Senior Communications Manager – Corporate

With the Womens Rugby World Cup taking place here in England this year its an incredibly exciting time to join the RFU and 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 peoples lives wed love to work with you. An opportunity has arisen for a Senior Communications Manager - Corporate to join the Communications team on a permanent basis.

Job Title : Senior Communications Manager - Corporate

Department : Communications

Reports to : Corporate Communications Director

Salary Banding : 65000 per annum

Job Level : Guide

Location : This role is contractually based at Allianz Stadium offering some flexibility to work from home

Employment Type : Permanent

Working Hours : This is a full time role covering 35 hours per week

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. please exclude personal details).
• The closing date for applications is 09^th October 2025 at 5:00 PM.
• The RFU reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.
• Applications may be considered whilst this vacancy is advertised.

Please note; we are currently experiencing an issue with applications using Live MSN Hotmail and Outlook accounts. Please apply using a different email address if you typically use one of these domains as we cannot guarantee that you will receive communications from us if you use these.

The Role:

We are looking for an experienced and strategic corporate communications professional to support and evolve the RFUs reputation and narrative across our wide range of stakeholders from the rugby community and commercial partners to media government and the wider public.

This role is central to shaping how the RFU is perceived not just as the national governing body for rugby union in England but as a modern values-driven organisation with a clear purpose and a vital role in sport and society.

We want someone who can lead with confidence and credibility in a fast-moving environment someone who can manage complex issues create compelling messaging and help bring clarity and consistency to how we communicate our work across performance community governance commercial and development areas.

Responsibilities:

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

• Play a central role in developing and delivering the RFUs communications strategy to support the growth of rugby and enhance the organisations reputation with key stakeholders across all levels of the game.
• Elevate the profile of the RFU covering elite performance community rugby and the organisations corporate governance and commercial activities.
• Provide strategic media counsel to senior leadership and proactively manage their media engagement to reflect positively on both the individuals and the RFU.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key rugby and sports media to promote a transparent and collaborative approach to communications.
• Develop good relationships with World Rugby Six Nations Premiership Rugby Premiership Womens Rugby and other global unions to help grow the profile of rugby union.
• Ensure close collaboration across departments to deliver a consistent and joined-up communications approach across the organisation.
• Lead communications for the redevelopment of the Allianz Stadium working closely with internal project teams and the RFUs external communications agencies.
• Support commercial activations for the RFU and England Teams working in partnership with the Commercial team team communications managers and commercial partners.
• Coordinate with internal teams and Six Nations Rugby to manage fixture announcements for the Six Nations Autumn Nations Series and Nations Cup.
• Support media operations on match days including acting as a key contact for crisis and issue management.
• Promote the work of the RFUs Professional Game Match Officials highlighting their excellence while also managing media issues as they arise.
• Assist in communications related to the RFUs discipline and safeguarding teams.
• Carry out other duties as required that are consistent with the responsibilities of the role and the evolving needs of the organisation.
• 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.

• Experience of reputation management and corporate communications in an environment with a high level of public scrutiny.
• Proven experience in communications within sport entertainment or a similar consumer-facing sector.
• Evidence of sound judgment and decision-making capability.
• Experienced in developing and maintaining strong relationships with the media.
• Excellent writing and planning skills with an understanding of tone and audience engagement.
• Experience working in a multi-stakeholder environment with the ability to build trust and alignment across diverse audiences.
• An interest in rugby and/or wider sport.
• 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.

Additional Information:

• 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 .
• 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.