Senior Grants and Compliance Manager

Organisation: The Premier League
Salary: £50,000
Location: Premier League Offices, Paddington, W2 1HQ
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 11 May 2026
Job Description: Overview
The Premier League Foundation is seeking to appoint an experienced Senior Grants and Compliance Manager on a permanent basis. As a key member of the Central Operations team, you will help ensure the Foundation operates as an effective and efficient charity by maintaining robust, high quality grant management processes. Working closely with the Head of Governance and Operations and the Senior Impact and Insight Manager, you will oversee all grant making activity, from application through to monitoring, reporting and end of grant procedures. You will ensure that grantees comply with funder requirements, and that our grant making practices reflect, promote and continue to evolve in line with sector best practice.

You will collaborate closely with the Programmes Team and the Impact and Insights Team to ensure they have the tools and frameworks needed to monitor grant delivery and performance in line with Premier League programme expectations and funder requirements. Supported by the Governance and Grants Executive, you will track how funding is used, ensure grant conditions are met, and lead the ongoing improvement of grant making systems and processes.

A core part of the role will be leading the development and implementation of the Capability Code of Practice — a governance framework designed specifically for the unique needs and context of professional football club charities. You will ensure the Code continues to evolve with governance best practice and will work directly with Premier League club charities to create regular opportunities for sharing good practice, supporting them to achieve full compliance with the Code and to strengthen their effectiveness and efficiency as charitable organisations.

Working alongside the Head of Governance and Operations, you will also help ensure the Foundation maintains strong governance and operational excellence, including our own compliance with the Code and ongoing improvements to internal systems and processes.

The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast paced environment, managing multiple workstreams while demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and exceptional attention to detail. They will be comfortable working both autonomously and collaboratively and will bring a strong understanding of progressive grant making and the role that good governance plays in delivering the Foundation's charitable objectives. They will be confident in embedding these principles across the organisation and wider network and will demonstrate a clear commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.

Who we are
The Premier League Foundation was established in 2010 to distribute funding provided by the Premier League and its partners to professional football club charities across England and Wales, supporting them in their delivery in thousands of community venues and schools across the country. A total of 106 club charities are supported across the Premier League, English Football League, and National League.

More than 2.5 million individuals have benefitted from the charity, which aims to foster positive sporting, health, personal and education opportunities for children, young people, and the wider community.

Our hybrid-working model also allows you some variety on your place of work, offering you the chance to work from home on some days each week. You will attend the office or site visits in line with our company policy. All staff liaise closely with their line manager to manage their time appropriately and according to their work and team requirements.

The role
• Oversee the Premier League Foundation’s grant management function, ensuring timely, high-quality and consistent processes for grant assessment, approval, delivery, monitoring and reporting.
• Lead the development, implementation and continuous improvement of grant-making processes to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery.
• Provide advice and support on the design and development of application and grant-making processes for new programmes and funds.
• Work with the Head of Governance and Operations and the Finance team to support grant payment processes, including quarterly grant payments as required.
• Oversee the management of grant agreements, supported by the Foundation Governance and Grants Executive, and establish processes to ensure all grant-related documentation is quality assured and appropriately maintained.
• Contribute to reports relating to governance and grant management including mid-year and end of year monitoring updates for Premier League Foundation Board meetings.
• Support the Programmes Team in producing engaging and informative reports on programme performance and impact for our funding partners and other relevant stakeholders as required.
• Communicate regularly with club charities to provide updates, respond to queries, and build strong, collaborative relationships.
• Work with impact and insight colleagues to develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks for grant-funded projects.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the organisation to ensure the impact of funded projects is measured, documented, and communicated effectively.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the Capability Code of Practice and the Capability Audit process, working collaboratively with funding partners and key stakeholders to assess the governance and management arrangements of funded organisations, and to embed a culture of continuous improvement across the network
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with the 20 Premier League football club charities to ensure compliance with the Capability Code of Practice, providing tailored support, advice and guidance to aid the effective implementation of their Capability Action Plans
• Lead the Premier League Foundation’s internal self assessment against the Capability Code of Practice, monitoring progress and evaluating performance against the actions set out in our Capability Action Plan.
• Lead the delivery of the bi annual Capability Code of Practice Conference, as well as other grant making or governance related networking opportunities, events and training sessions
• Line-manage the Governance and Grants Executive, providing regular supervision, workload management, wellbeing support and opportunities for professional development.
• Ensure the Foundation is well connected to other initiatives and organisations in the sector and stay informed of trends in grant funding practice to inform operational improvements.
• Represent the Premier League Foundation in a professional and positive manner when engaging with internal and external stakeholders, always reflecting the organisation’s values.
• Undertake any other duties that may reasonably be required, and are commensurate with the job role, in furtherance of the objectives of the Premier League Foundation.

Requirements for the role
• Strong written and analytical skills, with the ability to produce high-quality, impactful board reports.
• Experience working in governance, grant management or compliance within the voluntary, community, and/or sports sector.
• Knowledge and understanding of best practice, initiatives and legislation relating to charitable grant giving.
• Strong project management, planning and organisational skills, with the ability to manage a complex network of internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work at pace, manage pressure, exercise sound judgement and resolve problems effectively.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage a wide range of audiences across different formats, with written communication to an excellent standard.
• Excellent interpersonal, influencing and relationship management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and with partners.
• High level of computer proficiency, particularly with excel.
• An understanding of and commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and how they relate to the role.
• Willingness to travel within England and Wales as required.
• Satisfactory enhanced DBS check.
How to apply: Our commitment to safeguarding includes implementing robust safer recruitment procedures to assess the suitability of individuals applying for roles that involve work with children and adults who are or may be at risk of harm. For further information, please see our Safeguarding Policy and Safer Recruitment Guidance. To apply please visit our careers page and apply with your CV and a cover letter. The closing date for applications is Monday 11 May 2026. We will remove barriers that prospective candidates might face at any stage of our recruitment process. If you have a disability and would like the advert in an alternative format, or would like to talk about how we can adjust the interview process to best support you, please contact recruitment@premierleague.com