West Harbour Rugby Club (WHRC) “The Pirates” were founded in 1900, and compete in NSW rugby union’s premier competition, the Shute Shield. The Club’s vision is to create a high performance community rugby club - thriving on its diversity and a “win-well” culture. 

The WHRC Centre of Excellence and home ground at Concord Oval has recently undergone an $84m redevelopment, and significant further investment and expertise has seen the establishment of a dedicated High Performance and Pathways (HPP) committee aligning all its programs (Juniors, Colts, Womens, Mens) for excellence on and off the field. Player participation levels are at an all-time high and the foundations set for the right people to drive success across 1, 3 and 5 year strategies. 

The Lead - Pathways Programs role is responsible for leading the Pirate Pathway Programs (6-23yrs) to support participation, transition and excellence on and off the field. The position forms an integral part of the High Performance Operations team, reporting to the Head of Colts and Pathways. 

The Academy Manager / Lead - Pathway Programs will have:

• A demonstrated passion for long-term athletic development and performance, 
• Showcase skills in delivering both group and individualised pathway participation and development programs for a wide variety of backgrounds and performance levels, 
• Demonstrated experience in program management, exceptional IT and communication skills working within multidisciplinary teams will be highly regarded. 

Position Description 

This is a volunteer position, with both set and flexible days/hours around the annual rugby program (potential for part-time / full-time equivalent in the future). The Lead - Pathway Programs role will be based at West Harbour’s Centre of Excellence at Concord Oval. Work from home/alternative location flexibility is also available within reason. The position reports to the Head of Colts and Pathways with responsibility for driving improvement across our Pathways Programs and communication of the outcomes and intent of the program to the wider club community.

The key responsibilities of the role are:

• Strategic: Support the development and evolvement of 1, 3 and 5-year strategic plans and objectives for the Pirate Pathways programs within the parameters of the Club’s High Performance and Pathways Committee policies and annual rugby budget;
• Pathways and Talent Development: Drive the coordination, delivery and evolution of key Pirate Pathway programs as the West Harbour Futures, Next-Gen and Elite Development Academies, Peak Pirate Program, NSW Junior State Championships and other select junior tournaments/tours/events;
• Assessment and Benchmarking: Perform regular standardised data collection and testing to deliver insights on athletic and rugby development status, progress and potential to players, stakeholders and the High Performance and Pathways committee;  
• Coaching: Coordinate and coach, (including sourcing assistant coaches) for the Pirate Pathway programs including but not limited to school holiday or skill development camps, state championships and school/club engagement programs. Head Coach for the U16s State Championship side;
• Management & Stakeholders: Provide expertise and mentorship to Pirate Pathway program interns and assistants. Maintain regular communications with Super Rugby, community clubs and schools to enable alignment of best practices;
• Community Engagement: Provide support in growing and nurturing the local community clubs, schools and junior rugby programs in collaboration with the West Harbour Juniors Committee, NSW and Sydney Rugby stakeholders through growth of the Peak Pirate Program.
• Typical Working Hours
  • Sept - Nov: 1-2 sessions per week + administration 
  • Nov - Mar: 2-3 sessions per week + administration 
  • Apr - Aug: 1-2 sessions per week + administration 
• The following are compulsory requirements.
  • Legally entitled to work in Australia and hold relevant Rugby Australia/Other Rugby Coaching accreditations;
  • An ability to attend to work events outside of ordinary office hours;
  • Valid Australian Drivers Licence; and
  • Clean Police History and valid Working with Children Check