Cardiff Met Sport is at the heart of sport, physical activity, health & wellbeing in Wales’ Capital City. Our mission is clear – ‘to profoundly enhance the lives of our communities, making them healthier and stronger as an outcome of engaging with us’.
We work in partnership with a range of local, regional and national partners to develop and manage high quality sport facilities including, the National Indoor Athletics Centre, Tennis Centre and Archers Arena on our Cyncoed Campus along with a number of 21st Century Schools across the City.
To continue to achieve all of this, we need ‘game changers’, people with drive, passion, creativity and flair who see hurdles rather than problems, and can think differently and want to make a positive and lasting impact on people’s lives, in Wales and beyond.
Cardiff Met Sport is seeking to appoint a talented and motivated Tennis Player/Coach to support the continued growth and success of its high‑performance tennis programme and the Welsh National 14+ Performance Pathway.
This is an exciting opportunity for an aspiring performance player and coach looking to develop a long‑term career in tennis. The role uniquely combines elite playing commitments with hands‑on coaching experience, alongside the opportunity to undertake a funded postgraduate Masters degree within a leading higher education sport environment.
Based primarily at the Cyncoed Campus, you’ll
- Work closely with the Head of Tennis, the National Performance Head Coach and key partners to support a performance programme delivered in partnership between Cardiff Metropolitan University and Tennis Wales. This collaboration underpins both the University’s high‑performance tennis environment and the Welsh National 14+ Performance Pathway.
- Play a key role in representing Cardiff Met in BUCS and National League competitions while supporting the delivery of high‑quality coaching to developing Welsh players.
The post is offered on a fixed‑term basis for 2 years (September 2026 – August 2028), working approximately 10 hours per week of delivery alongside playing commitments and includes a fully funded Masters degree as part of the role.
What You'll bring
With a strong commitment to personal and professional development, you will be eager to maximise this opportunity to gain performance and coaching experience, contribute to a high‑performance environment and build networks within Welsh and UK tennis. You will play an integral role in supporting the development of Wales' future talent while enhancing the reputation of Cardiff Met and Welsh tennis on a national stage.
You will be a motivated and performance‑driven individual with:
- The ability to meet entry requirements for a postgraduate Masters degree at Cardiff Met.
- A minimum LTA Level 2 coaching qualification, with a commitment to progress to Level 3.
- Proven experience competing at a high level (typically UTR 11+ male / UTR 8+ female).
- Experience coaching junior or performance-level tennis players.
- Knowledge of the UK tennis landscape, including pathways and competition structures.
- An understanding of BUCS tennis and university performance environments.
- Strong communication, organisational and teamwork skills.
- The ability to balance dual commitments as both a player and a coach.
- A passion for tennis and a clear ambition to build a long‑term career within the sport.
Why join Cardiff Metropolitan University?
We are a values-based University. We are proud of our culture, and we are there for our people. Our community spirit is the golden thread that underpins our values and behaviours. We support and embrace inclusion that enables everyone to feel respected and able to perform at their best. By joining our University, you'll find yourself in a unique environment where a wealth of knowledge and resources are readily available, supporting you with your career development.
We offer excellent benefits such as:
- Annual leave of 25 days, rising to 30 days after 1 years’ service, plus 12 bank holiday / concessionary days.
- Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous monthly contributions.
- Excellent family friendly policies – take a look on our Policy Hub page.
- Opportunities to learn and develop your skills with access to library and digital services facilities.
- Excellent sports and fitness facilities with subsidised membership.
- Free family access to our independent specialist wellbeing support provider, Health Assured.
Contact us
For more information about the role please contact Billy Barclay, Head of Tennis on BBarclay@cardiffmet.ac.uk, or feel free to contact Cerys Purdon, Recruitment Manager supporting this vacancy on cpurdon@cardiffmet.ac.uk.
All applications must be submitted online.
The person specification will be used as a tool for shortlisting; so please make sure you use this information when writing your application. You can find useful hints and tips about how to apply by visiting our Application Guidance page.
Applications may be submitted in Welsh, and an application submitted in Welsh will not be treated less favourably than an application submitted in English.
Should a high volume of applications be received, we may need to close this vacancy early. We therefore encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Cardiff Metropolitan University is proud to be a Disability Confident employer and a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant.
All applicants with disabilities, or those who are part of the Armed Forces community who during the shortlisting process meet the essential criteria for the role will be progressed to the next stage.
The University is committed to creating a highly inclusive culture. We offer family friendly and flexible working arrangements and a range of staff networks, forums and events to support and develop our people. We warmly welcome applications from those traditionally underrepresented in the higher education sector.