadmap and continuous development of the FAI’s football management systems. This role exists to ensure FAI products evolve into scalable, data-driven and user-centric platforms to support governance, operations, safeguarding and football development. 

The role will bridge business needs and technology delivery, ensuring the system delivers measurable value to clubs, leagues, national teams and internal stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Define and own the product vision, strategy and multi-year roadmap for FAI Connect. 

• Engage with internal and external stakeholders to gather requirements and prioritise enhancements aligned to the FAI’s digital transformation strategy. 

• Translate business needs into clear product requirements, user stories and acceptance criteria for our delivery partners. 

• Establish structured feedback loops with clubs, leagues and FAI departments to drive continuous improvement. 

• Monitor product performance, user adoption and data quality, using insights to inform roadmap decisions. 

• Lead governance and compliance alignment within the platform, ensuring regulatory and safeguarding requirements are embedded by design. 

• Support vendor management and third-party integrations to ensure interoperability across the FAI technology ecosystem. 

The Person 

• A strategic and commercially aware product thinker with a strong user-first mindset. 

• Comfortable operating at both strategic and operational levels, influencing across technical and non-technical stakeholders. 

• Passionate about digital transformation and the role of technology in improving governance, performance and participation in sport. 

 

Experience and Qualifications 

Essential: 

• Proven experience as a Product Manager within a digital platform, SaaS or enterprise system environment. 

• Demonstrated experience developing product roadmaps and managing backlogs in an agile or iterative delivery model. 

• Experience working with cross-functional stakeholders including technical teams, operations and senior leadership. 

Desirable: 

• Experience within sports technology, membership systems, CRM, ERP or national governing body environments. 

• Understanding of data governance, safeguarding systems or regulatory compliance frameworks. 

Skills & Professional Knowledge 

• Product lifecycle management and roadmap development. 

• Requirements gathering and stakeholder engagement. 

• Data-driven decision making and product analytics. 

• Vendor management and system integration. 

 

Competencies 

• Strategic Thinking (Progress) 
  Thinks long-term about the evolution of FAI Connect and other FAI systems and the role within the wider football ecosystem. Connects product decisions to organisational strategy, governance requirements and user needs, ensuring the platform delivers sustainable, scalable value for Irish football. 

• Stakeholder Influence & Communication (Togetherness / Passion) 
  Engages confidently and constructively with technical teams, operational stakeholders and senior leadership. Communicates product vision, priorities and trade-offs clearly, builds alignment across diverse groups and fosters trusted, collaborative relationships. 

• Delivery & Execution Focus (Passion / Progress) 
  Drives clarity and accountability in product development, ensuring roadmap priorities translate into tangible outcomes. Balances ambition with practicality, maintains momentum across delivery cycles and ensures commitments are met to a high standard. 

• Continuous Improvement Mindset (Progress) 
  Uses data, user feedback and performance insights to refine and enhance FAI Connect on an ongoing basis. Encourages innovation, embraces change and promotes a culture of learning and iterative improvement within digital product development. 

 

Our Benefits 

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide: 

• Two premium level tickets to each home international game 

• Sick pay scheme and family friendly leave 

• Opportunities to work at international matches 

• Company pension  

• Life assurance  

• Bike to work scheme  

• Free onsite parking 

• Employee assistance programs 

• Hybrid working arrangements and flexible hours working arrangements 

• Discounted access to the National Aquatic Centre and gym complex 

 

Application Details 

Closing date for receipt of applications is close of business on Friday, 10th April 2026. 
Shortlisting and interviewing process will take place thereafter. 

The Football Association of Ireland is an equal opportunities employer and promotes Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I).