Southampton are set to announce Matt Crocker as their new director of football operations.
Crocker, who is currently the FA's head of development team coaching, is returning to the Saints after leaving his post as academy boss for the governing body in 2013.
He succeeds Ross Wilson, who left to join Scottish Premiership club Rangers as director of football.
Crocker's role is understood to be an overarching one; overseeing the entire football department, and establishing a clear philosophy and pathway from the academy to the first-team.
It is said to be more similar to Les Reed's previous job at St Mary's, and the one Reed now performs as technical director of the FA.
Reed left Southampton to replace Dan Ashworth, who joined Brighton. Crocker worked closely with Ashworth and is said to have helped develop the new England 'DNA' under Gareth Southgate.
Southampton remain on the hunt for another appointment to concentrate on player recruitment, perhaps under the title of head of recruitment, previously held by Wilson and his predecessor Paul Mitchell.
Chief scout Martyn Glover is currently fulfilling the role on a temporary basis ahead of the January transfer window.
Both Crocker and the next head of recruitment face a difficult task to rebuild Saints into a formidable Premier League side, after another struggling start to the season for manager Ralph Hasenhuttl.
They are second-bottom after 13 games, with just two victories to their name, having done limited business in the summer transfer window after only narrowly avoiding relegation last season.