Description

ABOUT US

Football Australia is situated on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the histories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together.

Football in Australia is a melting pot of approximately 2 million participants represented by over 200 different cultures; we are proud to be the most diverse and globally connected sport within the Australian sporting landscape.

This diversity in culture, ideas, and experience makes us strong and prepares us to achieve our vision to ‘be a leading football nation where everyone is inspired to live and love the game’. To achieve this, we live by our company values which are:

Welcome: Open doors, open minds, open hearts – One Game for All

Ready: Always ready, always ahead

Connect: Together, united

Excel: Our best, every day in every way

Protect: Guarding the game, Securing the future

WHAT WE OFFER

At Football Australia we want to look after our people and below are just some of the many benefits of joining our team:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Birthday Leave
• Study Leave
• Wellbeing & Lifestyle leave
• Paid Parental leave in addition to statutory government offering
• Volunteer leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Partner discounts
• Workplace Banking Program
• Social Activities such as 5-a-side futsal

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Head of Men’s Football is a senior leader within the Football Department, responsible for providing technical leadership, strategic oversight and system alignment across participation, pathways and performance environments in men’s football. The role operates within a system-focused model, working collaboratively to deliver aligned, high-quality football outcomes.

The role exists to increase cohesion, alignment and performance sustainability across the men’s football ecosystem, applying deep expertise in pathway design, competition structure and the professional game to optimise player development and long-term performance outcomes. It focuses on strengthening connections between community, pathway and elite environments while supporting player wellbeing and system health.

Working as part of the Football Department leadership team, the Head of Men’s Football contributes to whole-of-football strategy, shared decision-making and collective accountability for system performance and international competitiveness.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

This role is Football Australia’s senior technical authority for men’s football, operating within a system-focused Football Department model.

Technical Leadership – Whole-of-Football with Professional Game Focus

• Act as the organisation’s senior technical authority for men’s football, providing whole-of-football technical leadership across participation, pathways and elite performance environments.
• Apply deep expertise in the professional game and transfer market to inform pathway design, player transitions, performance sustainability and long-term system health.
• Ensure strong technical alignment between development environments, domestic competitions and Men’s National Team programs, supporting readiness, depth and international performance outcomes.
• Support technical capability uplift across the men’s football system by strengthening player development and talent identification practice, through mentoring, knowledge-sharing and alignment with coach and workforce development initiatives.

Strategic, System & Stakeholder Leadership

• Partner with the Executive Director Football, organisational leaders and system partners to co-design and implement integrated men’s football strategies, informed by professional and international performance demands.
• Provide system leadership to strengthen cohesion across community, pathway and professional environments.
• Contribute expert insight to Football Department planning, prioritisation and investment decisions related to men’s football development and talent depth.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with Member Federations, clubs, leagues, coaches and key partners to support system alignment and continuous improvement.

System Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Apply performance data, market intelligence and system insight to inform strategic decision-making related to competition structures, pathway progression and player mobility.
• Monitor system performance and player movement patterns, identifying risks and opportunities to improve alignment, sustainability and performance outcomes.

National & International Engagement

• Act as Football Australia’s senior operational and strategic representative for men’s football with international and regional bodies, including FIFA, AFC and ASEAN Football Federation, as well as domestic partners such as the Australian Institute of Sport, Australian Sports Commission, and relevant government agencies.
• Support the Executive Director Football in system-level engagement, advocacy and representation as required.
• Leverage international benchmarks and market insight to inform domestic system design and national team readiness.

Leadership, Culture & Capability

• Contribute to the leadership and culture of the Football Department, modelling collaborative, accountable and system-focused leadership behaviours.
• Support technical capability uplift across the men’s football ecosystem by strengthening understanding of professional standards, player transitions and market realities through mentoring, knowledge-sharing and alignment with coach and workforce development initiatives.

ROLE OUTCOMES

The priority outcomes of this role are to deliver a technically aligned, high-performing and a coherent men’s football ecosystem that strengthens player development, enhances performance outcomes and supports long-term system health across all levels of the game.

Key Role Outcomes

• A cohesive and well-aligned men’s football system that connects participation, pathway and elite performance environments to optimise player development and progression.
• A technically aligned and high-quality football pathway that supports consistent development, appropriate challenge and sustained performance outcomes.
• A sustainable and high-performing men’s football ecosystem, balancing performance ambition with player wellbeing, pathway integrity and long-term system effectiveness.
• Improved performance, depth and readiness in Men’s National Teams, reflecting the strength, alignment and competitiveness of the broader men’s football ecosystem.

Outcome Focus Areas

• Better Access to Football – Ensure players access development environments that are appropriate to their development stage, capability and long-term potential.
• More Football – Align competition volume, intensity and structure to optimise development, performance and player wellbeing across the pathway.
• More People Enjoying Football – Promote environments that support motivation, wellbeing and long-term engagement for players across all levels of the men’s game.
• Better Football – Lift the technical quality and alignment of men’s football environments to support stronger development and consistently high-quality play.
• Winning Football – Strengthen performance, depth and international competitiveness in Men’s National Teams through aligned, high-quality pathways and systems.

MAJOR INTERACTIONS

• CEO, FDC, Board of Football Australia
• Head of Women’s Football, Head of Nationals Teams, GM Men’s National Teams
• Football Department Leads
• PFA, MF CEOs and MF Technical Departments
• A-League Club CEOs and Academy Directors/Technical Leads, FIFA, AFC and ASEAN Technical Departments

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

Essential

• The following requirements reflect the senior technical, strategic and system leadership expectations of the role.
• Recognised technical leadership in football, with a deep understanding of participation, pathway and elite performance environments and how these football pillars operate together as a cohesive system.
• Advanced understanding of men’s professional football and the transfer market, including global player labour markets, player valuation, contractual frameworks, agent relationships and regulatory considerations, and their impact on pathway design, performance and system sustainability.
• Proven ability to lead strategic change and system evolution, applying innovation and data-informed decision-making to drive outcomes and monitor progress.
• Highly developed communication, influencing and relationship-management skills, with the ability to engage credibly with clubs, coaches, executives, boards, agents and system partners.
• Demonstrated experience operating in complex, multi-stakeholder football environments, leading through influence within federated, matrixed or ecosystem-based systems.

Desirable

• Direct experience working within the professional men’s football market, and involvement in player mobility at domestic or international level including transfers, contracts, squad planning or agent engagement.
• Experience in elite or professional football environments, as a player, coach, technical leader or senior football practitioner.
• Experience within talent development and pathway systems, with a demonstrated ability to connect development environments to professional and international football opportunities.
• Exposure to national or international football structures, including leagues, clubs, federations, confederations or international competitions.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Tertiary qualification in sport, business, leadership, law, economics or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and extensive senior experience in professional football or high-performance sport.

Desirable

• • Advanced football coaching or technical qualification (e.g. Pro Diploma, A Diploma or equivalent), or comparable senior technical accreditation.
  • Formal education or accreditation related to professional football environments, such as sport management, high-performance leadership or football governance.
  • Postgraduate or executive education in leadership, strategy or governance.

UNIQUE CRITERIA

The following selected items identify the requirements of the role

☒ Out of hours and weekend work

☒ Intra and/ or Interstate travel

☒ International Travel

☐ Significant periods of work away from home

☒ Significant Responsibilities – This does not contain a comprehensive listing of responsibilities, activities and duties that are required of the incumbent. These may change from time to time at the discretion and needs of the manager/organisation.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Full working rights in Australia
• Working with children check (paid/employee) or state-based equivalent
• International Criminal History Record for each country (other than Australia) in which you have resided for 12 months or more in the last 10 years (if applicable)
• Out of hours and weekend work as required

Application deadline: 24th April 2026