Data and Insights Manager

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 Data & Insights Manager to join our Strategy & Operations team on a 3yr FTC basis.

Job Title : Data & Insights Manager

Department : Strategy & Insights

Reports to : Reporting into Strategy & Insights Team. Dotted line into Head of Regional Partnerships

Direct report(s) : None

Salary : c. £52,000 per annum

Job Level : Guide

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 : 3-year Fixed Term Contract

Working Hours : This is a full-time role, covering 35hrs per week

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. remove personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter.
• Vacancy closing date: 3rd May at 5pm

To help us get to know your unique experience and voice, we kindly ask that you complete your application without the use of AI‑generated content. This ensures we can fairly and accurately understand your skills, perspective, and suitability for the role.

The Role:

The RFU has recently launched Plan 2030: ‘More Than A Game’, which is our strategy to grow rugby across England for the next five years.

Our strategy contains four big goals that support and connect to one another - Play, Perform, Follow and Fund. In ‘Play’ we’re aiming to have an additional 50,000 registered players and have more people playing rugby for longer.

One of the ways we are planning to unlock this growth is through a transformation in how the RFU delivers community rugby by creating seven Regional Growth Partnership Boards tasked with driving participation, building partnerships, and unlocking funding opportunities within their region.

The RFU is creating a new regional structure to help grow rugby in regional areas of the country. The aim is to get more people playing, build stronger partnerships across the game, and bring in new funding to support local growth.

What the new regions will do

Each region will be responsible for:

• Developing the sport by creating playing opportunities for new people in new places
• Managing devolved RFU funding focused on growing the game
• Building high-level relationships regionally to benefit rugby
• Generating external incremental revenue for additional growth opportunities
• Developing partnerships with clubs, Constituent Bodies (CBs), and the professional game to deliver the RFU’s goal of “more people playing, for longer”

How the model will work

Seven Regional Growth Partnership Boards will be created with regional and a small central staff team supporting each board. Their job will be to build internal and external relationships, secure extra funding, and develop and deliver a Regional Rugby Growth & Promotion Plan.

About the new role

The central Data & Insights Manager will act as a Subject Matter Expert for the regional teams to manage key data and insights projects. They will be tasked with supporting the newly created Regional Growth Partnership Boards, providing high‑quality data, insights and evidence that enable regional Boards, staff and partners to plan effectively, demonstrate impact, and strengthen funding opportunities.

This role spans research, business intelligence and data analytics. The successful candidate will not only analyse and interpret data but will help define what insight is needed, build or source new datasets where gaps exist, and translate complex information into accessible insights for a wide range of stakeholders with varying levels of data literacy.

The role holder will play a key part in embedding evidence-based decision making across the regions, supporting the development of tools, dashboards and reporting frameworks, and advising on how data can be used to unlock growth, participation, engagement and investment.

As this is a new function, the ideal candidate will bring a proactive, start-up mindset, helping to shape ways of working, define processes, and contribute to a culture of continual improvement.

The Team:

The role will sit within the RFU’s Strategy and Operations department but be deployed to work as part of a new small regional transition team in Rugby Development, working with a Head of Regional Partnerships to support all seven regions.

A level of national travel will likely be required to engage with the regional teams appropriately.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Lead and manage regional data and insights projects, with support from other insights and analytics personnel where required. Specifically:
• Act as the primary data and insights contact for the seven RFU regions, providing regular, high‑quality data to support planning, performance discussions and decision‑making.
• Develop and maintain regional datasets, dashboards and reporting tools (e.g., Tableau).
• Collate and analyse participation, volunteering, facility and demographic data to generate meaningful insight.
• Translate complex analysis into accessible, engaging outputs and provide clear recommendations, not just information
• Build effective working relationships with Regional Boards, staff, CBs, community and professional clubs and other partners.
• Advise stakeholders on which data and insights will be most impactful for their objectives.

Funding Evidence & Impact Measurement

• Produce evidence to support regional funding bids, including SROI, impact metrics and community benefit analysis.

Cross‑Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with BI, research, digital and community rugby teams to ensure consistent data structures and best‑practice use of insight.
• Coordinate multi‑disciplinary insight projects involving technical, analytical and operational expertise.

Strategy & Governance

• Shape and develop the RFU’s regional insight capability and associated processes.
• Maintain and manage the regional insight workplan, balancing priorities and expectations.
• Identify opportunities where research, analytics or new data sources could strengthen regional rugby development.
• Provide evidence‑based insight to support senior leadership decision‑making.
• Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU at all times, including the promotion of the RFU Core Values
• Undertake such other duties as maybe required from time to time as are consistent with the responsibilities of the post and the needs of the RFU.

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.

Essential:

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends and communicate insights clearly.
• Experience using BI tools (e.g., Tableau) to build dashboards and visualise data.
• Experience running or supporting mixed-methodology research projects.
• Ability to work independently, proactively identifying opportunities for insight and shaping new processes from the ground up.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt style to suit different levels of data literacy.

Desirable:

• Knowledge or experience of SROI or impact evaluation methodologies.
• Experience within a sporting, community development or public sector environment.
• Experience working within a devolved or multi‑region structure.
• Understanding of community sport, health outcomes or social impact frameworks.
• Degree-level education in a relevant discipline (desirable but not essential).
• Experience working in a complex sporting or governance environment.

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 recruitment.
• 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.