Job Title: Business & Governance Manager
Department: Strategy and Operations
Reports to: Business & Corporate Support Lead
Direct report(s): Business Management and Governance Executive, Corporate Support - Commercial/Business, Corporate Support - Rugby
Salary Banding: c. £55,000
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 35hrs per week
Application Information:
* Please submit an anonymised CV and cover letter (i.e. exclude personal details).
* The closing date for applications is 5pm on Thursday 17 October.
* The RFU reserves the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.
* Applications may be considered whilst this vacancy is advertised.
The Role:
The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for grassroots and elite rugby in England. Its purpose is to enrich lives and develop the sport for future generations. After undergoing a period of transformation and change, the Strategy and Operations department has recently developed a new 'Business & Corporate Support' function. The ambition of this function is to efficiently operate business processes and manage corporate governance for the organisation.
We are looking for a Business and Governance Manager to join our Strategy and Operations team to manage corporate governance processes across the organisation.
Some key responsibilities include:
Corporate Governance:
* Work alongside the Business & Corporate Support Lead and Legal and Governance Department to ensure that the RFU and its group companies remain compliant with relevant corporate legislation (including the Companies Act 2006, the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014 and Charities Act 2011), and corporate governance codes (including the Code for Sports Governance).
* Advise the Executive Director of Legal and Governance, Executive Team and the Board of upcoming and possible changes to legislation and governance requirements which will impact the RFU and its group, and advise on necessary changes to constitutions, regulations and processes to reflect these changes.
* Ensure that the RFU and its group acts in compliance with the RFU's Rules (its constitution) and other internal processes (such as corporate delegations of authority) and advise the Executive Team, Board and Council on compliance. Design and support the delivery of onboarding and induction programmes for Board and Council members, and members of other key committees.
* Identify and support the training and development needs of members of the RFU Board and trustees of RFU group charities.
* Ensure that terms of reference for RFU committees comply with RFU constitutional requirements and good corporate practice.
* Maintain a register of committee terms of reference and ensure that they are regularly reviewed.
* Design and run the process for Board Effectiveness Reviews as necessary and maintain skills matrix for the Board and other bodies which require them.
Business Management:
* Drive change and improvement in corporate processes, especially through technology to systematise and streamline those processes.
* Manage the timelines, risks and issues for the System Transformation programme.
* Oversee and deliver the business management responsibilities for the organisation, including Deal Approval and Contract Management and the running of Leadership Team forums.
* Running the internal risk management process, with reporting to key forums, Audit Committee and Board.
* Supporting the preparation of the Annual Report and Accounts.
* Build strong working relationships with key internal stakeholders, developing and executing thorough stakeholder management processes.
Company Secretarial:
* Be responsible for administering key meetings of the RFU group, including AGM, Board, Council and their committees (including Audit and Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee and Nominations Committees), General Meetings, subsidiary companies, and Rugby Football Foundation trustee meetings. This will be in collaboration with the Chief Executive's Office and other directors as necessary. This will include:
o designing and maintaining forward planners for meetings and proactively planning meeting timings and structures;
o preparation of papers and action lists, minute taking of these meetings, and ensuring actions are duly allocated and completed;
o day to day contact with senior individuals within the organisation, including President, Chair of the Board, INEDs and other directors.
* Working with CEO's Office/Communications team to ensure that communication and/or engagement plans are in place for any key decisions made by the Board or Council.
* Co-ordinate the preparation of critical business reports, including, but not limited to, organisational KPIs, Project Reports and Annual Report.
* Make and implement recommendations for improvements to corporate processes.
* Develop and maintain legal and compliance processes, such as gifts and hospitality, and conflict of interest registers.
Project Management Office:
* Manage the RFU's project management office - dealing with project requests and advising on project set up to deliver the best results.
* Manage the continual improvement of the RFU's project lifecycle, responding to feedback to ensure it remains fit for purpose within the organisation and working closely with the Senior Strategy & Planning Manager and Transformation Manager.
* Oversee the activity of the RFU's project management community.
Other:
* Line manage the Business Management and Governance Executive, the Corporate Support - Commercial/Business and Corporate Support - Rugby, including their priorities and workload, and setting clear performance goals and objectives to support the upskilling and development of the function.
* 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.
Essential:
* Effective communicator who possesses good communication skills and an ability to engage at all levels.
* Strong literacy with well-developed writing skills.
* Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint with experience using Smartsheet desirable.
* Excellent organisational skills, attention to detail and time management.
* A proven track record of achievement, including in relation to good corporate practice, in a similar role.
* Recent experience of working within a complex corporate environment (either a listed company or large corporate would be advantageous).
* Must maintain confidentiality and have the ability to handle highly sensitive material with discretion.
* 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 and building an inclusive culture in your role and day to day behaviours.
Desirable:
* Minimum degree level within a relevant discipline.
* A relevant vocational qualification will be valued but not essential, e.g. ICSA, PRINCE2 Foundation or business administration.
* Rounded business knowledge and a good understanding of the RFU is desirable.
* Recent/relevant experience of the rugby environment/strong practical understanding of the rugby/sporting landscape in England.
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@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.
* If you'd like to download the full job description, please click here.
About Us
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, LGBTQ+ 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 BACK behaviours which stand for Brave, Accountable, Collaborative and Keep improving.
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 organization 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 and 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
* After 3 months, you will be enrolled in our Aviva pension scheme and we will match and double your contribution up to 10%
* Ride-to-work scheme, eyecare vouchers and season ticket loans
About Our Team
At England Rugby, we want to hear our employees' thoughts, ideas and feedback on our strategies, new initiatives and our work environment. That's why we have quarterly meetings called 'the Voice' where various topics are discussed, in addition to regular surveys, including our annual D&I survey. We are always striving to create the best environment for our colleagues, and we are proud to present some of our most recent feedback from Feb 2022:
* 85% feel motivated to perform their role to the best of their ability
* 83% feel supported by their Manager
* 90% agree or strongly agree that their Manager empowers and trusts them to deliver while working from home
* 83% feel informed and connected with the organisation
If you would like to find out more about our diversity and inclusion work or the culture at England Rugby, please visit our website here: https://www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/our-approach
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