World Rugby is the world governing and law-making Body for the sport of Rugby Union. It is responsible for the regulation and governance of Rugby and, in addition, organises a number of international tournaments and events including the Rugby World Cup and World Rugby Sevens World Series.

 

 

World Rugby wishes to appoint a Financial Accountant to join their team. The Financial Accountant role will have a strong focus on month-end and year-end close processes and will play a vital role in the efficiency and productivity of the Finance Team. This successful candidate will report into the Head of Financial Reporting and will work closely with the Director of Financial Control and Operations and be responsible for a number of entities within the World Rugby group

 

 

 

 

Overview

 

 

World Rugby wishes to appoint two World Rugby Events & Media (WREM) FP&A Analysts to join our growing team. The two roles will support:

 

The implementation of the Growth Markets Development Plan (GMDP), a complex and multifaceted strategy aimed at optimising the commercial success of Rugby World Cup 2031
The WREM activities including SVNS, other non-Rugby World Cup tournaments and Marketing and Content

 

 

 

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABILITIES:

 

 

Support the relevant budget holders in monitoring financial performance and analysing cost drivers
Deliver ongoing variance analysis with clear, actionable insights on spend vs. budget
Working with finance colleagues, ensure all information reconciles to financial accounts on a monthly basis
Provide FP&A support across similar programmes, including analysis, reporting and financial modelling, as priorities required
And then either:
Prepare and present regular, insight-led performance updates on the GMDP to key stakeholders and governance groups and ensure full visibility of working capital requirements to support all GMDP activity and co-ordinate with finance colleagues to ensure sufficient central funding is accessible
or

Track and monitor total Marketing & Content spend in line with strategy across Rugby World Cups, Central and Growth Markets Development Plan (GMDP) budgets.

 

 

 

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

 

 

Qualified Accountant with a minimum of 2 years PQE (ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent)
Experience in FP&A or commercial finance, with exposure to stakeholder-facing (business partnering) work
Experience with budgeting, forecasting and variance analysis, in a global environment
Experience handling large, complex datasets, using advanced Excel and BI/visualisation tools such as Power BI, Tableau or similar
Experience in a fast-paced or growth environment e.g. scale ups, transformation projects or change programmes
Understanding of working capital and cash flow impacts (e.g., timing of cash receipts and payments).

 

 

 

KEY SKILLS & PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

 

 

Strong numerical and analytical skills, with the ability to turn complex data into clear, actionable insight.
Strong commercial awareness; understands how decisions affect revenue, cost and profitability
Excellent communicator, with experience presenting financial information to both finance and non-finance audiences
Commercially curious, seeking to understand the “why” behind performance, not just report the “what”.
Strong organisational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic environment
Proactive and self-starting, taking ownership to identify issues and provide analysis without being prompted

 

 

 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion:

 

World Rugby is committed to building a diverse workforce and therefore strongly encourages applications from underrepresented groups. We are committed to equality and inclusion and welcome applications from all individuals, regardless of their background. We strive to be a diverse and inclusive workplace, which reflects the global sport we want to be and where everyone can be themselves and feel they belong.

 

 

Flexible Working:

 

Most of our roles offer hybrid working. We ask colleagues to work:

Three (3) days a week “out of home”. Two (2) “core” office days (Tuesday & Wednesday) and a third day of your choice to be with stakeholders. “Out of home” can mean working in a World Rugby office/hub, working from a venue or face to face meetings with partners/suppliers/agencies/teammates or other rugby family stakeholders.
The remaining two (2) days are flexible to work from home (or the office). This applies to our Dublin & London offices.