Retail and Licensing Lead

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 Retail & Licensing Lead to join our Commercial Partnerships team on a permanent basis.

The RFU’s Retail & Licensing Programme generates significant commercial revenue for England Rugby, plays a vital role in connecting with new audiences and reinvesting back into the game to support its long-term growth and development. The Retail & Licensing Lead has full responsibility for the strategic direction, commercial performance and day-to-day delivery of the England Rugby Retail and Licensing portfolio. This includes driving sustainable growth across retail channels (ecommerce, physical retail and matchday) alongside the RFU’s global licensing programme. This is a senior, highly visible role with full profit and loss accountability, leading a team of retail and licensing specialists and managing key relationships with major commercial partners and licensees. The role works closely with colleagues across Commercial, Marketing, Finance and the wider RFU to deliver a best-in-class consumer product strategy aligned to England Rugby’s brand and values.

You will lead a small team of specialist retail and licensing professionals and oversee a broader network of outsourced partners and suppliers. The team sits within the wider Commercial Partnership that drives strong commercial outcomes that are reinvested back into growing the sport, while protecting and enhancing the England Rugby brand. The role also requires close partnership working with senior stakeholders at official retail partners, licensees and suppliers to ensure high-quality product delivery and long-term commercial success. We typically work a minimum of 2 days a week in the office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Full profit and loss responsibility for the England Rugby Retail and Licensing programmes, ensuring sustainable long-term profitable growth.
• Lead, manage and develop a team of retail and licensing experts, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture.
• Develop and deliver the England Rugby Consumer Product Strategy across retail and licensing.
• Build, own and develop effective senior-level relationships with licensees, retail partners and commercial stakeholders.
• Work closely with Finance to deliver accurate budgeting, forecasting and long-term business planning.

Retail:

• Lead the strategic development and management of the RFU’s entire retail operation to meet revenue and profit targets.
• Oversee the Official England Rugby Retailer partnership, including Fanatics.
• Provide senior ownership of the englandrugbystore.com ecommerce platform, including trading strategy, user experience optimisation, onsite merchandising, fulfilment performance and technology roadmap.
• Drive continuous improvement across ecommerce trading, including product range, pricing, promotions, CRM, data and personalisation.
• Ensure the effective delivery and governance of all England Rugby retail contracts.
• Work with the Retail Manager to oversee all matchday retail operations, including the matchday programme and Ref Link partners.
• Collaborate closely with Marketing and Digital teams to ensure strong alignment across retail, marketing and digital activity.

Licensing:

• Provide senior leadership across key RFU licensing relationships, including Charles Tyrwhitt, Gilbert and Castore.
• Identify and deliver creative and cultural collaborations, building on the success of partnerships such as Barbie and Spice Girls to drive brand relevance and ecommerce growth.
• Lead limited-edition collaborative ranges from partner selection through to ecommerce-first launch and digital storytelling.
• Act as the central liaison for official kit approvals and launches, ensuring timely delivery and effective stakeholder management.
• Ensure consistent and appropriate use of the England Rugby brand across all licensed products, maintaining high standards of quality and brand integrity.

Wider Contribution:

• Actively collaborate with colleagues across the RFU to support the development and delivery of strategic, business and operational plans.
• Act as an ambassador for the RFU, promoting its core values and culture internally and externally.
• Undertake any other duties reasonably required that are consistent with the responsibilities of the role and the needs of the organisation.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

• Significant experience working in a retail environment, with a strong understanding of brand licensing and ecommerce.
• Proven experience managing large, complex retail and licensing partnerships.
• Demonstrable ability to lead and develop a small internal team and oversee a larger outsourced workforce.
• Strong commercial acumen with a proven track record of delivering profitable growth.
• Experience of sourcing new business opportunities and successfully closing commercial deals.
• Strong digital and CRM marketing experience.
• High level of financial literacy with strong analytical capability.
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• An entrepreneurial mindset with ambition to build and lead a world-class team.
• Committed to embodying the ethos of 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.
• Sports and/or event retail experience.
• Experience working within a complex, stakeholder-driven organisation.

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@rfu.com.