Venue Manager Sunderland (Women's RWC England 2025 LOC)

We are looking to recruit a Venue Manager for Sunderland (RWC2025 Opening Match) who will be responsible for the operational planning and delivery of this tournament venue, as well as supporting tournament related work within their region.

Venue Manager Sunderland (Women’s RWC England 2025 LOC)

FIXED-TERM CONTRACT UNTIL OCTOBER 2025

Based in the host location of Sunderland (plus 2 days every fortnight in the Twickenham Central office) OR based in Twickenham 3 days a week, with travel to venue as required for the role.

****APPLICATION DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY 11TH DECEMBER 2024****

Women’s Rugby World Cup England 2025 (Women’s RWC 2025) will be the 10th edition of the women's tournament.  World Rugby, in partnership with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and UK Sport, have formed a Local Operating Company to plan and deliver the event.

Ambitions for the tournament are at an all-time high as women’s rugby is one of the fastest growing team sports in the world. Women’s RWC 2025 will be the ultimate stage for the best players, teams and coaches from 16 nations across the globe and is set to be the biggest and most widely watched women's rugby event ever. If you are interested in being a part of a tournament that will celebrate a generational moment for global rugby, apply today!

We are looking to recruit a Venue Manager for Sunderland (RWC2025 Opening Match) who will be responsible for the operational planning and delivery of this tournament venue, as well as supporting tournament related work within their region.

The Venue Manager will report into the Senior Venue Manager and work closely alongside all functional area leads within the organisation as well as key external stakeholders both at the venue and in the city. They will continuously liaise with the Venue team and Steering Group in the city to ensure a strong relationship with seamless planning and delivery of the tournament.

What you’ll be doing:

• Lead the planning and delivery of the RWC2025 in the host venue.
• Deliver the venue on time, to agreed budget, and to the World Rugby Venue Technical Guide requirements of Women’s RWC 2025.  
• Identify and highlight major risks and propose mitigation measures, developing contingency plans alongside stakeholders. 
• Liaise with venue owners and key stakeholders as well as complying with Venue Hire Agreements. 
• Support the overlay team with the planning, and management of all overlay / power delivery requirements in the venue.
• Prepare and present reports on venue delivery progress, issues and risks.   
• Development of the Venue Delivery Plans for the stadium. 
• Work with World Rugby to ensure all partners’ requirements are delivered.  
• Coordination of the interfaces between Venues, Cities and functional area leads and contractors.
• Engage with key external suppliers to World Rugby within the constraints of the agreed budget.
• Be a member of the RWC2025 Steering Group in the host location and work alongside all city stakeholders and RWC2025 host city team.
• Support any RWC2025 events or tournament activations taking place in the host location.
• Organise and lead all venue visits to the stadium.
• Assist with the implementation of strategies and processes for Health & Safety, Sustainability and Accessibility as developed by World Rugby for the tournament.
• During the tournament lead the bump-in, delivery and bump-out at the host venue as well as supporting other city and venue team colleagues across the tournament as required.
• Take on specific projects within the venue management team throughout the planning of the tournament.
• Coordinate venue handover/hand back processes including dissolution and reinstatement/repair settlements.

Experience & knowledge you’ll need:

• Experience of event and/or venue management in a leadership role.
• A comprehensive understanding of tournament functional areas and their respective roles and responsibilities.
• Experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders and proven success at building excellent working relationships.
• Proven communication skills and ability to deliver quality reports.
• Strong administrative and IT skills including MS Office.

Nice to Haves:

• Experience of delivering events in the host venue / location.
• Operational delivery of events within a stadia environment.
• Leading and managing a team to deliver a high profile event which is broadcast worldwide.
• Experience of overlay delivery on an event.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• A passion for sport and to contribute to the further growth of the women’s game.
• Role-models World Rugby’s values of Discipline, Respect, Integrity, Passion, and Solidarity.  
• A positive, ‘can-do’ attitude; someone who is resilient, flexible, curious, and delivery focused. 
• Adept at working under pressure in a fast-paced environment, delivering work to deadlines and honouring commitments.
• A collaborative team player, who builds strong relationships with colleagues and a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, managing multiple workstreams at once; meticulous attention to detail.
• Can navigate ambiguity and cut through complexity, taking a logical and creative approach to problem-solving.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

Women’s RWC 2025 LOC is committed to building a diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality and inclusion and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace, which reflects the global sport we want to be and where everyone can be themselves and feel they belong.