General Manager

Singapore Rugby Union; Singapore; On-site; SGD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Singapore Rugby Union is the national governing body for rugby in Singapore, driving the sport from grassroots to high performance. The General Manager is the senior operations lead, accountable for strategy execution, governance and financial health, reporting to the SRU Governing Board through the President.

The role oversees the Secretariat, rugby operations, and commercial growth. As SRU transitions toward semi-professionalism or full professionalism, the GM leads organisational change,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, sports management or related field.
• Experience in financial planning, budgeting and reporting.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Willingness to understand and navigate NSA/IPC governance requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and execution of SRU's Multi-Year Sports Plan with the Board.
• Oversee national teams, athlete pathway, and development systems.
• Prepare annual budget and deliver monthly budget vs. actual reporting.
• Drive commercial strategy through sponsorships, events, and partnerships.
• Represent SRU to SportSG, SpexSG, SNOC, Asia Rugby and World Rugby.
• Ensure governance, regulatory compliance and risk management across the organisation.
• Manage staff, contracts and centralised documentation, ensuring continuity.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Financial planning

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Governance & compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in business/sports management

Postgraduate qualification advantageous

Job description

SINGAPORE RUGBY UNION

Job Description

General Manager

Reports to

SRU Governing Board (through the President)

Direct reports

SRU Secretariat and management staff (Finance, Rugby Operations, Commercial, Events & Administration)

Location

Singapore (Queenstown Stadium)

Employment type

Full-time

AboutSingapore Rugby Union

Singapore Rugby Union (SRU) is the National Sports Association (NSA) for rugby union in Singapore, and an Institution of a Public Character (IPC). SRU is affiliated to World Rugby, Asia Rugby and the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC), and is the national governing authority responsible for promoting, developing and growing the game of Rugby in Singapore – from grassroots participation to high-performance national teams.

Guided by its 2026–2031 Multi-Year Sports Plan, SRU's vision is to be the top high-performance team sport in Singapore, with a mission to place among the top 3 in Asia in both Sevens and Fifteens. SRU's strategic priorities span the Athlete Pathway, Coaching, Competitions,Facilities, Commercial Strategy and Governance.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Board, the General Manager (GM) is the senior operational leader and key executive of SRU, responsible for the end-to-end management of the Union. The GM translates the Board's strategy – asset out in the Multi-Year Sports Plan – into measurable programmes and results, leads the Secretariat, and serves as SRU's principal point of accountability for governance, finance, rugby operations, commercial growth and stakeholder relations.

The GM operates autonomously within Board-approved strategy and budget, and is accountable to the Board for the performance,compliance and financial health of the organisation, in line with SRU's Constitution (Article 35) and its obligations as both an NSA (SportSG andSpexSG) and an IPC (Commissioner of Charities).

Achieving the MYSP's targets will require SRU to transition toward greater semi-professionalism or full professionalism across its programmes and operations. The GM is expected to lead and manage this transition as a core part of the role.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Governance

• Lead the development and execution of SRU's Multi-Year Sports Plan in partnership with the Board.
• Prepare and circulate Board papers, and provide monthly operational and financial updates to the Board.
• Execute Board-approved strategies and elevate material risks promptly.
• Support Board Commissions (e.g. Finance, Audit & Risk, National Teams) with reporting and analysis, and implement approved recommendations.
• Provide day-to-day leadership to the Secretariat –build, mentor and retain a high-performing management team.
• Lead SRU's transition toward semi-professional or full professional standards across national teams, coaching and operations, as required to meet MYSP targets – including the organisational, contractual and cultural change this entails.

Rugby Operations – High Performance & Development

• Oversee national teams and the athlete pathway, aligning grassroots and high-performance systems (Sevens and Fifteens, Men's and Women's).
• Work with Technical Directors, National Coaches and Committees to set performance targets and measurement frameworks against MYSP KPIs.
• Oversee delivery of national leagues, community competitions and coaching accreditation, and support volunteer and official development.

Finance & Budgeting

• Prepare the annual budget together with the Treasurer for Board approval ahead of each financial year.
• Ensure financial discipline through dual-signatory controls, monthly reconciliations, regulatory compliance and segregation of duties.
• Deliver monthly Board reporting on budget vs. actuals,cash flow and variance, and coordinate the annual audit and statutory filings.

Commercial & Partnerships

• Create and deliver a commercial strategy to diversify revenue through sponsorship, events, grants, fundraising and merchandising.
• Lead negotiation and delivery of corporate partnerships, sponsorships and major donor relationships.
• Grow the Singapore Rugby Festival and other flagship commercial and community properties.

Stakeholder Management & Representation

• Represent SRU to SportSG, SpexSG, SNOC, SEA Rugby Federation, Asia Rugby, World Rugby, government agencies, schools, rugby clubs and the media.
• Maintain relationships with clubs, players, schools and development partners, managing expectations and resolving conflicts.
• Serve as the Board's primary operational contact and central coordinating authority across all functions.

Regulatory & Governance Compliance (NSA & IPC)

• Maintain SRU's compliance with SportSG, SpexSG, Registry of Societies and Commissioner of Charities (IPC) requirements, including the Charity Council Code of Governance.
• Maintain the Governance Evaluation Checklist (GEC), track compliance gaps and ensure Board awareness.
• Ensure timely submission of the AGM, audited financial statements, GEC and ROS annual return (all NLT 30 September / within 1 month of AGM as applicable), and manage the annual compliance calendar.
• Safeguard SRU's public-benefit obligations, donor records and separation between charitable and commercial activities.
• Maintain SRU's Finance Control SOPs and ensure internal processes and regulations are complied with at all times by the executive team while delivering their tasks.

Administration & Risk

• Manage staff and contractors, and maintain SRU's policies, SOPs and centralised documentation (Board papers, financial records, contracts, sponsorship agreements).
• Identify and manage risks across financial integrity, player safety, operational execution, reputation and regulatory compliance, escalating material risks immediately.
• Maintain handover documentation to ensure continuity and institutional memory across leadership transitions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business, sports management or a related field; relevant postgraduate qualification an advantage.
• At least 10 years of working experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a senior leadership or management role, ideally within sport, NSA/IPC, or non-profit governance.
• Demonstrated experience in financial planning, budgeting and reporting, and in generating commercial revenue (sponsorship, grants, events).
• Sound understanding of, or willingness to quickly master, NSA (SportSG and SpexSG) and Charity/IPC governance and compliance requirements.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to represent SRU credibly to government agencies, sponsors, media and international federations.
• Proven people leadership – able to build, mentor and retain a small, high-performing secretariat team.
• Passion for rugby and alignment with SRU's mission and values.
• Prior rugby knowledge, playing, coaching, or rugby administration experience is preferred; familiarity with the Singapore rugby ecosystem is an advantage.
• Experience leading an organisation, team or sporting programme through a transition from amateur/volunteer-based structures to semi-professional or professional standards is highly valued – e.g. professionalising coaching, athlete contracts, performance systems or administration.

Decision-Making Framework

Strategic direction, budget approval and exceptional expenditure are reserved for the Board. The GM operates with full authority over operational execution, staff hiring, and contracts within the approved budget, and jointly with the Board on senior hiring – always within the strategy and budget the Board has approved.

Fair Hiring Practices

SRU is committed to fair, merit-based hiring in accordance with Singapore's employment guidelines, and this recruitment will be conducted in line with:

• the Fair Consideration Framework (FCF)
• the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices