Grants Manager

Wembley Stadium Foundation; Wembley; Hybrid; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours and hybrid working

Job summary

Wembley Stadium Foundation is a grant‑making charity using Wembley Stadium to inspire communities through sport, movement and the performing arts. We seek a Grants Manager to lead funding programmes, manage due diligence, and collaborate with Trustees and Chief Executive to maximise impact across England.

The role is hybrid (Wembley Stadium & remote) with travel across England and a minimum presence in the stadium 2 days per week.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in grant-making or funding programmes.
• Strong understanding of charity sector governance and safeguarding.
• Ability to assess organisations, budgets and risks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and reporting abilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day grant‑making process from development to closure.
• Develop funding programmes and assess applications with due diligence and risk checks.
• Build and maintain relationships with funded organisations and partners.
• Provide learning and impact insights across the grants portfolio.
• Contribute to strategic Foundation initiatives and multi-year partnerships.
• Line manage the Partnerships Executive and collaborate with the Finance and Governance teams.

Skills

Grant-making

Philanthropy experience

Relationship management

Analytical skills

Job description

Location:Hybrid (Wembley Stadium & remote) with the requirement to be in the stadium a minimum of 2 days per week.

Reporting to:Chief Executive Officer

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Working hours: 9.15am–5pm, with occasional work outside these hours to support events and partner activity.

Benefits: Flexible hours and hybrid working to support work-life balance, access to employee perks package.

About Wembley Stadium Foundation

Wembley Stadium Foundation is a grant‑making charity using the power of Wembley Stadium to inspire, transform and connect communities through sport, movement and the performing arts.

Funded through income generated by events at Wembley Stadium, we invest in charities and community organisations to help remove barriers to participation and create opportunities for people and communities to thrive.

Our current strategy, Anyone Can 2025 to 2028, places Brent at the heart of our work while extending our reach across England. Our grant‑making consists of community grant programmes and strategic multi‑year partnerships, and we are proud to support our dedicated partners through a relational, trust‑based approach.

We are a small and ambitious team based at Wembley Stadium. The Grants Manager will be one of two management roles reporting directly to the Chief Executive, working alongside the Business Operations Manager and line managing the Partnerships Executive.

About the role

Salary:£42,000 per annum

Location:Hybrid (Wembley Stadium & remote) with the requirement to be in the stadium a minimum of 2 days per week.

Reporting to:Chief Executive Officer

Contract: Full-time, permanent

Working hours: 9.15am–5pm, with occasional work outside these hours to support events and partner activity.

Travel: Occasional travel across England

Benefits: Flexible hours and hybrid working to support work-life balance, access to employee perks package.

Purpose of the Role

The Grants Manager will play a key role in managing and developing Wembley Stadium Foundation’s portfolio of grants and funding programmes.

They will lead the day-to-day grant‑making process, from developing funding programmes and assessing applications through to due diligence, recommendations, monitoring, learning, and grant closure.

The Grants Manager will build strong relationships with our portfolio of funded organisations, and lead on learning and impact across our grants.

The postholder will also contribute to the wider strategic development of the Foundation as we look ahead to our next strategy.

The Candidate

We are looking for someone with strong experience of grant‑making, philanthropy or funding programme management, together with a good understanding of the charity sector, who can combine sound judgement with a positive approach to partnership working.

You will be comfortable assessing organisations, funding proposals, budgets and risks, and able to turn complex information into clear recommendations for senior decision makers and Trustees.

You will have strong relationship management skills and be confident working with organisations of different sizes and levels of experience. You will also be organised, able to manage a varied portfolio and comfortable taking responsibility within a small team.

We are particularly interested in someone who understands that effective grant making is about more than administering funding. You should understand the challenges facing the charity sector, be curious about the organisations we support and what works, and use learning from our programmes to improve future funding.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the Foundation’s grant‑making programmes from development and launch through to award, including developing guidance and application processes.


• Build awareness of the Foundation’s funding opportunities and develop relationships across relevant sectors and communities.


