Job Description

Job title:

Events Manager

Job type:

Permanent contract, 37 hours pw

Location:

Home Farm, Main Street, Chilthorne Domer, Somerset BA22 8RD

Salary: 30,000 - 34,000

per annum

Benefits: 25 days per annum

plus statutory Bank Holidays, no holiday can be booked n the month of May or the first two weeks of June due to work schedules.

Location:

Office based in Chilthorne Domer

Responsible for:

Volunteers where applicable

About School in a Bag Trading Ltd

School in a Bag Trading Ltd is the wholly owned trading subsidiary of the charity School in a Bag. All profits made by the company are given to School in a Bag (SIAB) to support its work in providing rucksacks full of educational, hygiene, eating and drinking equipment to poor and disadvantaged children across the world.

The organisation shares offices with SIAB and some staff from the charity also provide support. However, both organisations operate independently from each other and have separate directors and bank accounts.

About the role

Currently, we operate a flagship three-day music festival, Home Farm festival, which has grown significantly in recent years. 2026 will be Home Farm Festivals 19th year and having started as a small one stage event it has now grown in profile and numbers, attracting nearly 5000 people on site for the weekend with 100's of local bands performing, supported by nearly 200 volunteers.

Building on this success, we are now looking to diversify and expand our event portfolio to increase income and reach new audiences. The Event Manager will play a pivotal role in shaping and delivering our events programme. You will be responsible for managing the existing festival and for developing, planning, and executing a wider range of events - from concerts and community initiatives to potential new commercial ventures.

The role requires a creative, entrepreneurial, and commercially minded individual with strong project management and stakeholder engagement skills. This is an exciting opportunity to further develop and grow an existing successful event alongside creating new events to raise the profile of the organisation and the charity and to generate further profit to support its work.

1. To lead on the delivery of the annual Home Farm Festival event

2. To analyse the Events market, identify new events to trial and make recommendations of potential events to develop to the directors and trustees

3. To lead on the development of identified new events to enable the organisation to meet its annual income and profit targets and to deliver its strategic goals.

1. To lead on the delivery of the annual Home Farm Festival event

Manage a comprehensive project plan covering all aspects of the festival, including programming, management and coordination of talent and planning lineup, logistics, licensing, health and safety, security and volunteer management. Oversee procurement and management of contractors and suppliers (production, staging, catering, security, etc.), ensuring value for money and compliance with agreed contracts. Support the management of the event budget, ensuring accurate forecasting, monitoring, and reporting to directors. Build upon the relationships with statutory agencies (local authority, licensing bodies, emergency services) to ensure legal compliance. Lead on audience experience, accessibility, and customer service, ensuring the festival reflects the charity's values. Lead on the development of the Emergency Management Plan for the event in line with health and safety requirements Coordinate marketing, ticketing, and communications activity in partnership with colleagues and agencies to achieve attendance and income targets. Provide strong leadership on-site during build, live event, and de-rig phases, ensuring safe and efficient operations. Undertake a post-event evaluation, contributing to the financial analysis, gaining feedback from attendees, debriefing staff and volunteers, and producing recommendations for improvement. Maintain regular reporting to relevant School in a Bag team members, Home Farm Festival Committee, Directors and Trustees.

2. To analyse the events market, identify new events to trial and make recommendations of potential events to develop to the directors and trustees

Conduct regular market analysis, benchmarking against comparable events in the music, arts, and charity trading sectors. Identify opportunities for events that align with the subsidiary's commercial aims and the charity's values. Research potential audiences, venues, and event formats to assess feasibility. Build networks within the events sector to stay up to date on opportunities and trends. Prepare feasibility studies and business cases for trial events, including income and expenditure projections, risk assessments, and resource requirements. Present recommendations to directors and trustees to support decision-making.

3. To lead on the development of identified new events to enable the organisation to meet its annual income and profit targets and to deliver its strategic goals

Take responsibility for the planning, coordination, and delivery of new events, from concept through to evaluation. Create detailed project plans with clear milestones, deliverables, and accountability. Produce and support the management of budgets for new events, ensuring financial sustainability and contribution to agreed profit targets. Build relationships with artists, promoters, sponsors, and partners to secure content, funding, and resources for new events. Ensure all new events meet licensing, health & safety, safeguarding and accessibility requirements. Develop and oversee marketing and audience development strategies to maximise reach, ticket sales, and community engagement. Monitor performance of new events against agreed KPIs, reporting to directors and trustees. Capture learning and feedback to improve the subsidiary's event development strategy.

Person Specification - Events Manager

You will need to demonstrate in your application/at interview that you possess the criteria for this post as detailed below. In addition, demonstration of some of the desirable criteria will also assist greatly in your application.

Essential Criteria

Experience

Proven experience in leading large-scale public events, with responsibility for planning, delivery, and evaluation.

Project Management

Strong skills in developing and managing complex project plans, coordinating multiple stakeholders, and delivering to deadlines.

Budget Management

Demonstrable experience in managing event budgets, including forecasting, monitoring, and reporting.

Stakeholder Engagement

Ability to build and maintain relationships with statutory agencies, suppliers, sponsors, and community partners.

Marketing & Communications

Experience in working with agencies and colleagues to deliver event marketing, ticketing, and audience development strategies.

Leadership

Confident leadership including during live event phases, build, delivery, and de-rig

Analytical Skills

Ability to conduct market analysis, prepare feasibility studies, and present evidence-based recommendations.

Data Protection

Understanding of and compliance with UK GDPR and data protection principles.

Desirable Criteria

Experience

Proven experience in running Festivals / oudoor events

Charity Sector Experience

Experience working within or alongside charitable organisations.

Innovation

Ability to identify and develop new event concepts aligned with strategic goals.

Values Alignment

Demonstrated commitment to accessibility, inclusion, and the charity's mission.

Evaluation & Reporting

Experience in post-event evaluation, audience feedback analysis, and reporting to senior stakeholders.

Compliance Knowledge

Sound understanding of licensing, health & safety, emergency planning, and legal compliance for public events.

Volunteers

Experience of working with, recruiting and developing volunteers within an event environment.

Ability to travel to meetings and events when required including overnight stays, possible weekends and evenings

To find out more about the role please email Clerk@schoolinabag.org or Luke.Simon@schoolinabag.org.

Please apply in writing with a letter and a copy of your CV to Clerk@schoolinabag.org. Closing date Friday 21st November 2025.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: 30,000.00-34,000.00 per year

Benefits:

Company pension Free parking On-site parking
Experience:

Events management: 2 years (preferred)
Licence/Certification:

Driving Licence (required)
Work authorisation:

United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: In person