Football Australia (FA) is the national governing body for football in Australia, 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 Australia took transformative steps in 2020 and released its ‘XI Principles - for the future of Australian football’, which advances eleven principles that underpin a bold and innovate 15-year vision and new strategic agenda for Australian football.
At the centre of the XI Principles is the recognition of the strength and diversity of the Australian football family. We are a melting pot of two million participants represented by over 200 different cultures. No other sport within the Australian sporting landscape offers the type of inherent diversity which football does. This diversity in culture, ideas, and experience makes us strong and prepares us to take advantage of the opportunities embodied in the XI Principles.
The role of Chief Football Officer, reporting directly to the CEO, is a once in a lifetime opportunity with a broad remit to transform the technical direction and football development in Australia.
The role will drive the objectives of Football Australia’s new and bold 15-year vision embodied by the XI Principles for the future of Australian football (‘XI Principles’), in particular:
- Principle V – to create a world class environment for youth development / production by increasing match minutes for youth players and streamlining the player pathway
- Principle VI – to create world class environments for coach and referee development
- Principe X – to accelerate and enhance the growth of the game by driving participation of women and girls and enhancing existing competition structures to promote player development.
Over the coming months, Football Australia is embarking on the most ambitious football structural reform process the organisation has ever seen.
The responsibilities of the Chief Football Officer include the identification, articulation (technical strategy, curriculum, coach education content and implementation of consistent technical philosophy and strategy, particularly at the elite levels of the sport. The role will influence players and coaches and make a transformational impact on the future performance of football in Australia.
The Chief Football Officer will also support the CEO as another powerful voice in the industry, driving a broad and bold football structural transformation, including the establishment of a national second-tier competition, a reinvigorated domestic transfer system, an aligned domestic match calendar, club licensing and access framework linking three tiers of club football.
The role will closely interface with the Performance Director, as well as the Head Coaches of both Australian men’s and women’s National Teams to coordinate a systemic football development continuum and pathways from beginner to elite high-performance football.
The role is accountable to the CEO for the establishment, development, review, and implementation of strategies aimed at promoting and improving elite football in Australia.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Strategy
- Develop and implement Football Australia’s technical vision and strategy to amplify and enhance the key technical and development insights outlined in the XI Principles; and unify Australian football’s technical and development ambitions
- Establish a national technical strategy, including Australia’s football curriculum
- Re-imagine the structure and focus areas for Football Australia’s Football Department to ensure alignment to the new technical vision and strategy
- Lead a process to develop a new football curriculum under the umbrella of the new technical vision and strategy
Advisory
- Advise Football Australia on technical playing matters including devising “styles of play” and articulate this through Australia’s football curriculum
- Continually monitor best practice around the world in technical matters and communicate this to stakeholders, as well as setting the narrative publicly
- Work with and advise the High-Performance Director and National Team Coaches on pathways and programs to support high performance
- Work closely with the CEO on publicly advocating for major structural football transformation and support its implementation
Development pathways and programs
- Reimagine Australian football’s player development pathways and programs to create modern and fit-for-purpose systems to address Australian football’s development challenges
- Work with Head of Member Federations and Community to ensure grassroots and community programs are dovetailed with aligned development programs nationally
- Build relationships and synergises with A-League (men and women) clubs to ensure technical direction is aligned with broader game’s direction (e.g., academies, roster rules, domestic match calendar, competition formats etc)
Coach education and development
- Directly oversee and enhance Football Australia’s coach education programs
- Ensure Football Australia’s coach education programs continuously meet global best practice
- Deliver coach education programs which align with Football Australia’s overall technical vision and strategy
- Establish pathways for Australian coaches to succeed domestically and abroad
Strategic relationships
- Work with Head of Commercial and Events to drive revenue for Football Australia through coaching courses across country which create a strong culture around coach development
- Work with Head of Referees to support development opportunities for Australian match officials by emphasising the importance of the role as a skilled position and a vital link in player development.
- Contribute to and influence Football Australia’s overall direction through effective working relationships with other Executive Leadership, Senior Managers, the CEO, and Board of Directors.
- Build partnerships with other key stakeholders, such as the Australian Institute of Sport, the AFC, FIFA, clubs, and leagues around the world
- Develop key relationships with Australian stakeholders (Member Federations, A-League clubs, Professional Footballers Australia (PFA), Football Coaches Association (FCA), Women’s Football Council, National Indigenous Advisory Group etc
- Develop a global network to identify Australian-eligible players and develop relationships with key people (e.g., parents) around those players in order not to lose players to other countries
Technical appointments and research
- Participate in processes for the appointment of National Team coaches and key staff
- Establish a football research and analysis unit within the department to provide guidance to the technical strategies
- measure and monitor impact of technical strategies through reviews and other methods
- drive greater industry understanding and set narrative for technical football matters through thought leadership
Support roles
- Support the Performance Director on alignment of high-performance culture amongst football departments of business
- Support Performance Director to develop objective benchmarks and clear accountabilities for the technical development, performance, and culture of National Teams
- Contribute to Football Australia Executive Leadership Team by understanding the broader business and the role the Chief Football Officer plays in delivering the businesses strategic priorities set with the FA Board
Experience and skills required:
- A strategic leader with a demonstrable history in developing and executing successful football strategies
- Must have a proven experience and success in elite football both in terms of setting technical vision and strategies, as well as implementing them
- Demonstrate an understanding of key football structural mechanisms (i.e., development of new competitions, transfer and player contracting system, club licensing, access frameworks, match calendar)
- Demonstrate a deep understanding of both the men’s and women’s game and the nuances in each
- Must have a current experience equivalent to a Pro Licence.
- Well-developed leadership and management skills with a track record of driving change both culturally and structurally
- Evidence of delivering coaching, pathways, and schools’ programs
- Demonstrates the use of data to shape external football narrative
- Understanding of the global football landscape and modern players development initiatives and trends is beneficial
- Understanding of the Australian football landscape and its current player development challenges is beneficial
- Significant travel interstate & overseas, with possible lengthy periods away from home
- General availability to team members, including after hours.
To apply, send through your CV and Cover Letter in one PDF file to recruitment@footballaustralia.com.au by 25 April 2022.
Football Australia is committed to the health, safety and wellbeing of our people, as well as visitors to our offices and at football events.
Football Australia has introduced a COVID-19 Vaccination policy that requires all staff, contractors, clients and visitors to be fully vaccinated before they can access our offices, attend client / community sites, undertake work-related travel, or attend work-related events, subject to limited exemptions. For more information: www.footballaustralia.com.au