• Assess funding applications and supporting information, including undertaking proportionate due diligence checks and risk assessment.


• Prepare clear and concise funding recommendations and papers for the Chief Executive, Trustees and funding panels.


• Ensure funding decisions, grant conditions and approvals are appropriately recorded and implemented.


• Act as the Foundation’s lead representative on the Brent Council Love Where You Live grants panel.

Portfolio Management

• Maintain oversight of the Foundation’s portfolio of grants and funded programmes, including our Targeted Fund and Communities Fund.


• Manage grant agreements, payment schedules, monitoring requirements and grant closure across the portfolio.


• Develop and maintain open and trusting relationships with funded organisations, taking care to understand their work through meetings and visits.


• Monitor progress against agreed outcomes and milestones and respond appropriately where issues or changes arise.


• Support funded partners to understand the Foundation’s requirements while ensuring our approach remains proportionate.


• Coordinate opportunities for funded partners to access capacity building, learning and wider Foundation support.

Impact and Learning

• Oversee monitoring and reporting across the Foundation’s grant portfolio, working with funded organisations and external evaluation partners to understand the impact of our funding.


• Analyse progress and learning from funded programmes to help improve future grant‑making and report to the Chief Executive and Trustees.


• Convene networks across funded partners to facilitate learning, relationships and connection with wider Foundation opportunities.

Grants‑making Development

• Support the Chief Executive in developing new funding programmes and approaches in line with the Foundation’s strategy.


• Keep informed about developments and emerging needs across the sectors and communities relevant to the Foundation’s work.


• Represent the Foundation externally and build productive relationships with other funders, charities, statutory organisations and partners where this can strengthen our grant‑making.


• Contribute to strategic programmes and initiatives, including activity connected to UEFA EURO 2028 UK and Ireland.

People and Wider Foundation Responsibilities

• Line manage the Partnerships Executive, providing clear objectives, support, feedback and opportunities for development.


• Work closely with the Business Operations Manager to ensure grant‑making is appropriately connected to finance, governance, safeguarding, risk, data and organisational processes.


• Provide clear portfolio, programme and impact reporting to support the Chief Executive and Board of Trustees.


• Ensure the Foundation’s grant management and CRM systems contain accurate and up‑to‑date information.


• Support wider Foundation activity, events and priorities where required.

We’re committed to building an inclusive team. If this role excites you, but you don’t meet every requirement listed below, we would still encourage you to apply.

Experience and Skills

Knowledge and Experience

• Proven experience of grant‑making, philanthropy or funding programme management.


• Experience assessing funding applications, organisations or funded programmes.


• Experience of due diligence, monitoring and managing risk within a funding or charity environment, including understanding financial and other organisational information.


• A good understanding of charity governance, safeguarding and organisational risk in a funding context.


• Experience building positive relationships with charities, community organisations or delivery partners.


• Experience preparing clear recommendations, reports or papers to support decision-making.


• Experience of supervising or line managing others.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical skills and the ability to make informed and proportionate judgements.


• Excellent written communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and concisely.


• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop constructive relationships with a wide range of organisations and stakeholders.


• Good organisational and project management skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities.


• Confidence working independently, using initiative and taking responsibility.


• Confidence using digital systems, including Microsoft Office 365 and CRM or grant management systems.


• A collaborative, approachable and professional style.


• Commitment to safeguarding, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Desirable

• Experience of monitoring, evaluation or impact measurement.


• Experience developing grant programmes or grant‑making strategy.


• Knowledge of sport, movement, performing arts, youth or community development.

General

The Grants Manager will be expected to demonstrate commitment to the values and objectives of Wembley Stadium Foundation and to contribute positively to the work of a small and collaborative team.

The role will involve occasional travel across London and England and some work outside normal hours in support of Foundation events and activities.

This role profile sets out the principal responsibilities of the post and is not intended to be exhaustive. Responsibilities may evolve in line with the needs and development of the Foundation.

Application deadline

Application deadline: 21st October 2026 at 5pm