Central Operations Administrator

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 Central Operations Administrator to join our Strategy & Operations team on a permanent basis.

Job Title : Central Operations Administrator
Department : Strategy & Operations
Reports to : Central Operations Executive
Direct report(s) : None
Salary Banding : c.£30,000 per annum
Job Level : Core
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 (i.e. remove personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter
• Vacancy closing date: Tuesday 5th May at 5pm
• Early applications are encouraged as this role may close early due to high interest

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 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 Central Operations Administrator to join our Strategy and Operations team to provide administrative support for internal processing and general administration, as well as the organisation and delivery of internal RFU events alongside our Support Team Executive. The role holder will be required to be flexible and respond to the needs of the business at any given time.

Some key responsibilities include:

Events

• Research and identify suitable venues for events based on the requirements and budget.
• Coordinate with venue representatives to confirm availability, negotiate contracts, and secure bookings.
• Arrange group travel accommodations for event participants, including flights, trains, buses, and hotel bookings.
• Communicate travel details to attendees and provide support for any travel-related inquiries or issues.
• Manage catering orders, ensuring that dietary requirements and preferences are accommodated. 
• Coordinate the rental, purchase, setup, operation, and breakdown of equipment before, during, and after events. 
• Prepare detailed running orders for events, outlining the schedule of activities, responsibilities, and key contact information.
• Distribute running orders to event staff, vendors, and other stakeholders, ensuring everyone is informed of their roles and timelines.
• Maintain a schedule of all booked venues, ensuring that all details are recorded and communicated to relevant stakeholders.

Processing

• Assist in the creation and management of purchase orders, ensuring they are accurately recorded in the system.
• Monitor outstanding POs and follow up with relevant parties to resolve any issues or delays.
• Maintain organised and up-to-date records of all administrative activities, including expenses, POs, and other financial documentation.
• Ensure that all records are filed and archived according to company policies and compliance requirements.
• Assist in preparing reports and summaries as needed by management or other departments.
• Administer the order process for RFU company cars, liaising effectively with drivers, managers and suppliers.
• Maintain accurate fleet records using a dedicated fleet management IT system and spreadsheet/paper records as appropriate.
• Verify and record mileage reports submitted by employees, ensuring accuracy and compliance with company policies.
• Monitor mileage trends and highlight any discrepancies or issues to management.
• Assist with data entry, document preparation, and other clerical tasks as needed.
• Support the team with ad hoc projects and tasks to ensure smooth day-to-day operations.

As an RFU Employee, You Will

• 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.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with a range of stakeholders. 
• An effective team member with sufficient flexibility and willingness to take on roles outside their normal functional responsibility when required. 
• Must maintain confidentiality and have the ability to handle highly sensitive material with discretion. 
• 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:

• Rounded business knowledge and a good understanding of the RFU.
• Previous experience of organising and operating office systems and providing a Corporate Administration service in a fast-paced environment. 

Additional Information:

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.

What we can offer you

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide: