Rugby Development Communication Specialist

RUGBY DEVELOPMENT COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Have you ever wanted to help grow the game of rugby in Ontario?

Rugby Ontario (RO) is actively searching for talented and ambitious individuals who are passionate about sport development and communications and want to apply their knowledge and experience to support a vision of Rugby for All.

The Rugby Development Communications (Dev Comms) Specialist will directly support the Manager, Rugby Development and other RO dev staff to improve the quality and frequency of communications with clubs, and the organization, accessibility, and quality of resources. The Dev Comms Specialist will provide services focused on supporting key parts of Rugby Ontario’s Strategic Plan and will assist Rugby Ontario in achieving the strategic objectives to Support the Club Community and Advance our Rugby Culture. Their services will be critical to the development of Rugby Ontario’s community of clubs and the growth of our community rugby programs.

Contractor Title: Rugby Development Communications Specialist

Location: Remote with sporadic time in the office or on-site as needed to conduct their services.

Type: Part-time

Compensation: $16,400.00

Contract Length: February 2nd, 2026 – December 18th, 2026

Contract Schedule: 10hrs/week Sept-April, 35hrs/week May-August

Positions Available: One (1)

Who You Are?

You are a passionate and dedicated member of the sport community looking to combine your knowledge of sport and club development with your communications skills to improve the club rugby experience for all. You understand the many sub-sections of the sport community (clubs, schools, community groups, parents, players, match officials, administrators, etc.) and their diverse needs, and enjoy building relationships with people of all ages, backgrounds, and life experiences. You are excited about knowledge translation and mobilization and can organize and communicate large and complex concepts to a broad range of stakeholders across a multitude of platforms. You

Contract Description:

Rugby Ontario, in collaboration with Rugby Canada, is seeking a Rugby Development Communications Specialist to enhance how information flows between clubs and Rugby Ontario staff, strengthen club operations through clear knowledge translation, and elevate the stories of our rugby community. Under the leadership and mentorship of the Manager, Rugby Development and Director, Rugby Operations, the Dev Comms Specialist will play a key role in improving club efficiency, supporting recruitment and retention, and fostering a more connected and informed rugby ecosystem across the province. The Dev Comms Specialist will build close working relationships with members of the Rugby Ontario team and local club and branch leaders, volunteers, and community rugby partners and will rely on strong interpersonal skills as they interact with individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences. This coupled with excellent organizational and strategic planning skills and an inclusive and development mindset will be essential to the successful achievement of their objectives. This role is ideal for a communications professional with experience in sport development, community engagement, or organizational capacity-building and a passion to grow the game for all.

Services:

** Note: Priorities within this list will be set in collaboration with RO staff members and may shift throughout the duration of the contract dependent on seasonal needs, resources available, and external factors.

1. Club Communications and Relationship Support

• Develop and implement strategies to improve clarity, consistency, and accessibility of information shared with clubs using digital tools and platforms.
• Proactively gather feedback from clubs on communication gaps and needs, and design and implement solutions.
• Prepare and coordinate regular development updates, newsletters, and briefings for club administrators.
• Create opportunities to strengthen inter-club collaboration and facilitate sharing best practices among clubs and regions through digital forums, peer-learning networks, and resource-sharing platforms.

2. Knowledge Translation and Mobilization

• Translate policies, technical documents, strategic initiatives, and operational requirements into clear, usable resources for clubs, using visuals, multimedia, or AI-supported formatting to enhance accessibility.
• Create toolkits, guides, FAQs, and templates that support volunteers with club operations (e.g., recruitment campaigns, volunteer management, onboarding).
• Support dissemination of important deadlines, funding opportunities, best practices, and operational updates.
• Help organize and communicate outcomes from workshops, webinars, and training sessions, including the use of technology to capture insights, track engagement, and standardize follow-up resources.

