"Head of Rugby"

Job Purpose 

Working as part of the Sport Development Team you will lead the development of the Women’s and Men’s Rugby Union Clubs at the University of Glasgow. You will lead training for our Performance and Development squads for our Men’s and Women’s programme and lead the Men’s 1st Team on match days, typically on Wednesday afternoons in the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) league. In addition, you will provide support to recruit and develop self-employed and volunteer coaches responsible for other teams across the men’s and women’s clubs. You will work with the Performance Sport Manager, Club Committees, and other members of the Sport Development Team to recruit international standard student athletes and drive the performance level of UofG’s Rugby clubs to the highest level in BUCS.

Main Duties and Responsibilities 

1. Inspire and lead the Rugby programme, articulating the strategic vision, and ensuring staff and volunteers are contributing to wider UofG Sport and University objectives.

2. To plan programmes for all squads across Glasgow University Rugby Clubs to facilitate the high performance and player development in conjunction with full-time study.

3. Lead the Men’s and Women’s Performance and Development Squad training sessions throughout the playing season with high performance and player development at the forefront of every session.

4. Responsible for overseeing the coaching infrastructure throughout the clubs, including the recruitment of additional coaches to supplement the programme, and ensuring that appropriate coaching is available to all squads. This includes the long-term planning for coach provision, including a coach education programme to attract, train and retain self-employed and volunteer coaches.

5. Deliver against annual Key Performance Indicators agreed with the University of Glasgow Sport Leadership Team in line with the strategic ambitions of UofG Sport and Glasgow University Sports Association (GUSA).

6. Responsible for the monitoring and evaluation of the programme, identifying new initiatives and programme elements to maintain a professional and driven programme.

7. To work effectively with other colleagues, particularly with others that provide administration to the programme and to utilise expertise available in areas such as strength and conditioning.

8. To represent the University Rugby Programme, providing advocacy and active recruitment, attracting the best prospective student athletes to the University.

9. Contribute to the development and delivery of innovative service and wider UofG Sport development projects, identifying initiatives that add value to the student experience and/or service effectiveness.

10. Responsible for mentoring support to all coaches involved with the rugby programme, providing appropriate support mechanisms to allow coaches to achieve their potential.

11. To maintain and develop appropriate professional knowledge of current local, national and international issues related to rugby and to represent the University’s interests at national, regional and local meetings and conferences.

12. Establish, maintain, and develop links with key internal and external departments and organisations that will allow added value and quality to service provision and the programme e.g. Development and Alumni, Recruitment, MVLS Exercise Science Departments External – Winning Students, Scottish Student Sport, sportscotland, Scottish Rugby, Glasgow Warriors, BUCS.

13. Foster partnerships with local communities to build mutually beneficial links that fulfil the University’s strategic aims around local engagement to aid the development of the programme.

14. Ensure the welfare of all club members and coaches is always prioritised and provide direction for improving welfare practices throughout the clubs. 

Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills & Experience 

Knowledge/Qualifications 

Essential: 

A1 SCQF Level 8 (HND, SVQ4) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role.

A2 UKCC Level 2 Rugby Coach (or equivalent).

A3 Full clean driving licence

A4 Current First Aid Qualification (minimum Emergency First Aid) or ability to gain accredited status prior to post commencing.

A5 Extensive knowledge and understanding of the organisation & structure of British / Scottish Student Sport, including competition programming, opportunities, and structural organisation.

A6 In-depth knowledge and understanding of the organisation and structure of Scottish Rugby.

A7 In-depth understanding of university rugby. 

Desirable: 

B1 Educated to a degree level.

B2 UKCC Level 3 Rugby Coach.

B3 Up to date concussion awareness training such as ConcussED or equivalent.

B4 UKCC Level 2 Strength and Conditioning (or equivalent).

B5 Knowledge of current trends in sport/ performance sport sector.

B6 Knowledge and experience of utilising video analysis and GPS tracking software to improve performance. 

Skills 

Essential: 

C1 Excellent coaching skills.

C2 First class organisation and administrative skills.

C3 Excellent leadership skills.

C4 Good communication skills, both verbal and written.

C5 Ability to work independently and as part of a team.

C6 Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.

C7 High quality presentation and interpersonal skills.

C8 Empathy with athletes, especially juniors / students and with a mixed level of ages, experience and abilities.

C10 Good IT skills, including understanding of Microsoft packages. 

Desirable: 

D1 High level numerical skills.

D2 Ability to take initiative and innovate within the agreed dimensions and duties of the role.

D3 Highly agile and able to adapt within the ever-evolving digital landscape.

D4 Leadership skills with a high degree of emotional intelligence and the ability to inspire and empower others to drive change.

D5 Ability to ‘set the standard’ in providing outstanding customer service, with a high degree of empathy and understanding.

D6 Tackles mediocrity in people and systems, even when it is difficult to do so. 

Experience 

Essential: 

E1 Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills through personal development and progression in a similar role.

E2 Experience in playing or coaching high-performance rugby.

E3 Relevant experience in performance coaching.

E4 Demonstrable experience of devising, monitoring, and reviewing high performance training programmes

E5 Demonstrable experience of managing, mentoring, and developing other coaches

E6 Track record of working effectively with partners.

E7 Experience of effectively managing budgets.

E8 Experience of developing, reviewing, and enhancing aspects of student experience (or equivalent)

E9 Experience of partnership development and delivery.

E10 Experience of communicating and influencing others from internal/external organisations.

E11 Experience of partnership development and delivery. 

Desirable: 

F1 Experience of competing or coaching at international level.

F2 Experience of working in a university sporting environment. 

Terms and Conditions 

Salary will be Grade 6, £32,332 - £36,024 per annum. 

This post is full time (35 hours per week, evenings & weekends as required) and fixed term for up to 2 years. 

As part of Team UofG you will be a member of a world changing, inclusive community, which values ambition, excellence, integrity and curiosity. 

The University of Glasgow has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK. If you require a Skilled Worker visa to work in the UK, you will be required to meet the eligibility requirements of the visa route to be assigned a Certificate of Sponsorship. 

Please note that this post may be eligible to be sponsored under the Skilled Worker visa route if tradeable points can be used under the Skilled Worker visa rules. For more information please visit: https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa.

As a valued member of our team, you can expect:

1 A warm welcoming and engaging organisational culture, where your talents are developed and nurtured, and success is celebrated and shared.

2 An excellent employment package with generous terms and conditions including 41 days of leave for full time staff, pension - pensions handbook https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/payandpensions/pensions/, benefits and discount packages.

3 A flexible approach to working.

4 A commitment to support your health and wellbeing, including a free 6-month UofG Sport membership for all new staff joining the University https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/staff/healthwellbeing/. 

We believe that we can only reach our full potential through the talents of all. Equality, diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our values. Applications are particularly welcome from across our communities and in particular people from the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) community, and other protected characteristics who are under-represented within the University. Read more on how the University promotes and embeds all aspects of equality and diversity within our community https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/. 

We endorse the principles of Athena Swan https://www.gla.ac.uk/myglasgow/humanresources/equalitydiversity/athenaswan/ and hold bronze, silver and gold awards across the University.

We are investing in our organisation, and we will invest in you too. Please visit our website https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/jobs/ for more information.

Vacancy Ref :152450

Close Date :25-Aug-2024 23:45