Communities Programme Operations Coordinator in Leicester

In 2018, Bloomsbury Football Foundation started with four kids and a bag of footballs on a housing estate in Camden. Today, we reach over 6,500 children and young people each week across London – and we're just getting started. We exist because not every child grows up with the same opportunities to play, belong, and progress. Too many young people are locked out of the game by cost, circumstance, or geography. We're changing that – using football, the world's most popular sport, as a powerful vehicle for health, wellbeing, and social change.

Application Deadline: 31 July 2026

Department: Programmes

Location: Leicester

Compensation: £26,500 - £31,000 / year

About the Role

Bloomsbury Football Foundation is on a mission to transform the lives of young people through the magic of football, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to play regardless of ability to pay, and delivering programmes that support young people’s development on and off the pitch. Our programmes reach over 6,500 young people in London each week – and in the next few months, we’re starting a new Community in Leicester. As our first hire in Leicester, you will play a central role in making BFF a real and recognised presence supporting young people in the city. Your focus in the early stages will be on building relationships, partnerships, and day‑to‑day operational foundations that drive the success of the new Leicester Community. You will oversee the day‑to‑day delivery of the programme, coordinate scheduling, resources, records, and communications with participants, and ensure that every session runs smoothly and to a consistently high standard.

Our Commitment to Inclusion

At Bloomsbury, belonging isn’t just something we create for the young people we serve – it’s something we live as an organisation and is embedded into core values. We are committed to building a team that reflects the communities we work in and actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and identities. We particularly welcome applications from women and people from underrepresented groups, who remain underrepresented in both the sport and charity sectors.

Key Responsibilities

• Programme Operations & Coordination: Launch the Communities programme in Leicester, working closely with the BFF London team to get the first sessions off the ground. Coordinate the day‑to‑day delivery of the Communities programme across schools, community training sessions, and holiday camps, ensuring all sessions run smoothly. Manage schedules and resources across facilities, coaches, and community partners, working to ensure all sessions deliver against BFF quality standards. Maintain accurate performance data and documentation for the programme to support strong safeguarding and guide continuous improvement. Work collaboratively across teams to support a community programme that amplifies impact and contributes to BFF’s broader goals and mission.
• Communication & Stakeholder Management: Act as the first point of contact for inbound communications from parents, schools and community partners, handling enquiries, resolving issues, and ensuring a seamless experience. Manage outbound programme communications, ensuring our messages are intentional, relevant, and reflective of BFF's values. Build and maintain strong partnerships with schools, local authorities, community organisations, and other delivery partners, aiming to expand reach and deepen impact. Represent Bloomsbury Football Foundation at relevant events and forums, championing the role of community football in driving social change.
• Systems, Data & Continuous Improvement: Develop and maintain efficient operational systems and processes that enable the programme to scale while maintaining quality. Use data and participant feedback to continuously improve the player, school, and partner experience, ensuring insight drives decision‑making. Support the collection, analysis, and presentation of programme data related to participation, quality, and financial performance to inform delivery and reporting. Support the strategic growth of the programme by contributing ideas and identifying opportunities to increase participation and remove barriers. Uphold BFF’s safeguarding policies and values at all times across everything you do.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Essential

• Strong alignment with BFF’s values and a passion for football as a tool for social impact.
• Experience coordinating youth programmes within Leicester, and deep knowledge of the local community.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage schedules, resources, and multiple tasks across more than one location.
• Track record taking ownership of defined tasks and seeing them through to a high standard with limited need for rework.
• Clear, professional communication skills, adapting tone for different audiences including participants, parents, coaches, and colleagues.
• A proactive, problem‑solving approach – spotting issues and suggesting improvements rather than simply accepting the status quo.
• Reliable and detail‑oriented, with the ability to maintain accurate records and consistently meet deadlines.
• Experience using data and insights to drive operational improvement.
• Comfortable making routine decisions independently and knowing when to escalate.
• Good grasp of technology and digital tools, including Microsoft 365.
• A collaborative team player, curious about how the wider organisation works and keen to learn and grow.
• Eligibility to live and work in the UK.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience working in the not‑for‑profit or social impact sector.
• Experience coordinating sports, education, or youth programmes.
• Understanding of the grassroots football landscape and/or youth sports provision.

Benefits

• Access to co‑working space.
• Regular staff socials & monthly ‘Team Talk’ in London with pop‑up catering.
• Opportunities to attend Premier League, WSL, FA Cup, League Cup, and Champions League football matches.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Salary sacrifice workplace pension scheme.
• 24 days holiday allowance, increasing by one day per year after two years’ service.
• Funding toward training and five days of fully paid study leave.
• The chance to grow within a mission‑driven organisation doing work that genuinely matters.

At Bloomsbury Football Foundation, we believe that the best teams reflect the communities they serve. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where people of all backgrounds, identities and experiences feel welcome, valued and able to do their best work. We particularly encourage applications from women and people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, who are currently underrepresented in our team. We assess every candidate on their ability, potential and values, nothing else. If you care about what we do and believe you have something to contribute, we want to hear from you.