Paddle Australia

Paddle Australia (PA) is the National Sports Organisation responsible for the management, coordination, development and promotion of paddling in Australia. Operating in a commercial and inclusive manner with government, business and community, PA ensures the value of competitiveand recreational paddling is understood and supported in all policy and business decisions.

PA is committed to the provision of a high standard of competition, safety and opportunity for paddling participation in Australia.  As the peak body for paddle related activity in Australia, PA works collaboratively with 6 State Paddle Associations, around 125 active clubs, 7 disciplines and approximately 12,000 members, instructors and coaches. 

We embrace diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, disability, religion and sexual orientation; and measure ourselves on our behaviours. We also offer a flexible work environment for employees.

About the role

As part of PA’s performance support team, this role is primarily responsible for implementing a world-leading performance support program for athletes based at Paddle Australia Headquarters on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The role requires you to work closely with the PA coaches and other performance support staff in delivering performance outcomes in accordance with PA’s HP Strategic Plan.

Key responsibilities

• Work collaboratively with coaches and the performance support team to maximise athlete performance through adopting a performance problem solving approach.
• Deliver and develop systems that provide best practice objective assessment and feedback to impact athlete technical and physical development which is aligned with the sport’s What It Takes To Win (WITTW) framework. This includes utilising physiological, performance analysis and biomechanical tools and equipment in the assessment or evaluation processes.
• Contribute to the development of Individual Performance Plan (IPP’s) and regularly review the associated specific development priorities and performance metrics to measure progress.
• Provide specific and relevant evidence-based performance testing and regular tracking/monitoring of identified athletes and provide timely feedback and interpretation of data for PA coaches.
• Work collaboratively as part of a high performing team, establishing and maintaining effective partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders to identify, lead and deliver high quality integrated outcomes.
• Provide performance support to the National and State (QAS Development) programs.
• Collect, store and share athlete data in the Athlete Management System (AMS), TeamBuildR and Ludum and any other approved data storage platforms in line with PA’s expectations and data governance policies.
• Contribute to the sharing of high-performance knowledge through the production of resources and the development of collaborative communities within and across the practitioner groups in collaboration with other performance support staff.
• As a member of the PA performance support team, take shared accountability for setting a high-performance culture to enable successful outcomes.
• Work collaboratively with the wider Australian High-Performance system (including state institutes, AIS, international and professional elite sport networks) to share knowledge and leverage opportunities.
• Undertake domestic and international travel as required to support athlete preparation and performance at training camps and competitions.
• Integrate with all performance support staff to apply a holistic approach utilising innovative solutions and deliver joint projects and initiatives that support PA to keep pace with emerging technologies.
• Mentor and manage PA Strength & Conditioning staff.

Required Qualifications / Experience / Skills

Qualifications

• Tertiary qualifications in sport and exercise science or equivalent (essential).
• Post-graduate qualifications (MSc/PhD) in Sport Science or equivalent field (preferred).
• ASCA Elite Level 3 Coach (or are in the process of attaining) (preferred).
• Current Working with Children Check, or the ability to obtain one.
• Current Drivers License.

Experience/Skill Level Required

• A minimum of 10 years in a high-performance sporting environment or equivalent across a range of sports demonstrating a breadth and depth of experience.
• Experience working with National Sporting Organisations and Sport Institutes is an advantage.
• Experience working within interdisciplinary teams and an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of other Performance Support disciplines and associated collaborative opportunities.
• Well-developed knowledge of training science: principles and practices
• Highly developed scientific knowledge of the physiological systems, mechanisms for adaptations and movement mechanics.
• Strong understanding of models of planning, periodisation and athlete monitoring.
• Extensive experience utilising contemporary technology and equipment (eg. instrumented gym equipment incorporating force plates/load cells/strain gauges, ergometers, GPS devices, performance planning/management software).
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in injury prevention and rehabilitation practices
• Ability to distil complex concepts and results into clear sport-specific context and at an appropriate level of technical language for the target feedback recipient.
• An ability to collect, analyse and interpret information, think laterally, develop and implement innovative performance solutions to benefit national and state Canoe/Kayak athletes and coaches.

Aptitude & Interpersonal Skills

• Passion for excellence with a strong desire to excel and willingness to establish and strive for stretch goals.
• A willingness to learn, adapt and bring new ideas with the goal of continuing to improve.
• Strong professional communication (both verbal and written), negotiation and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to understand, respond to the requirements and be empathic to elite athletes and coaches.
• Ability to lead, drive and manage change through influence rather than authority.
• Proactive, self-motivated and has a passion to achieve excellence.
• Ability to delegate, influence and motivate people at all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to motivate and inspire individuals towards achieving higher levels of performance.
• Capacity to establish the trust and respect of the internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong ability to transfer information, skills and knowledge to other staff members.
• Strong leadership, project management and people management skills.
• Ability to work well both within a team environment and autonomously.
• Strong organisational, planning, multi-tasking and prioritisation skills to achieve deadlines.
• Demonstrates initiative when undertaking tasks.
• Committed towards undertaking duties efficiently with a strong attention to detail.
• Excellent internal and external stakeholder management.
• Professional personal presentation suitable for the position.
• Strong skills in forward planning, analytical and strategic thinking.
• Strong judgement and problem-solving skills with a capacity to deal with complexity.
• Ability to promote, interpret, communicate and work in accordance with the policies and procedures of the organisation.

Safeguarding Children and Young People

Paddle Australia is committed to protecting Children from harm. We require all applicants that will work with children to undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment.

Please refer to Appendix 2 of the PA Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy for more information about recruitment and screening for child-related positions.