SUMMARY INFORMATION

Special Olympics Australia (SOA) is the peak national body developing and delivering inclusive sport and physical activity programs for people with intellectual disability/autism (PWID/ASD). Since 1976, SOA has provided year-round inclusive sports training and competition in sports for children and adults with intellectual disability in communities throughout Australia.

Special Olympics has grown from a backyard camp into a global movement that has been transforming the lives of PWID/ASD for almost 50 years. Today, Special Olympics supports over 5 million athletes and unified partners in more than 170 countries.

Special Olympics Australia strives to ensure that everyone living with an intellectual disability has opportunities to participate in sport. The dedicated network of volunteers and coaches creates accessible sports training, coaching and competitions that allow PWID to reach their personal best – in sport and in life.

Special Olympics Australia provides:

• grassroots sporting, recreational, social and health activities in local communities around Australia.
• an environment where people with an intellectual disability can develop physical fitness, build self-esteem, demonstrate courage and make friends; and
• competition pathways ranging from weekly club events to regional, state and national games culminating in the Special Olympics World Games.

Position Title: Project Coordinator - QLD
Hours of Work: Part Time - 0.5FTE (19 hours per week)
Term: Fixed Term Contract until 30 June 2026
Reporting to: State Manager, QLD/NT
Location: Brisbane - QSAC, Level 3, 170 Kessels Road, Nathan, QLD 4111

Key Relationships and Interactions: Key SOA Staff, Project Steering Committee, Key Industry Stakeholders including State Sporting Organisations (SSO), Affiliates and Program Delivery Partners, Athletes, Volunteers and Coaches.

The Project Coordinator, under the guidance of the State Manager and the Project Steering Committee, will be responsible for the comprehensive development and implementation of the Team Sport Development project. This role involves close collaboration with Special Olympics Community Clubs across Queensland. The project is scheduled to conclude in June 2026.

SELECTION

Essential Criteria:

1. Education or equivalent work experience in sport, recreation or volunteer/event management.
2. Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with a range of volunteers
3. Working knowledge of Microsoft M365, including but not limited to SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
4. Ability to work flexible hours; including evenings and weekends on occasion.
5. Experience in planning, project coordination and/or community program delivery
6. Experience working as part of a team with a proven record of creating a positive organizational culture.
7. Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple tight deadlines.
8. Current Working with Children Check (WWCC) - Blue Card.
9. Demonstrated understanding of appropriate behaviours when engaging with children or vulnerable adults
10. Strong alignment with Special Olympics Australia’s Vision and Mission

Desirable Criteria:

1. Knowledge and understanding of the disability sector and individuals with intellectual disability/autism.
2. Understanding of the workings of not-for-profit and/or sporting organisations.

Personal Qualities:

1. Work as part of a team and independently, managing multiple tasks.
2. Driven, ambitious and with a strong sense of accountability, supported by a flexible and agile approach
3. Excellent interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills to support the organisation and culture, and engage with staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders
4. Demonstrated capacity to work closely with volunteers at a community and state level.
5. Mature, resilient, and highly ethical, with impeccable integrity and judgement
6. Strong alignment with the Special Olympics culture

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Sport Development

• Support the delivery of sports programs via a network of clubs or providers
• Support growth in team sports offered in underserviced parts of the state
• Grow participation in target/priority sports, as determined by national strategy

Sporting Competitions

• Work with the SO Clubs to increase participation in team sports at local, regional and state-level competitions.
• Work with Affiliate Partners to increase participation in local, regional and state-level competitions.

Participation Programs

• Support the development and growth of programs offered in identified growth areas
• Monitor delivery and coordination of grant-funded deliverables.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as an ex-officio on the Project Steering Committee, attending meetings as required.
• Provide support to all committees as required, preparing and distributing meeting materials, arranging meeting bookings, contacting attendees, etc.
• Develop and implement key areas of the project, including but not limited to maintaining a project delivery calendar, establishing key stakeholders, volunteer recruitment, coach training, etc.

Leadership

• Monitor project budget and grant deliverables
• Monitor all financial and reporting requirements
• Engage and support Athlete Leaders as required
• General administration duties as required to meet grant deliverables
• Represent SOA at meetings, workshops, forums and other events, as required
• Actively contribute to a ‘One Team’ culture at all levels of the organisation
• Always role model the SOA values and place athletes at the center of what we do