Development Manager (Football and Facilities)

Organisation: AoC Sport
Salary: £36,256-£38,000 (FTE)
Location: Mobile-Hybrid: this role is highly member-facing and as such will work in a hybrid way with a home-base, blending working time between remote-working and regular travel throughout England. AoC staff also have access to our regional offices in Stoke-Sub-Hamdon (Somerset), Wolverhampton (West Midlands), and Chorley (Lancashire), as well as our national head office in central London (Bloomsbury WC1).
Contract type: (Full time)
Closing date: 18 March 2026
Job Description: An exciting opportunity has arisen to join AoC Sport as Development Manager (Football & Facilities). This strategic role is central to supporting colleges across England to strengthen and future‑proof their football provision, with a particular emphasis on facility development, capital investment, participation growth and high‑impact partnership working.

As our specialist in football and facility development, you will work in a highly member‑facing capacity, supporting colleges to plan, enhance and sustain their football environments. This includes providing expert guidance on facility improvement, long-term estate planning, investment readiness, maximising community use, and aligning projects to national football priorities. You will play a key role in helping colleges secure funding, optimise their infrastructure and deliver high-quality football experiences for all students.

This position offers a unique opportunity to work in partnership with the FA and County FAs, using your knowledge of facility development, participation strategy and community partnership models to drive sustainable impact across the further education sector. You will influence at senior levels within colleges, including principals, estates teams, financial planners and delivery staff, challenging thinking and supporting them to develop robust, evidence‑based plans.

A key part of the role involves brokering and managing strategic partnerships with County FAs, professional clubs, funders, community organisations and wider football stakeholders. You will support colleges to access investment opportunities, increase participation, enhance facilities and embed football within their wider educational, estates and community strategies.

Alongside this strategic and advisory work, you will also contribute to monitoring and evaluation, support AoC Sport’s wider business planning, and provide leadership and development to a small team.

AoC has a culture of high performance and commitment and we expect and get a lot from our staff. We offer trust and autonomy in a highly flexible working environment with a great package of rewards that includes a generous holiday entitlement, final salary pension scheme, opportunities for professional development including sponsorship of professional qualifications. We also know that our passion for the further education sector, and our focus on enabling colleges to help people realise their talents and ambitions, act as a great motivator for working at AoC.

Please review the full job description and person specification, which outlines the role in more detail. If you have any questions or would like to have an informal discussion about the role, please contact careers@aoc.co.uk.

Hours: 30 or 37.5 hours per week

Part time 0.8 FTE or Full Time – open to candidate preference
How to apply: If you think you have the skills, experience, and attributes to hit the ground running in this position, we would welcome your application. Apply here: https://associationofcolleges.livevacancies.co.uk/#/job/details/38?target=frame Your application must be submitted and received by 12pm on 18 March 2026.