Women’s Game Director

RUGBY FOOTBALL FOUNDATION; Twickenham; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Birthday day off

Stadium gym access

Pension scheme; employer matching

Ticket discounts for matches

Job summary

Rugby Football Union is seeking a Women’s Game Director (Maternity Cover) to provide senior strategic leadership for the Women’s Game, delivering its key priorities and evolving the Every Rose Action Plan. Based at Allianz Stadium with some home-working flexibility, the role reports to the Executive Director of Women’s Game and oversees a critical portfolio, including PWR relations.

The role requires strong governance, financial oversight, and the ability to lead high-performing teams while

Qualifications

• Significant strategic leadership experience in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.
• Ability to lead high-performing teams and provide cross-functional leadership.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen with budgeting and ROI focus.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across varied audiences.
• Experience governing programmes, prioritising investments and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead delivery and evolution of the Every Rose Action Plan and performance measures.
• Oversee delivery of 2026/27 plan and development of 2027/28 plan with priorities.
• Lead long-term Women’s Game business model including audience and financial growth.
• Own strategic relationship with Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR).
• Monitor performance using data, identify risks and opportunities, intervene as needed.
• Prioritise programmes and resources across the Women’s Game portfolio.
• Build cross-functional alignment across RFU functions and external partners.
• Lead strategic planning and risk management for major priorities and projects.
• Advise the Executive Director with insights and board-facing analysis.
• Represent Women’s Game across RFU and with external stakeholders.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams, promoting collaboration and delivery.
• Champion Women’s & Girls’ game and RFU values, fostering an inclusive culture.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Team leadership

Senior stakeholder management

Financial acumen

Change management

Cross-functional collaboration

Communication skills

Data-driven decision making

Relationship building

Governance & ROI

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Smartsheet

Job description

Women's Game Director

Job Description

Working at the RFU means being part of the ‘bigger picture’ at England Rugby: to be rooted in our purpose, which is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union & develop the sport for future generations. If our purpose resonates with you, and you recognise the value that sport can bring to people’s lives, we’d love to work with you. An opportunity has arisen for a Women’s Game Director to join our Women’s Game team.

• Job Title : Women’s Game Director
• Department : Women’s Game
• Reports to : Executive Director of Women’s Game
• Direct Reports : Senior Commercial Growth Manager, Women’s Game
• Job Level : Lead
• Location : This role is contractually based at Allianz Stadium, offering some flexibility to work from home
• Travel Requirements: Occasional national travel likely required
• Employment Type : 12-month FTC (Maternity Cover)
• Working Hours : Full Time role, covering 35 hrs per week

The Role

The RFU is in an exciting and transformational phase for the Women’s & Girls’ game, underpinned by the ambition set out in the Every Rose: Our Time action plan. To support delivery during a period of maternity leave, the RFU is seeking an experienced Women's Game Director (Maternity Cover) to provide senior strategic leadership across the Women’s Game and lead delivery of its key strategic priorities.

Reporting to the Executive Director of Women’s Game, the role will lead the Women’s Game strategic portfolio, ensuring continued delivery and evolution of the Every Rose Action Plan, progression of the long-term Women’s Game business model and effective governance, prioritisation and organisational alignment across the portfolio.

The role will provide direct line management of the Senior Commercial Growth Manager, while working collaboratively with senior leaders across the RFU and external stakeholders to ensure Women’s Game priorities are embedded across the organisation and translated into delivery.

Responsibilities

Role Purpose

To provide strategic leadership and continuity across the Women’s Game during the maternity cover period, maintaining momentum against agreed priorities and ensuring effective decision-making, performance and delivery.

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Key Responsibilities

• Lead delivery and continued evolution of the Every Rose Action Plan, ensuring progress against agreed objectives and performance measures.
• Oversee delivery of the 2026/27 Women's Game strategic plan and lead development of the 2027/28 plan, establishing clear priorities and investment requirements.
• Lead the extension and evolution of the long-term Women's Game business model, including strategic oversight of audience and commercial growth, investment priorities and financial performance.
• Own the strategic relationship with Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR), ensuring alignment on shared priorities and opportunities to support the growth of rugby in England.
• Monitor performance across the Women’s Game, using data and insight to identify risks, opportunities and areas requiring intervention.
• Oversee the Women’s Game strategic portfolio, prioritising programmes, resources and investment against agreed strategic objectives.
• Build alignment across RFU functions and create shared ownership of key Women’s Game priorities.
• Lead strategic planning and risk management for major Women's Game priorities and emerging Executive-led projects.
• Act as the key strategic adviser to the Executive Director, providing insight, recommendations and analysis to support Executive and Board decision-making.
• Represent the Women's Game across the organisation and with external stakeholders, building trusted relationships and acting as a recognised ambassador for the Women's and Girls’ game.
• Lead, develop and empower high-performing teams, creating clarity, accountability and an environment that enables collaboration and delivery.
• Champion the Women’s & Girls’ game, acting as an RFU ambassador and role model while promoting the organisation's values and long-term strategic ambitions.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Skills and qualifications

• Significant strategic leadership experience, with a proven track record of delivering change and results in a complex, multi-stakeholder organisation.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams and provide effective cross-functional leadership.
• Proven ability to operate credibly at senior and Executive level, providing clear strategic advice, recommendations and constructive challenge to support decision-making.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience of business planning, investment decisions, financial performance and evaluating return on investment.
• Demonstrated ability to rapidly build trusted relationships and influence without direct authority, aligning stakeholders and functions around shared priorities.
• Significant experience leading complex strategic programmes or portfolios, with accountability for delivery, prioritisation, risk and governance.
• Strong analytical and strategic problem-solving skills, with the ability to use data and insight to navigate ambiguity, identify priorities and make informed decisions.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to navigate complex internal and external relationships and communicate effectively across different audiences.
• Ability to balance competing priorities, respond to emerging issues and maintain momentum in a fast-moving environment.
• Proficiency in using digital tools for planning, reporting and communication (e.g. Microsoft Office suite, Smartsheet or equivalent platforms).
• Committed to embodying the ethos of our culture by using our three core values – Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other – to guide your day-to-day decisions, actions and interactions.
• Committed to actively contributing to and building an inclusive culture through day-to-day behaviours.

Additional Information

• All role holders must maintain an appropriate standard of confidentiality. Any disclosures of confidential information (including personal information kept on computer or other media) made unlawfully outside the proper course of duty will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to [e-mail].
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.

About Us

About England Rugby

Our core activities are

• Rugby – supporting rugby from grassroots to performance level
• Commercial – building partnerships and hosting matches and events
• Running the business - ensuring our organization and people can thrive

Our Culture

What we can offer you

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide:

• A variety of corporate discounts
• Priority access to purchase match tickets
• 25% discount in Rugby Store and EnglandRugby.com
• 25 days of annual leave
• Your birthday day off
• Free access to the stadium gym
• Life assurance of 4x your basic salary, income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme that offers anonymous and confidential, emotional and practical support 24/7
• Pension Scheme; the RFU will double match your individual contribution up to 10% of salary

https://www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/our-approach