Organisation Harlequin Football Club Ltd Salary TBC Location Richard Meyjes Road, Guildford Surrey, GU2 7AD Contract type Permanent (Full time) Closing date 27 June 2025 Job Description The Role in brief:
The Lead Rugby Transition Coach is a pivotal role within our men’s high performance programme; creating and delivering on the strategy that best supports our players (both from a performance and ‘whole person’ perspective) as they transition into and through our senior academy into the first team, allowing us to grow a strong, fit for purpose internal talent pipeline supporting the delivery of our Club’s vision and mission.
The Details:
• Permanent Contract.
• Based at Surrey Sports Park.
• Reports to the General Manager – Men’s Programme.
• Key Relationships – Head Coach, GM, Head of Academy, Head of Recruitment, Heads of Department (medical, athletic performance etc), Loan Clubs, Age Grade Coaches.
• Will require evening and weekend working.
• Will require an enhanced DBS check.
The Responsibilities:
•In partnership with the Head Coach and the General Manager devise and deliver on a joined-up senior academy transition strategy that drives great outcomes for both player and Club and is in line with the Clubs vision, style of play and succession plans.
• Deliver high level coaching across the senior academy group (backs or forwards focus) in line with the Clubs style of play, and the broader coaching group.
• Play a leading role in coaching and facilitating the Premiership Rugby Cup team.
• Lead and manage the transition coaching team ensuring high levels of accountability and delivery against strategy and a close working relationship with the broader first team coaching team.
• Work closely with the Head of Recruitment and Head of Academy to ensure a joined-up approach across the 3 key areas of talent management and succession.
• Work closely with the Head of Academy to support the U18’s EAP (and other programmes as relevant) to ensure the 2 teams are strongly connected to each other and are delivering great outcomes against the succession plan and overall transition strategy.
• Work closely with other Heads of Department, such as medical, athletic performance, psyche and player welfare to ensure we are driving the best outcomes for senior academy players on and off the pitch.
• Support the Head of Academy to deliver against minimum standards audit requirements each season.
• Own and manage relationships with Loan Clubs (involving the Head of Academy as appropriate), ensuring that these are delivering against our/their ambitions and needs.
• Present to the Clubs leadership team/board as required on the transition strategy and delivery against agreed KPI’s.
• Understanding of and commitment to the highest levels of safeguarding to ensure the best and safest environment for our players.
• Act as a role model for the Clubs values and culture.
The Skills, Experience and Qualifications needed:
• Significant demonstrable experience of working within senior academy/transition player development and driving outstanding outcomes for both player and Club (including, but not limited to the IDP process, talent ID, succession planning and knowledge of the Academy pathway).
• Experienced technical and tactical rugby union coach (forwards or backs focus); ideally with experience gained in a variety of different professional rugby environments.
• Advanced analytical skills to support individual and unit/team development.
• Experience of working successfully within a matrix/MDT environment; able to get the right people in the room to drive proactive decision making to drive the right outcomes.
• Excellent communicator and relationship builder at all levels.
• High EQ.
• Strong people management skills; knows when to lead and challenge and when to let others do the same.
• Strong people development experience/passion; comfortable to have open and honest feedback conversations and to support the ‘whole player’ to get better. Knows when to provide challenge/push and knows when to support.
•Experience of Hudl or associated sports coding software.
•Minimum of RFU L3 Coaching award (or equivalent).
•Full clean Driving Licence.