Tosin Gbaja

Sport operations, events and community professional with experience across Premier League football, major sport events, international education and grassroots sport.

Background spans programme and event delivery, stakeholder management, partnerships, budget administration and inclusion-focused community building. Founder of Sport Shifts, a network events platform championing underrepresented voices in sport. Writer, speaker and documentary contributor on representation and inclusion in sport.

Building toward a career in major international sport events delivery. Currently completing an MSc in Sport Management at Birkbeck, University of London. Holds a Certificate in Player Care.

Senior Student Life Coordinator at Northeastern University London (2023-07 – Present)

Reporting to: Head of Student Life

• Managed end-to-end delivery of 87 co-curricular site visits in the 2025/26 academic year - covering budget tracking, bookings, venue liaison, risk assessments, itineraries, timetable coordination and faculty communications
• Coordinated across internal departments and with the Global Experience Team in Boston - managing cross-market communications and ensuring consistent programme delivery across US and UK teams
• Built the university's sports strategy from scratch - researching local provision, building a sports and leisure database and developing connections with sport organisations to increase student participation
• Led all social media content for the university's Instagram - planning, scheduling, recruiting and managing student ambassadors and coordinating with departments to ensure accuracy
• Produced weekly and monthly reports on programme activity and analytics for senior leadership

Matchday Family Liaison Officer at West Ham United FC (2023-11 – 2025-07)

Part of the Player Care team at London Stadium, delivering VIP matchday experiences for players' families and guests within the Players' Lounge across Premier League, EFL Cup and FA Cup fixtures

• Greeted and escorted guests on arrival, maintained the Players' Lounge environment and ensured all guests received a welcoming, professional and memorable experience
• Acted as the primary link between players' families, guests and the Player Care team - handling enquiries and feeding back to supervisors

Student Experience Facilitator Lead at BSC Education (2022-10 – 2023-07)

• Planned and delivered a programme of events and activities for international students from across the Middle East, South America, Europe and East Asia - coordinating a weekly activity calendar, cultural days, campus tours and graduation ceremonies
• Part of the safeguarding team - implementing safeguarding procedures and maintaining accurate records across all student-facing activities

Peer Facilitator at Leaders Unlocked (2020-09 – 2023-05)

Freelance

• Facilitated peer-led sessions for the Student Commission on Racial Justice - a programme engaging over 2,600 young people aged 16-25 across ten colleges in London
• Worked on the Student Commission on Consent and Sexual Violence - managing logistics, facilitator briefings and participant communications across both programmes

Young Learner Transport and Admin Coordinator at International House London (2020-02 – 2020-08)

• Managed all transportation logistics for the summer programme - planning and booking airport transfers and excursion trips, coordinating with coach suppliers and ensuring accurate scheduling
• Handled administrative operations including preparation of key information packs, supplier communications and equipment stock management

Event Lead at Football Black List (2019-09 – 2019-11)

Freelance. Led end-to-end operational and logistical delivery of the Football Black List annual celebration at Village Underground - a high-profile event supported by the Premier League, The FA, the PFA and Kick It Out

• Managed all on-site logistics including venue management, supplier coordination, catering, AV and production - ensuring delivery aligned with the event brief across eight award categories
• Coordinated VIP and stakeholder management - acting as first point of contact for award winners, sponsors and high-profile attendees from invitation through to the night itself
• Delivered the most successful edition to date and the first year Black men and women were equally represented across all categories

Operations Coordinator at Oxford International Education Group (2019-05 – 2019-07)

Part of the operations team for Junior Programmes - coordinating transport bookings, venue facilities, entrance tickets, agency visits and familiarisation trips across residential and year-round group programmes

• Maintained supplier records, managed equipment and stock inventory and compiled operational guides for staff, students and group leaders

Founder at Sport Shifts (2018-11 – 2022-11)

Founded and ran a network events organisation bringing Black voices and perspectives into conversations about the future of sport - delivering networking events, panel discussions and industry programming over four years

• Developed community partnerships, secured grants and managed all delivery independently - people outreach, budget management, content campaigns, social media and community building

Social Action Manager / Delivery Assistant Programme Manager at The Challenge (2017-04 – 2018-09)

• Managed programme budgets, financial administration and participant data across concurrent youth social action projects using Salesforce
• Line managed up to seven staff members, overseeing workstream delivery, scheduling and day-to-day coordination across multiple concurrent projects

Pioneer at Saracens RFC (2019-01 – 2021-12)

Volunteered across three seasons at StoneX Stadium - supporting spectator safety, fan experience and crowd management across men's and women's home fixtures

MSc in Sport Management – Birkbeck, University of London (2025-10)

BA (Hons) in Business & Sports Management – University of Winchester

Certificate in Player Care – The Player Care Group

Diploma in Young Athletic Leaders Academy – Herts County Athletic Network (2012-09 – 2013-07)