Head of Performance Rugby

Organisation: Cardiff Metropolitan University
Salary: £44,263 to £49,794
Location: Cardiff, Wales
Contract type: Fixed Term
Closing date: 17 July 2025
Job Description: As an integral leader within the Rugby System, the Head of Performance Rugby will provide visionary leadership, strategic oversight, and clear direction for the Performance Programmes at Cardiff Met University, including BUCS Super Rugby Men’s and Women’s teams, the Men’s WRU Community Premiership squad and the WRU Player Development Centre – East. You will play a key role in ensuring integration of the Performance Programmes to the wider rugby and university sporting system.

You’ll play a key role in:

Across each programme, establish and lead key developmental priorities across the technical, tactical, physical, mental, and social pillars of performance.
Lead the planning and delivery of structured and targeted recruitment plan for performance rugby, ensuring alignment and collaboration with wider student recruitment activity within rugby and the university.
Empower, guide and facilitate each programmes’ staff to lead the delivery and planning of their daily environment.
What you’ll bring

As a dynamic and collaborative leader you will drive the performance ambitions of these programmes, harnessing the strengths of multidisciplinary coaching teams, operations staff and talented student-athletes within a high-performance university environment. You will use your skills to maximise the roles and impact of staff, volunteers and placement students and support delivery where appropriate.

Within the Rugby System, whilst driving a performance environment grounded in behaviours and standards of performance teams, you will recognise and build appropriately to the wider outcomes of university sport, experience of student-athletes and opportunities to leverage academic opportunities of research and work-based learning.

Additionally you’ll: 

Significant coaching, management and leadership experience in a rugby performance environment in a professional, academy or international setting.
Experience of in game and training model design in a performance setting.
Experience and knowledge of managing teams and staff with different functions in a Multi-Disciplinary approach. Ability to combine each of these departments to produce successful performance outcomes.
Level 3 Rugby Performance Coaching Qualification
Why join Cardiff Metropolitan University?

We are a values-based University. We are proud of our culture, and we are there for our people. Our community spirit is the golden thread that underpins our values and behaviours. We support and embrace inclusion that enables everyone to feel respected and able to perform at their best. By joining our University, you'll find yourself in a unique environment where a wealth of knowledge and resources are readily available, supporting you with your career development.

We offer excellent benefits such as:

Annual leave of 35 days, plus 12 bank holiday / concessionary days (pro rata if part time)
Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous monthly contributions.
Excellent family friendly policies – take a look on our Policy Hub page.
Opportunities to learn and develop your skills with access to library and digital services facilities.
Excellent sports and fitness facilities with subsidised membership.
Free family access to our independent specialist wellbeing support provider, Health Assured.
Contact us

For more information about the role please contact Ollie Toogood on otoogood@cardiffmet.ac.uk.

All applications must be submitted online.

The person specification will be used as a tool for shortlisting; so please make sure you use this information when writing your application. You can find useful hints and tips about how to apply by visiting our Application Guidance page
How to apply: https://jobs.cardiffmet.ac.uk/METS20-1