Commercial Partnerships Account Executive

Job Description

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 an Account Executive (Commercial Partnerships) to join our Commercial Partnerships team on a permanent basis.

Job Title : Account Executive
Department : Commercial Partnerships
Reports to : Account Manager
Salary Banding : c.£31,000 per annum
Job Level : Implement
Location : This role is contractually based at Allianz Stadium, offering some flexibility to work from home
Travel Requirements  Occasional travel to Performance Centre, England A, U20 Senior Men’s and Red Roses Fixtures and camp environments
Employment Type : Permanent
Working Hours : This is a full-time role, covering 35hrs per week

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. remove personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter.
• The closing date for applications is 5th March 2026 at 5pm

The Role:

We are looking for an Account Executive to join our Commercial team to be responsible for the management and delivery of rights across a broad range of Commercial Partners, across the Men’s, Women’s game and Community Game.

This role will ensure that we deliver against our partners business objectives being proactive and committed to using England Rugby as the platform to help our partners meet their goals.

We typically work a minimum of 2 days a week in the office.

Some key responsibilities include:

• Support your line manager in managing partnerships.
• Lead and manage on your own accounts with support from your line manager.
• Ensure the needs of both Partners and the RFU are met and that you have a robust understanding of the partner brands and businesses.
• Ensure that relationships with all Partners are managed efficiently, contractual rights are professionally delivered and that you constantly challenge yourself and the team to develop new and innovative ways to provide value to both the Partner and the RFU.
• Ensure that all RFU departments are engaged in the partnerships and provide the necessary support to deliver against Partner objectives, with constant communication and collaboration.
• Leverage each partnership for maximum value for both partner and the RFU.
• Have a solid understanding of the contractual process including excellent attention to detail.
• Develop a partnership approach that focuses on quality of experience and high value client servicing of each partner.
• Communicate the broader RFU vision and strategy to Partners and update them on a regular basis about the business as a whole and the developments within it.
• Foster the best possible professional and personal relationships with Partners, agencies and internal stakeholders.
• Prioritise and manage workload to ensure that there is a prioritised level of support for all Partners.
• Ensure that meetings, debriefs (and other such reporting) and learnings take place on a regular basis.
• Be on duty at Allianz Stadium match days to co-ordinate match Partner rights and branding and to ensure that the other sponsors present are well serviced.
• Ensure that the RFU’s brand and corporate identities are fully implemented and correctly used across all Partner activity including, but not limited to, advertising.
• Assist with the delivery of commercial match day components such as perimeter signage, tickets, programme advertising, and experiential activity.
• Ensure that each Partner receives copies of the RFU press releases and news updates and is kept informed of all RFU developments.
• Liaise with the Finance Department to ensure that all invoices for Partnership fees and payments are issued on time and promptly paid by each Partner.
• Liaise with other members of the Commercial, Marketing, Professional, Development etc departments on a regular basis to ensure the widest dissemination of news and information.
• Ensure that that all tasks are carried out in the most cost-effective way and within budget.
• Assist with administrative support for the Commercial Partnerships Team including finance, research, event management and improvements to systems and processes
• Support the team in delivering any Partner events.
• Keep abreast of marketing and business developments to ensure we identify and take advantage of new opportunities.
• 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:

• Experience in marketing, event and client management.
• Credible and relevant experience, preferably from a sponsorship or marketing background from within a rights holder, brand or governing body.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to work on several projects at once, prioritising and communicating priorities.
• Experience with dealing, and managing appearances, with elite athletes, players and coaches.
• Proactive self-starter with the perseverance and ability to manage competing priorities.
• Proven time management and prioritisation skills.
• Effective interpersonal, and relationship management skills.
• Effective communicator able to confidently deliver clear written and verbal messages.
• Strong collaboration, influencing and partner management skills with the ability to challenge constructively.
• Experience of operational delivery.
• Self-aware; committed to continuous professional and personal development.
• Proficient in working with full Microsoft Suite including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
• 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.

Desirable:

• Degree level education or higher desirable, but not essential.
• Knowledge of sports marketing preferable.
• Previous experience in commercial partnerships preferable.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Confident and conscientious person with an outgoing and engaging disposition.
• Motivated by personal achievement as well as team success.
• Exhibit drive and personal ambition – able to work autonomously when required.
• Driven with a commitment to achieving excellence in own work.
• IT literate, with a good knowledge of Word and Excel, with Outlook.
• Personal circumstances must allow the candidate to work extended hours, evenings and weekends as required.

Additional Information:

• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to recruitment.
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.

About Us

About England Rugby

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

What we can offer you

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide:

• A variety of corporate discounts
• Priority access to purchase match tickets
• 25% discount in Rugby Store and EnglandRugby.com
• 25 days of annual leave
• Your birthday day off
• Free access to the stadium gym
• Life assurance of 4x your basic salary, income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme that offers anonymous and confidential, emotional and practical support 24/7
• Pension Scheme; the RFU will double match your individual contribution up to 10% of salary
• Ride-to-work scheme, eyecare vouchers, season ticket loans and so much more.
• If you would like to find out more about our diversity and inclusion work or the culture at England Rugby, please visit our website here: https://www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/our-approach