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 include: 

• Impact On & Off the Field: Challenge the way we think and do to seek ways to grow the impact football has, influence industry thought leaders.
• Inclusive & Diverse Football for all: Football is embedded in the nation's social fabric, follows the story of Australia, be accessible for all
• A United Team: Bringing people together to unleash the power of football and to deliver the vision, we bring the team spirit to the game
• Trust: Building trust across the whole football community, be trusted custodians of the game, act with integrity and objectivity

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 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has awarded Football Australia hosting rights for the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup™. Having co-hosted the best-ever edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2026, Australia will host the Continent’s premier women’s national team for a second time in history having also staged the 2006 edition of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup™.

This prestigious event will bring together 12 nations in a tournament structured into three groups of four. Following the resounding success of last year's FIFA Women’s World Cup™, Football Australia, its stakeholders and partners are eager to create another tournament that celebrates women's football, delivers legacy outcomes for football and Australian society more broadly.

A Local Organising Committee (LOC) will be established for the sole purpose of delivering the 2026 edition of the AFC Women's Asian Cup™ in Australia.

With the LOC soon to be established, the Senior Manager - Government and Stakeholder Relations, AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 LOC Office, will initially be contracted to Football Australia, transitioning to the LOC Office once established.

The Senior Manager - Government and Stakeholder Relations has the responsibility, under the guidance of the EGM Event Growth and Experience, to ensure the successful delivery of all Host City and Government obligations through working closely and collaboratively with Government and other key stakeholders. The role will develop and maintain strong stakeholder relationships with Host Cities and Government authorities to ensure the delivery of their respective hosting obligations and a seamless joined-up approach.

This role will also take the lead on driving key Tournament Group meetings and be accountable for all Host City and Government reporting obligations.

The role will also be required to work alongside Host Cities and LOC Marketing and Fan Engagement teams to support the development and delivery of effective promotional and community engagement and activation strategies to build excitement among the community and deliver against the Tournament’s ambitious ticketing target.

The Senior Manager, Government and Stakeholder Relations has the responsibility, under the guidance of the General Manager - Government Relations to support strategic projects and objectives.

Please note that this role is fixed term until post-tournament in 2026.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Lead the development of a Tournament stakeholder management strategy that considers all plans for all core delivery partners including Host Cities and Government Agencies
• Lead and manage Central/local Government and associated stakeholder relationships to ensure delivery of all obligations, commitments and tournament related activities  
• Ensure that each of signatories of the Host City Agreements deliver their obligations and responsibilities in the planning and delivery of the Tournament
• Work alongside the Host Cities, with the support of the Marketing and Experience teams to develop and deliver innovative and effective community engagement initiatives build excitement and engagement among the community, and delivery against the Tournament’s ambitious ticketing strategy
• Work under the guidance of the General Manager - Government Relations to support strategic projects and objectives as required
• Model and deliver effective pricing and yield strategies maximising revenue and profitability opportunities

A full copy of the position description can be found here.

ABOUT YOU

Experience, Skills and Qualifications: 

• 7- 10 years plus experience in Government Relations, Stakeholder Relations or Stakeholder Management
• Politically astute and a natural communicator with the ability to secure ‘buy-in’ and make key decisions for the business through critical problem-solving skills and the use of sound judgement
• Ability to find clarity and direction in a multi-stakeholder environment to deliver a high-quality programme
• Considerable experience in budgeting, administration, and reporting
• Superior communication, analytical, negotiation and written skills 
• A full list of experience, skills and qualifications can be found in the above position description

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

Click APPLY NOW to submit your application, including a cover letter and current resume.

Application Closing Date: 30 October 2024

Football Australia are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a safe working environment that embraces and values child safety, diversity, and inclusion. Our values and behaviours support and encourage an environment that sees its people drive impact on and off the pitch, are trusting in each other, united to achieve and embrace an inclusive environment.

We encourage applications from people who identify as female or non-binary, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island people, people with disabilities and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. If you require support or advice with your application, please contact us.

In submitting an application, you agree to our collection statement. To review, head to the following link: footballaustralia.com.au/jobs/collection-statement