Inclusion Manager

ABOUT US

• Purpose: To lead, promote, unite, develop and regulate football Vision: To unite and elevate Australian football to become a world class, globally respected system to inspire our national, developing excellence at every level
• Mission: Working with our stakeholders everyday – to build the capability, capacity and capital we need now and, in the future, – to transform every football dream into reality

To achieve the above, we live by our company values which are:

• Welcome: Open doors, open minds, open hearts – and respect
• 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

BACKGROUND & PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Inclusion Manager is responsible for strengthening inclusive participation across

grassroots and community football, ensuring equitable access, belonging and participation outcomes for all.

The role leads the development and implementation of national inclusion frameworks and initiatives that support Member Federations, clubs and community stakeholders to deliver safe, inclusive and accessible football environments.

With a strong focus on priority cohorts including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

communities, women and girls, people with disability and culturally and linguistically diverse communities, the role works within a federated model to remove barriers to participation and enhance the overall participant experience.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Develop and implement national inclusion frameworks, standards and best-practice approaches.
• Promote equitable participation opportunities for First Nations communities, women and girls, people with disability and multicultural communities.
• Embed accessibility, cultural inclusion, gender equity and safe participation principles across football programs and environments.
• Identify participation barriers and work with stakeholders to improve access, inclusion and participant experience.
• Provide practical tools, resources and guidance to support consistent adoption of inclusive practices.
• Collaborate across Football Australia and the broader football ecosystem to strengthen alignment and capability.
• Monitor participation and inclusion data to identify trends, risks and improvement opportunities.
• Support reporting, evaluation and evidence-based decision-making.
• Champion a culture of inclusion, safety and participant-centred design.
• Act as Football Australia's subject matter expert on inclusion, leading initiatives and providing guidance across First Nations, women and girls, disability and multicultural participation.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The following requirements reflect the system design capability and stakeholder engagement required to embed inclusion and quality standards across a complex, federated football environment:

Essential

• Experience in inclusion, diversity, safeguarding or participation programs within sport, community or related sectors.
• Strong understanding of participant experience, access and retention.
• Experience developing frameworks, standards or improvement initiatives.
• Ability to work effectively across complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills.
• Experience using data and insights to drive decision-making and continuous improvement.

Desirable

• Experience within football or community sport.
• Knowledge of contemporary inclusion, safeguarding and community engagement practices.
• Exposure to quality assurance, compliance or evaluation frameworks.
• Experience contributing to participation, inclusion or community development initiatives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Essential

• Relevant tertiary qualification in sport management, community development, social policy, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Desirable

• Advanced qualification in a relevant discipline.
• Formal training or accreditation in inclusion, diversity, safeguarding or community engagement.
• Professional development in evaluation, quality assurance or impact measurement

Applications must be submitted by Friday 7th August 2026 at 5:00pm with a cover letter and resume.