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 Programme Co-Ordinator Executive to join our Clubs & Communities team.
Job Title : Programme Co-ordination Executive
Department : Clubs & Communities
Reports to : Clubs and Communities Operations Manager
Salary Banding : c. £35,000- £37,000
Job Level : Implement
Location : This role is homebased with some travel to Allianz Stadium in Twickenham
Employment Type : Permanent
Working Hours : Full Time role, covering 35 hrs per week
Application Information:
- Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. please exclude personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter.
- The closing date for applications 25th August 2026 at 12:00 noon
The Role:
A key role within the Clubs & Communities team, responsible for co-ordinating cross-functional processes that support the delivery of the Club Support Strategy and the Facility Investment Programme. The role will co-ordinate the flow of information to ensure an integrated approach to supporting rugby clubs to operate sustainably and to be fit for the future. The role will also support the interpretation and collation of data, insights and local intelligence to provide a single ‘club’ viewpoint. In addition, they will provide project management support across the Clubs & Communities team to plan and co-ordinate the implementation of national programmes.
Responsibilities:
Day-to-day responsibilities will include:
- Support regional club development teams to develop and manage cross-functional operational delivery plans, ensuring strong communication across the team, with clear monitoring and evaluation of progress against objectives
- Support the day-to-day maintenance of the Club Portal and act as first point of contact for any queries from across the RFU.
- Develop practical tools for Rugby Development teams, enabling them to consistently use data and insights to identify, understand, and respond to club needs.
- Co-ordinate the end-to-end design, application, assessment, and award processes for Rugby Development operational investment projects, including facility investment and club development support programmes.
- Build and maintain strong working relationships with key internal teams, particularly Legal and Finance, to support the effective delivery of investment programmes.
- Ensure alignment of processes, proactive coordination of legal security and affordability requirements, and timely resolution of issues to enable smooth programme delivery.
- Management of operational planning updates and reporting for stakeholders.
- Co-ordination of the reporting process for CB funding and Partnership Agreements, summarising impact and return on investment.
- Build partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders to ensure collaboration and support with projects.
- Provide project management support to other Club & Communities teams when required.
- Consolidate and analyse feedback from club engagement activities, analysing trends and providing recommendations on areas clubs require further support or guidance.
- Oversee Clubs & Communities inboxes, being a first point of contact for many clubs and individuals involved within the game and ensure accurate records and data are recorded and maintained.
- Actively collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of the current strategic, business and operational plans.
- Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU, including the promotion of our culture and core values – This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.
- Undertake other duties as may be required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the organisation.
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.
- Strong programme co-ordination skills with experience of delivering high profile projects or programmes to challenging deadlines
- Smartsheet super user and advanced Excel user, with the ability to manipulate and manage large volumes of data
- Financial or budget management experience
- Strong influencing skills, with the ability to have challenging conversations and deal with potential conflict
- Completer finisher with excellent attention to detail
- Strong communications skills (written and verbal)
- A balance of flexibility in approach with resilience & perseverance
- Solution focused, proactive and pragmatic approach to problem solving
- Self-starter able to adapt to changing priorities
- Committed to embodying the ethos 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 and building an inclusive culture in your role and day to day behaviours
Desirable:
- Knowledge of community sport or volunteer landscape
Additional Information:
- Personal circumstances must allow the candidate to work extended hours on occasion during times of peak activity including evenings and weekends
- Roles holders not based at Twickenham must be available to work from there as and when required
- 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 recruitment@rfu.com.
- Personal circumstances must allow the candidate to work flexibly, (including occasional evenings and weekends), and occasionally work extended hours during times of peak activity.
- 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.
Company
About England Rugby
England Rugby or Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby in England. We deliver three core activities, and our purpose is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations.
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
At England Rugby, one of our core objectives is to drive rugby union to better reflect the diversity of society. We are aware that rugby, and sports in general, has not always been as welcoming an environment for everyone as we would like, and we are working hard to make rugby a more inclusive space for all identities.
We believe hiring people from underrepresented groups into positions at all levels is vital to creating spaces and initiatives that better support those identities. We would love to see applications from disabled people, LGBTQIA+ people, people from ethnically diverse communities, people of faith, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and women and non-binary people.
We know that representation is more than just getting people through the door, it’s about keeping people by responding to structural barriers relating to identities and valuing the insights that different lived experiences bring. We have network groups that provide peer-to-peer support and drive forward change internally. We support colleagues to develop, and each colleague has access to a personal coaching platform that can provide same-day one-to-one coaching. We are pushing ourselves to create a more inclusive culture every day through role modelling our culture and core values; This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.
We know that flexible working is important to our colleagues, so our guiding principles are designed to support everyone to work in the way that suits them, their teams, and the organisation in the best way.
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 recruitment@rfu.com.
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
Requires programme coordination, project delivery, Smartsheet and advanced Excel skills, data management, budget experience, communication, stakeholder influencing, problem solving, and adaptability.
Key Responsibilities
- coordinating programmes
- analysing data
- managing stakeholders
Skills & Tools
Smartsheet, Microsoft Excel
Job Details
- Category: Project and Program Management
- Seniority: Mid Level
- Commitment: Full Time
- Workplace: Remote — United Kingdom or Twickenham
- Salary: GBP 35,000 – 37,000 / year
- Languages: English
Benefits
- 401k matching
- Generous paid time off
- Retirement plan
About England Rugby
The national governing body for rugby in England, supporting grassroots and performance rugby, commercial partnerships, and organizational operations. — Industry: Education