Head of Behavioural

Our ambition is to establish Welsh Rugby as a world-leading high performance system across both the men’s and women’s game. This role is central to creating and embedding a unified Welsh DNA for high performance culture, leadership, team effectiveness and psychological development, ensuring alignment, clarity and competitive advantage across all national teams and pathways. The role will lead a progressive, system-wide programme of learning, development and support that builds the psycho‑social capability of players, coaches and staff to create and thrive in winning Welsh teams — both on and off the field.

Salary:
Competitive

Closing Date: 5pm 31 July 2026

We are utilising the support of Elite Performance Partners to manage this recruitment process. You can find out more about them here:

To lead the strategic and operational delivery of high performance culture, leadership, team effectiveness and psychological development across the men’s and women’s game. The role is accountable for defining, creating and embedding a clear Welsh DNA for behavioural performance — establishing the principles, standards, language and practices that underpin world‑class performance environments across all national teams and pathways, ensuring that players, coaches and staff consistently develop and demonstrate the mindset, behaviours and capabilities required to win at the highest level.

• Define, own and embed a clear Welsh DNA for high performance culture, leadership, team effectiveness and psychological development across all teams and pathways
• Lead behavioural performance across WRU, establishing the frameworks, standards, language and practices that underpin consistent winning behaviours
• Lead the development of a world‑class strategy for high performance culture, leadership, team effectiveness and psychological development across both the men’s and women’s game
• Establish system‑wide principles, standards and ways of working aligned to “what it takes to win” in international rugby
• Design and implement an integrated, progressive behavioural performance system that develops players, coaches and staff to consistently perform at the highest level
• Develop and deploy practical toolkits, frameworks and resources for coaches, players and staff to enable consistent application of high performance culture, leadership, team effectiveness and psychological development across all environments
• Lead the operational delivery of behavioural performance and team effectiveness services across all national teams and pathways
• Develop and deliver a comprehensive coach and staff development programme focused on leadership, identity, behaviours, communication, facilitation, environment design and team effectiveness
• Provide direct support to the Men’s senior team and other selected national teams, as required, to optimise performance environments and behaviours
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with professional clubs to ensure alignment of cultural, leadership and behavioural development of Welsh‑qualified players
• Recruit, lead, manage and develop a high‑performing team of practitioners and external consultants
• Drive innovation and applied research in behavioural performance, leadership and team effectiveness to create competitive advantage
• Establish and implement measurement frameworks to assess behavioural, cultural and leadership performance across teams and programmes
• Manage departmental resources and ensure effective deployment of expertise across the system
• Act as a senior leader and role model for high performance culture within WRU
• Provide visible engagement in coaching, selection and development activities across the international pathway to ensure alignment of behaviours and standards
• Provide support to WRU coach development activities on an agreed number of occasions per year
• Maintain excellent levels of personal development to ensure knowledge and practice remains at the highest level
• Act as an outstanding ambassador for the WRU and the game in Wales
• Participation in marketing and sponsorship activities according to the needs of the WRU and partners