Men’s Pathway Performance Analyst U20s

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 Men’s Pathway Performance Analyst (U20s) to join our Technical Performance team on a permanent basis.

Job Title : Men’s Pathway Performance Analyst (U20s)
Department : Technical Performance
Reports to : Lead Player Development Scientist
Salary : c.£32,000 per annum
Job Level : Core
Location : Home and camp-based
Employment Type : Permanent

Application Information:

• Please submit a CV. Due to the nature of the role, please do not submit an anonymised CV. You do not need to submit a cover letter
• Vacancy closing date: Sunday 12 April at 9pm

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:

Working predominantly with the England Men’s U20’s team the post holder will be responsible for delivering a broad scope of Performance Analysis services to support player development and learning and enhance the coaching process within the England Rugby Men’s Pathway.

Working under the direction of the Analysis technical lead the successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to combine in-camp / competition support with coach-led projects and wider professional rugby department support. 

The post-holder will have a good understanding of player development within a pathway system and experience of working with professional coaches and sports science support staff to answer player development questions. As such, applicants should have a strong interest and some form of previous experience/understanding in the following areas:

• Delivering projects to support player development and learning
• Learning environments, theories and styles
• Presentation / Data Visualisation tools to enhance feedback
• Data and Video capture processes
• Feedback methodologies
• Capture and analysis of data pertinent to player development
• Report design and dissemination methods
• Online database platforms and data interrogation tools
• Building strong relationships with coaches and being part of a coaching team
• Player monitoring processes

The post holder will have experience (2 years minimum) in a professional / elite sporting environment and a strong understanding of the game.

Some key responsibilities include:

• The delivery of integrated Performance Analysis support to the Men’s U20’s Programme. 
• Delivery of Performance Analysis support to the England U19 Programme as required (circa 10 days per year).
• Collaborative work as part of the wider Pathway team to drive analysis processes and player development impact.
• Support in other pathway camps as schedule and requirements dictate.
• The development of strong relationships with Academy Analysts at clubs.
• Delivery of coach-led projects as directed.
• Ad-Hoc support to other England teams/analysts at key times throughout the season.
• Assistance with the management and aggregation of key pathway data sources including information on player game time, competition exposure and player tracking.
• U20 EPS player monitoring.
• 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:

• A sound academic record, including a degree in Performance Analysis or related subject is required. 
• At least 2 years' practical and relevant experience within a Performance Analysis / Player Development environment.
• Highly numerate with strong technical and computer skills.
• Must demonstrate a thorough approach to work, and able to organise themselves effectively. Will be able to demonstrate a determination to follow through tasks or projects to completion. 
• Good understanding of the game of rugby with a demonstrable portfolio of work/experiences to demonstrate this.
• Experience in the use of Performance analysis software(s) and related video production and analysis tools.
• Must demonstrate a “hands on” and “can do” proactive attitude and be able to provide solutions to problems or issues.
• Attention to detail and good administrative skills.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders from all parts of the Technical Performance Department and wider RFU.
• Understanding of the coaching process and how analysis can influence this.
• 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.

Personal Attributes:

• Enjoys the challenge the role brings and is committed to achieving personal, department and team objectives.
• Pro-active – understands the needs of the department and the wider team to be successful and is forthcoming with ideas and assistance.
• Relationship builder, who enjoys interacting with different groups of people.
• Willingness and ability to work unsociable hours.
• Comfortable, confident and effective in an elite / professional sporting environment. You have high standards and take pride in your work.

Additional Information:

• This role will require a DBS check.

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: