Commercial Strategy Manager in Cardiff

The WRU Commercial team is growing. If you are passionate about driving commercial growth that impacts and supports all elements of the rugby ecosystem, from grassroots to national team, this may be the opportunity for you. We are seeking passionate, disciplined and structured team members who want to apply and hone their commercial skills and play a key role in the future success of Welsh rugby.

The Commercial Strategy Manager will be responsible for the delivery of key strategic projects that underpin and support the delivery of the WRU’s commercial strategy across Partnerships Sales, Hospitality Sales and Partnership Management in order to drive commercial growth for the WRU. Alongside the delivery of strategic projects, the manager will also be responsible for driving new business from a partnership sales and hospitality sales perspective, particularly during peak selling periods for the business.

The Person

• Previous consulting and/or commercial strategy experience, preferably gained in a professional services company or equivalent in-house department.
• Demonstrable problem-solving ability with a strong will to diagnose challenging issues and present viable solutions.
• Ability to balance competing demands and requirements to find mutually acceptable solutions.
• Strong data analysis skills.
• Ability to build presentations that tell a clear and coherent story, are easy to digest, insightful and enable quick decisions to be made.
• Demonstrable sales and business development experience or a strong desire to develop these skills.
• Demonstrable experience of developing relationships with key stakeholders.
• Understanding and experience of commercial/sponsorship rights.
• Experience of presenting at introductory and other meetings to a variety of levels of stakeholders.
• Experience of contract negotiation and contract management.
• Self-motivated, proactive and driven to achieve results.
• Ability to work on own initiative effectively, both as an individual and as part of a team.
• Excited by challenges and motivated to find solutions that work for all parties.
• Excellent IT skills, specifically Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship management.
• Ability to communicate and work through the medium of Welsh is desirable.

The Role

• Strategic Projects: Lead, or play a key support role, on the delivery of strategic commercial projects that will underpin the successful delivery of the WRU’s commercial strategy. Deploy a core consulting skillset and approach to solve complex problems, build trusted relationships and deliver actionable results that drive the business forward. Drive projects from inception all the way through to implementation.
• Commercial Research & Insights: In collaboration with the broader Commercial team, manage the research and insights program for the commercial programme on a day-to-day basis ensuring the team has access to the required research and data and that it is presented in an insightful manner to enable data-driven decision making.
• Partnership Management: Support the Partnerships team as required, especially as it relates to ensuring the partnerships team have a best-in-class suite of templated materials to deliver partnerships efficiently and effectively.
• Partnerships Sales: Lead on the identification and documentation of all available partnerships inventory so that it is clear what is available to be sold. Drive the process with the Commercial team to establish a clear and agreed rate card for the available inventory. Support the Head of Commercial and Commercial Director to build a commercial strategy as to how the inventory is to be packaged, taken to market and sold.
• Hospitality Sales: Support the hospitality sales team to build and maintain a healthy and vibrant sales pipeline to convert sales leads into new business to ensure the agreed budgets and targets are met.
• Alternative Revenue Streams: Work collaboratively with the Commercial team to develop strategies to identify and develop new commercial revenue streams that drive innovation and growth.
• Stakeholder Management: Build excellent working relations with internal stakeholders, external stakeholders and prospective partners/sales leads.
• Event Day Commercial Operations: Invite, host and manage business development prospects on event days as required. Support the Hospitality Sales team, as required, to ensure that everything runs smoothly in the hospitality spaces on event day and provide a seamless experience for hospitality clients.
• Budgets: Ensure that cost budgets and sales targets are closely monitored and reported upon.
• Reporting: Ensure that the right level of reporting is readily available and always up to date with regards to the state and health of the sales pipelines.

WRU Requirements

• Individuals are required to be proficient in IT skills, specifically Microsoft packages.
• Excellent written and verbal communications are essential, along with the ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to communicate through the medium of Welsh and a Valid UK Driver's License is desirable.
• This role is subject to a basic/enhanced DBS check.

The Perks

• Salary Sacrifice Pension (5% employee contribution, matched by WRU)
• Life assurance scheme
• WRU Group Ticket Allocation (in line with ticketing policy)
• One additional paid day off (birthday leave)
• Employee assistance programme
• Team Tactics – hybrid working arrangements
• Free stadium parking and gym
• WRU Group store and tour discounts
• WRU Group partnership offers
• Eye Care Voucher Scheme
• Cycle to Work Scheme

Our Values

The WRU Group are committed to developing a culture whereby all employees are equally valued and respected. Our aims, together with our vision and mission, are underpinned by our core values and beliefs which embrace: Integrity, Excellence, Success, Courage, Family & Humour.

Inclusion At The WRU

The WRU Group are committed to building diverse, high-performing and engaged teams across Welsh Rugby. We are ambitious about providing a people first culture where everyone can belong, be heard and respected.