Department: Aston Villa Foundation and Community Partnerships
Hours of Work: 35 hours per week
Contract Type: Permanent
Salary: Up to £40,000 per annum
Location:Villa Park
Closing Date: Sunday 11 October 2026
Interview Date: Week Commencing 12 October 2026
The Department
The Aston Villa Foundation is the official Charity of Aston Villa Football Club and prides itself in being innovative in its approach to the club being used as a ‘Force for Good’.
The Events and Fundraising Department sits within the Foundation’s Business Development and Communications team, supporting the generation of income and development of engaging fundraising opportunities that enable the Foundation to continue and grow its work within communities in the immediate vicinity of Villa Park and across Birmingham.
Supporting the Foundation’s mission of “Working Together to Enrich Lives”, the Events and Fundraising team is responsible for developing and delivering a varied programme of fundraising events, campaigns and activities that engage supporters, businesses, partners and local communities.
Working collaboratively across the Foundation and wider Club, the team seeks to maximise the unique reach and profile of Aston Villa Football Club to generate sustainable income, develop meaningful supporter relationships and increase awareness of the Foundation’s charitable work.
The Role
In this role, you will be responsible for leading the planning, development and delivery of the Foundation’s events and fundraising programme, creating engaging opportunities that generate income and build long-term relationships with supporters, partners and stakeholders.
You will develop and manage an annual calendar of fundraising events, campaigns and initiatives, identifying opportunities to grow existing activity as well as introducing innovative new approaches to income generation and supporter engagement.
You will also take responsibility for the end-to-end management of large-scale fundraising events, including concept development, budgeting, planning, promotion, participant and supporter engagement, supplier and stakeholder management, event delivery and post-event evaluation.
Working closely with colleagues across the Foundation, you will ensure fundraising activity supports organisational priorities and effectively communicates the impact of the Foundation’s work across areas including education, employability, health and wellbeing, disability sport, youth services and community engagement.
A key element of the role will be to drive the development of diverse and sustainable income streams, working collaboratively across community, individual giving, corporate, trusts and major donor fundraising. You will also oversee the development of grant applications, sponsorship proposals and new funding opportunities, ensuring fundraising activity contributes to the Foundation’s long-term financial sustainability, growth and strategic ambitions.
The role will also be responsible for monitoring fundraising performance, managing budgets and producing regular reports against agreed targets and key performance indicators. You will use supporter and fundraising data to evaluate return on investment, identify trends and inform the future development of events and campaigns.
As Events and Fundraising Manager, you will champion a culture of innovation and continuous improvement, ensuring the Foundation provides high-quality fundraising experiences that generate income while building lasting connections between supporters and the charitable work of Aston Villa Foundation.
For further information about the Role, please see the Role Profile.
The Person
The Aston Villa Foundation is seeking a passionate, proactive and commercially minded Events and Fundraising Manager who is committed to creating positive social impact and driving sustainable growth by developing new fundraising opportunities, strengthening supporter relationships and increasing income to support the Foundation’s ambitions.
To be considered for the role, we are looking for someone who has…
- Experience of fundraising, event management or income generation.
- A track record of planning and delivering successful events, campaigns and fundraising activity.
- Strong relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills.
- Experience of managing budgets, income targets and event performance.
- Excellent communication, organisation and project management skills.
- The ability to identify and develop new fundraising and partnership opportunities.
- A collaborative and flexible approach, with the ability to work across teams and manage multiple priorities.
You will need to hold a UK Driving License with access to your own vehicle.
You will also need to be available to work flexibly, including matchdays, evenings and weekends.
Why Join Us?
There has never been a better time to join Aston Villa Foundation. We are building a family ethos and culture to be proud of, and realising our ambitious plans for the expansion and improvement of our world-class facilities. If you are already excited by this challenge and want to play your part in our historic Club, then you'll be pleased to hear about our amazing staff benefits you'll receive whilst working for us! See our Staff Benefits booklet to find out more.
As part of your application, you will be asked to:
1. Upload your CV
2. Answer the following questions:
a) Please outline your key skills, qualities and experience which make you the ideal candidate for this role (400 words maximum)
b)Tell us about your experience in planning and delivering large-scale events? (400 words maximum)
c)Tell us about your experience in delivering fundraising activities and generating income, including examples of successful partnerships and initiatives? (400 words maximum)
For further information and to ask any questions about the role, please contact Drew Canavan by emailing drew.canavan@avfc.co.uk.
Right to Close Vacancy Posting Early
The Club reserves the right to close any advertised vacancies earlier than the advertised closing date if sufficient applications have been received.
Equality Statement
Aston Villa Football Club celebrates the diversity of its Club and embrace equal opportunities for all.
We welcome applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, sex and religion or belief.
Safeguarding Statement
Aston Villa Football Club is fully committed to safeguarding children and adults at risk across our Club. As such, we adhere to Safer Recruitment processes and for some roles a satisfactory enhanced disclosure via the Disclosure & Barring Service may be required prior to starting in a role at the Club. For more information, please see Aston Villa Football Club | The official club website | AVFC - Safeguarding
Events & Fundraising Manager (Aston Villa Foundation) employer: Aston Villa Football Club
Joining the Aston Villa Foundation as a Youth Engagement Officer means becoming part of a passionate team dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of young people in Birmingham. With a strong focus on employee development, a supportive work culture, and the opportunity to work within world-class facilities, you will find a rewarding environment that values innovation and community engagement. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion ensures that every voice is heard, making this an exceptional place to grow your career while contributing to meaningful change.
