Role Title: Readiness Director – TdF Grand Depart 2027
Salary: Up to £65,000 per annum (dependent on experience)
Contract: Full-time, fixed-term; January 2026 to end of September 2027
Location: Manchester (hybrid working model, minimum 3 days per week in Manchester office)
Start Date: January 2026

About British Cycling 

In 2027 the UK will host the Grand Depart of both the Tour De France and the Tour De France Femme, Avec Zwift. This will be the first time in history that both races have departed from the same country, outside of France. A landmark social impact programme will also be delivered across the UK, tackling inactivity, improving mental wellbeing, boosting economic growth and supporting communities to thrive.  

A Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) – Grand Depart GB 2027 – will maintain oversight of the delivery of the events and will manage public funding on behalf of DCMS, Scottish Government, Welsh Government and UK Sport.

The SPV is a Joint Venture between UKEL (a new sports events company) and British Cycling.

British Cycling will deliver the operational and business function, social impact and volunteer programmes along with all consumer facing functions, on behalf of partners.

About the role

British Cycling are now recruiting for a Readiness Director to lead the delivery team’s preparedness; ensuring we are set up for successful delivery.

This role will lead a directorate working across all event functions with the purpose to support effective and collaborative delivery.

The successful candidate will play a key senior leadership role within British Cycling’s delivery team, leading the strategic planning, coordination, and execution of all readiness activities across the event, ensuring that all operational elements, stakeholders, and host locations are fully prepared for the successful delivery of the Grand Départ Grand Bretagne 2027.

The role will be pivotal in ensuring that the delivery team prepares effectively with robust project management and reporting processes in place enabling the smooth transition from the planning phase to event delivery supporting key functions and stakeholders.

This includes overseeing key stakeholder engagement, relationship management and governance reporting, being responsible for readiness planning and testing, host city relationship management, risk mitigation and assurance reporting across all functional areas.

What will you be doing?

Reporting to the British Cycling’s Project Director, you will oversee the following key functions:

1. Strategic Planning & Coordination

2. Risk & Assurance

3. Stakeholder Engagement

4. Operational Readiness & C3

To find out more about the responsibilities in each key function, please see the full role profile in the information box on the right hand side of the advert.

What we’re looking for:

• You are a proven senior-leader with experience working across complex major event projects with cross-functional collaboration and responsibility.
• You have strong strategic thinking and planning experience with a curious and open mind approach.
• Leadership experience – experience operating at senior level, sitting on the project’s Senior Leadership Team, the successful candidate will play a key role to guide and shape the project in its entirety.
• You are someone who can successfully build and curate a positive team culture, from inception to high performing in a short space of time.   
• Excellent planning, risk management, and reporting capabilities.
• Strong stakeholder management and cross-sector collaboration skills.
• Ability to lead under pressure and manage complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in sport event delivery, preferably cycling or multi-city events.
• Familiarity with host city operations, emergency planning, and public engagement.
• Understanding of government and local authority structures.
• Strong background in project or programme management with retained ability to be pragmatic, agile, able to keep things simple and clear and adapt to situations calmly
• Proven experience in leading readiness or operational planning for complex programme,

What are the perks?

• Competitive Salary 
• Cycle to Work Scheme
• Generous Holidays (25 days + bank holidays)
• Holiday purchase scheme
• Life Assurance
• Pension

How to apply

Send us your CV and a short cover letter outlining your interest in the role and why you feel you meet the criteria via the apply button below.

Applications close: 10th December 2025

Interviews likely: Week commencing 15th December 2025