Senior Overlay Manager

Closing date for applications is day Wednesday 19 November 2025

Full time Fixed Term Contract start February 2026 until November 2027

Location: Sydney (Gadigal), Australia

The Rugby World Cup Australia (RWCA) is proud to deliver one of the world's most iconic sporting events, the Rugby World Cup Men's 2027. More than a tournament, it's a celebration of Rugby's spirit, Australia's culture, and the power of sport to unite and inspire communities around the world.

About the role

Reporting to the Head of Venues, the
Senior Overlay Manager
will lead the end-to-end delivery of all temporary infrastructure for Rugby World Cup 2027. This includes overlay works across match venues, training sites, and other official tournament facilities, ensuring every location is fully operational, safe, compliant, and fit-for-purpose for athletes, officials, media, partners, and spectators.

This role heads the Overlay department, owning strategy, team leadership, supplier performance, design and approval processes, and cross-functional integration with all operational areas. You will work closely with the Insourced Overlay Managing Contractor (IOMC), the Temporary Power Provider (TPP), venue operators, and a wide range of internal stakeholders to deliver world-class infrastructure on time and on budget.

This is a rare career opportunity to help shape one of the largest sporting events ever staged in Australia. We're seeking someone who brings leadership, technical delivery expertise, and a collaborative mindset, and who believes in the power of sport to inspire, unite, and create lasting legacy.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Leadership and Culture

• Lead the Overlay department within RWCA, managing processes and structures for planning and delivery.
• Enhance the positive and welcoming culture within RWCA and externally
• Recruit and manage the RWCA overlay team.
• Develop and maintain the tournament-wide Overlay Function Area Operating Plan (FAOP).

Supplier and contract management

• Responsible for day-to-day management of IOMC, TPP, and other key suppliers, ensuring performance against agreed KPIs, contractual deliverables, budgets, and timelines.
• Manage the procurement, contracting, and performance management of additional temporary infrastructure services outside of the IOMC remit.
• Ensure effective change management processes are in place across supplier contracts.

Venue and infrastructure delivery

• Oversee the design, planning, approval and delivery of all temporary infrastructure at match venues, training facilities, and other RWC sites.
• Coordinate venue works and other related works in collaboration with contractors and venue operators.
• Lead the technical drawing process, including oversight of outputs and integration with RWCA's Iventis mapping platform.
• Ensure temporary infrastructure designs incorporate FA requirements
• Champion value engineering opportunities to optimise budgets and efficiency without compromising quality or safety.

Health & Safety and compliance

• Lead the integration of health & safety into all overlay and infrastructure planning and delivery.
• Ensure compliance with Australian and local authority regulations, and international best practice.

Planning, reporting and integration

• Lead overlay representation in venue operational planning and technical reviews.
• Provide accurate and timely reporting on budgets, risks, milestones, and progress.
• Maintain close coordination with venue management and venue operators to ensure seamless planning and approvals.
• Contribute to legacy planning and post-event reporting, ensuring knowledge transfer for future tournaments.

Qualifications & Experience

• 5+ years' experience delivering overlay or major event infrastructure, with proven leadership of teams, contractors, and multi-venue programs.
• Strong background in temporary infrastructure delivery (e.g. construction, venue fit-out, broadcast compounds, temporary power, or similar).
• Demonstrated ability to plan, direct and deliver large-scale projects from strategy through to on-site execution.
• Demonstrated experience ensuring WHS and regulatory compliance across temporary infrastructure delivery.
• Proven ability to manage budgets, track delivery progress, and provide clear, accurate reporting on cost, risk and timelines.
• Highly effective communicator and stakeholder manager, able to influence, align and problem-solve across multiple functions and partners.
• Exceptionally organised, detail-focused and calm under pressure, able to manage competing priorities in fast-paced environments.
• Flexible and event-ready – comfortable with travel, irregular hours and peak-period demands.
• Desirable: experience with IVENTIS or CAD/technical drawing management and/or temporary power or specialist event infrastructure systems.

Why You'll Love It Here

• Competitive salary – we know world-class talent deserves to be rewarded.
• Hybrid game plan: Work from home on Mondays and Fridays, with a 3-day in-office schedule (Tues–Thu), moving to full-time in-office in 2027 as the tournament approaches.
• Unbeatable location: A modern space across from Sydney's Hyde Park, just a 5-minute walk from Town Hall, surrounded by public transport, great cafes, restaurants, and shops.
• Wellbeing first: Weekly fresh fruit,
  Lunch & Learns
  and a focus on keeping our team feeling their best on and off the field.
• Locker-room ready: Showers, fresh towels, and Dyson hair tools so you can reset and refresh any time.
• Team spirit: Weekly drinks and social catchups that celebrate wins big and small.
• Make your mark: Play a key role in bringing the third largest sporting event in the world to life right here in Australia

How to apply:

Please submit your CV (maximum 3 pages) and a cover letter outlining your suitability based on the requirements for the role via the APPLY NOW link.

In setting expectations, there will be a 2-round interview process in the Sydney City office (Elizabeth Street).

RWCA 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 and are happy to provide reasonable accommodations during the recruitment process. 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.