3. Storytelling and Community Engagement

• Identify and share stories from clubs, athletes, coaches, match officials, and volunteers that highlight success, innovation, and impact across diverse identities, communities, and regions.
• Produce content for Rugby Ontario’s website, newsletters, and social channels that showcases club development initiatives and community growth supported by analytics and AI-enabled content planning tools.
• Support campaigns focused on member recruitment, retention, and the advancement of our rugby culture by leveraging digital content, multimedia storytelling, and accessibility-forward practices.

4. Development and Capacity-Building Support

• Collaborate with Rugby Ontario development staff to understand club challenges and communicate solutions effectively.
• Assist in creating communication frameworks that help clubs adopt new tools, processes, and standards.
• Monitor engagement and effectiveness of communications, recommending improvements based on feedback and analytics.
• Build tools and resources to improve club capacity for their own communication needs to improve the club profile in the local community and improve their ability to recruit and retain members.
• Promote IDEA principles by ensuring that communication processes, digital tools, and capacity-building resources are accessible, inclusive, and supportive of diverse participation across all clubs.

Desired Experience/Qualifications:

** Note: We recognize that candidates may not meet every qualification listed. If you bring relevant experience or transferable skills, we encourage you to apply and share your background in your cover letter.

• Experience in communications, public relations, community engagement, or a related field with strong writing, editing, and storytelling ability across digital platforms.
• Demonstrated experience translating complex information into clear, accessible, and practical resources.
• Education and/or professional or volunteer experience in sport development, recreation, non-profit, or community-based settings (rugby experience an asset).
• Understanding of community sport systems, volunteer-driven clubs, and Long-Term Development principles.
• Proficiency with digital communication tools, analytics, and collaboration platforms.
• Comfort adopting new technologies including AI-supported workflows and digital resource platforms.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility, with experience creating inclusive and accessible content.
• Strong relationship-building, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities independently and as part of a team.

Assets

• Familiarity with Ontario’s sport landscape or the rugby ecosystem including clubs and schools.
• Experience with capacity-building, training delivery, or resource development.
• Graphic design, video production, or digital storytelling skills.
• Bilingualism or multilingualism.
• Knowledge of Safe Sport and experience with player protection policies

Additional Requirements

• Available to work evenings and weekends as required
• Must be legally eligible to work in Canada with a valid Police Record Check.
• As this job requires remote work and travel, you must have access to a laptop and smartphone and have a valid driver’s license and reliable transportation

About Rugby Ontario:

We are the Provincial Sport Organization (PSO) for rugby in Ontario. The story of rugby in Ontario is one of evolution. We are not the same organization we were a decade ago. We are not even the same organization we were two years ago. To help shape this constant evolution, we set out to reflect upon and better understand the challenges and needs of our membership. Our mission is to lead, support, and promote Rugby for All from our communities to clubs to province. Working with our member clubs and branches we are looking to make rugby one of the most appealing, accessible and inclusive sporting activities available today.

Check us out: Website: https://www.rugbyontario.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rugby-ontario/

Our Values

It is important to us that you know what the team values; you will learn more about our values throughout the interview process.

For the Love of the Game: We are passionate, dedicated and committed to our mission, which is what binds us tightly together with a common purpose and pride in our accomplishments.

Game Regs: We build trust and earn respect by holding ourselves and others accountable and bringing honesty and integrity to everything we do. Fair play is the essential fabric of the game and what we believe in.

Other Duties as Required: We are an open and inclusive team that values everyone’s contributions, comradery and cohesion. It’s about going above and beyond and doing the little things to achieve our collective goals.

Lead from the Front: We move forward together to achieve success, just like in the game itself. Through a professional, transparent, and collaborative approach, we lead the way in creating a safe, welcoming and supportive sport culture.

To Apply and Our Process

If you are chosen to move forward, our interview process follows this sequence:

1. Virtual 30-minute interview with two members of our team.

2. A decision is communicated, and an offer is extended.

3. Reference and background checks (if necessary)

The deadline to apply is 11:59pm ET Jan 4th, 2026.

Rugby Ontario is an equal-opportunity employer, and we welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process. Please inform us within your application if you require any accommodations and every effort will be made to meet your needs.