Women's Game Director

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

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 16th October 2026 at 17:00 
• Successful candidates will need to be available on 26th/27th October for a first round interview
• Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

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 recruitment@rfu.com. 
• 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.