Head of People & Culture

***CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS IS MONDAY 4th MARCH***

FIXED-TERM CONTRACT UNTIL END OF JANUARY 2028

World Rugby is the international federation responsible for the global development of Rugby. It’s strategic mission is to accelerate the growth of Rugby, inspiring more people to engage with the sport.

Australia’s hosting of Rugby World Cup 2027 and 2029 are at the heart of that mission, representing an exciting growth opportunity for Rugby in Australia, the region, and the global game more broadly.

Rugby World Cup is one of the biggest sporting and entertainment brands in the world and the dual men’s and women’s hosting model creates a transformative opportunity to showcase the very best of Rugby and Australia to an unprecedented global audience.

The 2027 tournament will be a nationwide celebration of the sport, its values and Australia’s cities, culture and people, engaging new audiences and inspiring a new generation of fans and players.

In Australia, the tournament is expected to generate $860m in direct visitor expenditure across Australia from more than 200,000 international visitors and inject a further $300m into the Australia economy as a result of hosting in 2027 alone.

With women and the heart of World Rugby’s growth mission, Rugby World Cup 2029 represents a transformative opportunity take the sport to the next level. Women’s Rugby is one of the world’s fastest growing sports and the fanbase growing at a faster rate than other sports with 166 million fans globally. The commercial value of women’s Rugby is expected to grow by 10x over the next decade, which is great for Australia.

Hosting both tournament also presents a fantastic opportunity for Rugby Australia to harness the power of the Rugby World Cup and grow its participation across Australia and the ambition to bring 30,000 players into the rugby ecosystem.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to be part of a global event that will set new standards and drive the growth of Rugby. We are looking for candidates who are passionate about sport, understand the power it has to make a difference and have a strong commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion for the event.

You will be part of a team that aims to inspire a new generation of audiences and participants.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Head of People and Culture will lead the strategic direction and operations of the PAC function for the LOC’s pre-Tournament and Tournament-time workforce. The Tournament-time workforce is estimated to be around 600 employees, a large number of contractors and up to 10,000 volunteers.

The role is focused on attracting and retaining a high performing team committed to delivering an outstanding Tournament. As Head of People and Culture you will play a lead role in defining and embedding a high-performance culture that provides a valued positive experience for the LOC team. You will provide strategic People and Culture advice to the Executive team and hiring Managers and play a key role in the development and implementation of HR systems, processes and policies including remuneration, safety and wellbeing, diversity and inclusion and workforce planning.

The role will oversee all aspects of the employee life cycle including recruitment, training and development, engagement, retention and offboarding of employees, contractors and volunteers. This role also manages the LOC’s office facilities. 

The successful candidate will possess outstanding communication skills, be able to work collaboratively and have previous experience in a similar role within the sporting landscape.

Reporting to the EGM Business, there will be a close working relationship with all areas of the business within the LOC and World Rugby Group People & Culture team (Dublin) & World Rugby Group Events Workforce Management function. The Head of People and Culture will have a small number of direct reports.

Whilst the LOC has carriage of both the 2027 and 2029 RWCs, all roles are being recruited on the basis of working to deliver 2027, with a contract end date reflective of the successful conclusion of 2027. All roles within the LOC will be reviewed at the appropriate point in time to determine whether they will be extended to cover 2029 and to suit the needs of the business at that time.

What you’ll be doing:

1. In partnership with World Rugby Group Talent Acquisition, lead the implementation of the LOC Resourcing plan to Ensure the Tournament attracts talent with the right skills and experience to deliver on its objectives by leading robust workforce planning, including remuneration and budget planning, and effective and timely recruitment, onboarding, training, retention and offboarding solutions.
2. In partnership with World Rugby Group People & Culture function, Develop and implement contemporary and innovative HR business solutions (including strategies, policies and practices) that deliver the purpose, align to the culture and bring the LOC values to life through all aspects of the workforce life cycle.
3. Provide strategic and practical operational People and Culture coaching and advice to the Executive and senior management across all aspects of People and culture, ensuring the LOC is compliant with all local employment legislation.
4. Provide coaching support to leaders across the business, particularly on performance issues.  
5. Ownership for all employee relations case management activities.
6. Partner with the LOC’s Executive to develop and embrace organisation values, creating a safe, inclusive and high performing team culture.
7. Provide timely workforce reporting and analytics to inform workforce planning and decision making.
8. Oversee all aspects of HR Operations including LOC payroll processing, HR processes and policies, HRIS and employee data management and management of all employee lifecycle administration activities.
9. Set standards for timely and effective HR customer service to Managers and employees.
10. Develop and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders and provide relevant information and advice on potential issues, identified risks including consideration of legal compliance and risk management in line with employment laws and government policies and directions.
11. In partnership with World Rugby Group Events Workforce Management, Oversee the successful development and delivery of the Tournament Volunteer Program and workforce uniforms.
12. Oversee the management of the LOC office, administration requirements, Health, Safety and Wellbeing functions and Employee Engagement social activities (Staff Events).

EXPERIENCE & KNOWLEDGE:

• Proven experience in a senior People and Culture role within globally recognised major events such as single sport multi-city events or multi-sport single city events or within a sport which has responsibility to deliver content domestically and internationally
• Proven ability to work with Executive teams to build a high performing culture and recruit and retain a team that grows quickly and has to integrate with volunteers and contractors to deliver outstanding results seamlessly.
• Excellent leadership, team management and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute effective strategies aligned with organisational goals.
• Demonstrated success in working with senior leaders and providing managerial support and leadership to a team or workforce.
• Experience in a fast-paced environment supporting multiple individuals across a varied portfolio of responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree with at least 7 years’ industry related experience.
• Advanced computer software skills, including the Microsoft suite of products

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• A passion for sport and to contribute to the further growth of the game.
• Takes positive action to build a diverse team and develop a culture of inclusion and belonging.
• A positive, ‘can-do’ attitude.
• Adept at working under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
• A collaborative team player, who builds strong relationships with colleagues and a diverse range of stakeholders.
• Excellent planning and organisational skills, managing multiple workstreams
• Can navigate ambiguity and cut through complexity, taking a logical and creative approach to problem-solving.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

World Rugby 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.

Flexible Working:

The role offers hybrid working during the initial phases of planning, noting that as the event draws near the role will be required to be full time in the office integrating with the rest of the team. The current planning is based on:

• 2024 – 4 Days in the office (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu)
• 2025– 4 Days in the office (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu)
• 2026 and 2027 – Full time in the office