Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features.
Location: London Victoria (Hybrid – two office days a week)
Contract type: Fixed-term contract with expected annual renewals subject to project continuity
Reports to: Head of Insight
About URC
The United Rugby Championship (URC) is the only truly international club rugby championship, featuring the best teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Wales, and South Africa. Since launching in 2021, we’ve built a bold, modern, and inclusive competition that connects deeply with fans and positions our clubs as global leaders.
At the heart of this transformation is a commitment to being A Different League - celebrating diversity, embracing innovation, and driving the sport forward.
As we continue building a world-class tournament and organisation, fan experience and insight play a pivotal role in our strategy. Our Insight team is growing and we’re looking for a strategic, data-literate manager to help shape that future.
The Role
Fan Experience Strategy Manager will play a central role in developing and delivering the URC’s league-wide fan insight and fan experience strategy.
URC’s Insight team is small but agile, with involvement across business strategy, decision making, planning, reporting and evaluation. Our team members get stuck into the most challenging problems that face the business and enjoy answering the difficult questions. This is a unique opportunity to shape how rugby fans experience one of the most exciting and international leagues in the world.
Working alongside the Head of Insight and mentoring an Insight Analyst, this role will lead club support initiatives, contribute to league-wide strategic projects, and deliver insight-driven recommendations to enhance fan experiences across digital, matchday, and engagement touchpoints.
This is a high-impact role that balances strategic thinking, stakeholder management, and insight expertise - not only delivering value through data and research, but also managing clubs taking real-world action based on that intelligence.
This is a fixed-term contract with strong potential for annual renewal. The position is tied to a core strategic initiative (Fan Labs) expected to run across multiple seasons.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Insight & League-Wide Initiatives
* Co-lead the development and execution of URC’s Fan Labs initiative - a centralised data, insight and test-and-learn programme aimed at helping clubs improve fan experience across areas such as youth engagement, ticketing strategy, digital platforms, and more.
* Work closely with the Head of Insight on designing strategic experiments, interpreting results, and scaling successful interventions across the league.
* Collaborate with internal departments (e.g., Marketing, Commercial, Technology) to ensure league strategies are grounded in audience insight.
Club Support & Stakeholder Engagement
* Act as a strategic partner to URC clubs, advising them on best practice for fan experience design, digital transformation, and data use.
* Lead one-to-one consultations and workshops with clubs to help them understand fan trends, prioritise improvements, and implement changes.
* Present insights in compelling and actionable formats for club stakeholders of all levels.
Insight, Research & Evaluation
* Oversee a range of insight activities supporting URC’s clubs - from campaign evaluation to market research, audience profiling and management reporting.
* Contribute to the design and delivery of both quantitative and qualitative research projects - internally and with agencies.
* Support the evaluation of key initiatives and innovation pilots across clubs and the league.
Leadership
* Project manage and mentor an Insight Analyst, providing coaching, support, and professional development.
* Foster a culture of curiosity and collaboration across the Insight team and wider business.
What We’re Looking For
Skills & Experience
* Proven experience (5+ years) in insight, research, or strategy roles - ideally with exposure to the sports, entertainment, or fan-centric industries.
* Comfortable working across a wide range of insight disciplines, including:
* Strategic planning and business case development
* Data interpretation, modelling, and reporting
* Research design and analysis
* Web, social and campaign analytics
* Confident presenting insights to senior stakeholders, with a strong grasp of storytelling with data and an ability to influence business leaders.
* Experience supporting or leading strategic projects, ideally involving cross-functional stakeholders and external partners.
* A high level of proficiency in Excel is required. Experience with tools such as Google Analytics, Looker Studio, SQL, or survey platforms is a strong advantage.
Mindset & Attributes
* Strategic thinker who’s motivated by impact, not just outputs.
* Comfortable operating in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
* Strong communicator, relationship-builder and trusted advisor.
* Proactive, organised, and a self-starter - keen to take ownership of big projects.
* Deep curiosity about fans and what makes experiences meaningful.
* Passion for sport and knowledge of rugby is an advantage.
Working at URC
URC operates a hybrid working policy, with time split between remote working and our London office. Occasional travel to Dublin or club locations will be required.
#J-18808-Ljbffr