Project Officer Get Onside

Organisation: Saracens Foundation
Salary: SALARY: £25,000-£28,000 pro rata (subject to experience) per annum
Location: StoneX Stadium
Contract type: Permanent (Full time)
Closing date: 17 July 2025
Interview date: 21 July 2025
Job Description: We're looking for a Project Officer to join the Saracens Foundation team.

Since its inception in 2000, the Saracens Foundation has delivered innovative and industry leading projects across North London & Hertfordshire, developing sustainable partnerships and providing vital support that helps build stronger, healthier and more connected communities.

This role will report directly to the Development Manager within the team.

Saracens is an inclusive, people first organisation. A core part of achieving our mission is that our workforce is diverse and reflective of the community that we serve. There will be no discrimination in our recruitment and selection processes, nor when considering pay and benefits. We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for the position and join us on our mission to enrich lives through sport and entertainment. (You can read more about diversity and inclusion here).

JOB TITLE: Reducing Reoffending Project Officer
LOCATION: Stone X Stadium, Hendon, NW4 1RL
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full Time
KEY STAKEHOLDERS: All internal departments and external stakeholders
REPORTS TO: Development Manager
SALARY BRACKET: £25,000 - £28,000 (SUBJECT TO EXPERIENCE)

PURPOSE OF THE JOB:

Get Onside is the Saracens Foundation’s eight-week prison project that introduces participants to rugby, whilst also delivering educational and life skills workshops. The programme is designed to engage prisoners, instilling positive values that can be used to further prospects upon release. The aim of Get Onside is to develop a sense of self-confidence and self-esteem that allows participants the opportunity of a future free of crime and reoffending behaviours.

A Get Onside Project Officer will be tasked with leading the educational workshops with prisoners inside HMP/YOI Feltham & HMP The Mount as well as delivering practical rugby sessions. The rugby sessions allow the participants the chance to learn new skills and be a part of a team. The ideal candidate will be able to nurture a strong team spirit between the participants that enables high-level engagement with the life skills sessions. The successful candidate will also be responsible for coordinating the course curriculum, whilst also managing the budget and administrative side of the programme.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. To lead on the delivery of the Get Onside programme, both in the classroom-based workshops and on the rugby pitch.
2. Support graduates throughout the course and in their first year of release.
3. Support and lead in the design, delivery, and coordination of projects, including budgeting and administration.
4. Responsible for scheduling the project; monitoring and evaluating the impact of the project and reporting to key stakeholders
5. Build and maintain positive working relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external.
6. Coordinate with the Foundation team to ensure high quality and safe delivery that exceeds expectations and delivers maximum positive impact.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

The successful candidate will possess the following:
Skills
• England Rugby Coaching Award (ERCA) or Level 2 Coaching Award from RFU (or equivalent qualification from relevant Governing Body).
• Lived experience or knowledge of working with disadvantaged or excluded people in order to create positive change.
• Experience and knowledge of working with a wide variety of different demographics.
• An understanding of the sport for change and prison landscapes, and the desired impacts of the Get Onside project.
• Experience working with a team of people to reach a shared objective.
• A ‘people’s person’ with excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong internal and external relationships.
• Energy/motivation and an ability to be an inspiration to your audience.
• Good organisation and time management skills.
• Ability to communicate internally and externally – empowering us to ‘shout’ about what we do.
• Great ICT capability.
• Willingness to be flexible, if required.

Desirable
• An understanding or lived experience of challenges faced by prisoners in prison and in the community.
• Experience of working within an elite sport foundation that sits alongside an elite sport club.
• Experience of creating and delivering inspiring interventions in order to create a positive experience.
• Experience of working with external stakeholders to add value to community-based programmes.
• Experience of mentoring vulnerable, disadvantaged or excluded people.

Personal Characteristics
• You have a relentless focus and are a great team player.
• You work collaboratively with others and take pride in your work.
• You manage delivery effectively, assuming personal ownership and accountability for results.
• You are organised, efficient and innovative in your approach to your work and tasks.
• You are flexible in your approach to managing your workload but also possess the ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

BENEFITS
Compensation
• Dependant on the charity’s financial performance, the Saracens Foundation may conduct an annual pay review. However, proactive pay increases may be implemented to reflect growing responsibilities.

Working from home
• Our office anchor days are on Mondays and Thursdays. This keeps team collaboration and engagement high.
• If you are normally office-based, you can still work from home occasionally - as long as you have a good internet connection and a private, quiet space which allows you to do your best work.

Holiday
• 25 days’ holiday a year, plus bank holidays - please use them all!

Health & Wellbeing
• Paid sick leave for both physical & mental health.

Sports & Entertainment
• Ballot tickets for Saracens Home Games.
• Ballot tickets for International Rugby Games.
• Opportunities for discounted tickets to Saracens games and events for you and your family.

Family
• Enhanced paid maternity, paternity, adoption or shared parental leave, if you’ve been with us for at least 26 weeks.
• Life Assurance with Zurich.

Commuting
We’re a member of the cycle-to-work scheme.
How to apply: Applications should be made by submitting a CV and covering letting incorporating suitability to the role. Applications should be sent to Sangita Asani, People Business Partner at recruitment@saracens.net. Closing date for applications is Thursday 17th July 2025 at 5:00pm. We anticipate first stage interviews to take place on week commencing the 21st of July 2025. Saracens Group positively welcomes and seeks to ensure we achieve diversity in our workforce and that all job applicants and employees receive equal and fair treatment. We encourage applications from all candidates regardless of age, race, gender, gender identity, gender expression, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or nationality. Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date. This is to ensure our teams can manage application levels while maintaining a positive candidate experience. Once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications, so please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. If you have not heard from us by 7 days after the closing date of the role, please assume that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.