About SNSW

Founded in 1963, Surfing NSW is the peak body for surfing in New South Wales. We play a pivotal role in driving participation, supporting our boardriding clubs and their members to foster fun, safe and inclusive environments for all surfers, as well as provide a high-quality development pathway for aspiring surfers in the state.

The organisation boasts a dynamic network of over 130 clubs, 15,000 members, more than 50 surf schools and coaches, delivering hundreds of thousands of lessons each year. In addition, more than 750K surfers routinely make waves every day across the state’s magnificent coastline.

Beyond fostering sport participation, Surfing NSW is committed to enhancing community wellbeing through its extensive educational programs. These include lifesaving first response training, aquatic trauma treatment, therapeutic surfing programs, and ocean career development, ensuring a holistic approach to the development of the sport and its participants.

Position Summary

The Club Development Officer is tasked with executing the SNSW core strategic priority: supporting and strengthening affiliated boardrider clubs along the NSW coast. Better clubs build a stronger surfing network - this role focuses on providing targeted support to clubs, uplifting their capacity and capability where needed, and deepening Surfing NSW’s connection and presence within local communities.

This is a hands-on, dynamic position embedded in the grassroots surfing community. The role works closely with the General Manager - Sport & Community to design and deliver club support in line with SNSW’s commitment to improving the service level and experience for club members and club volunteers. The delivery model may be structured by territory, specialisation, or other needs, as determined by the General Manager – Sport & Community. A particular focus is placed on growing participation and improving experiences for key member segments, including women & girls and micro-groms.

At its heart, this role exists to help our grassroots surfing community thrive, working side by side with clubs to tackle challenges, offer solutions, and lift standards across the network. You will be SNSW’s “ear to the ground” and first point of contact for clubs, connecting the right expertise from within the organisation to local communities across the state. This is a unique opportunity to make your mark on a sport and culture in a rapid growth phase, delivering club support at scale for the first time and fostering record participation in surfing.

KPI’s

The Club Development Officer will contribute to the achievement of all in-field KPIs as determined by the General Manager - Sport & Community. This role is responsible for delivering outcomes which may be defined by region or, where applicable, state-wide. Key focus areas include participation, club support and development, financial and budgetary management, and uplifting and upholding culture. These objectives will be set and measured in alignment with the strategic direction provided by General Manager - Sports & Community.

Key contributions to total SNSW KPIs include, but not limited to.

1. Increase club affiliation and retention.
2. Completion of club health-check and face-to-face meetings.
3. Attendance at regional club engagements.
4. Delivery of education programs across water safety, judging and coaching.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day relationship with boardriding clubs and members, providing meaningful support and driving club development priorities, programs and initiatives to our core surfing community.
• Achieve affiliation targets for clubs each year.
• Pro-actively contribute to the design, development and execution of SNSW’s priority support for boardriding clubs.
• Onboard clubs onto SNSW competition and member management platforms.
• Be a SNSW presence in-region for clubs across events, programs and talent development.
• Rollout best-practice coaching, officiating and judging support to our clubs, uplifting the standard in our community clubs and measure this success.
• Consistently provide feedback loop within the organisation to support subject matter expertise refine, develop and iterate programs and content.
• Champion our strong water safety message and programs throughout the club network.
• Where suitable, provide support to clubs with respect to grant seeking and writing.
• Contribute to the design of club health-checks and develop and drive action plans with club committees to tackle challenges and opportunities identified.
• Be a SNSW technology champion, utilising the available technology to help provide timely and effective support to our boardriding clubs, members and broader surfing community.
• Drive uplift in identified key participation segments across our network, in structured and unstructured environments, such as women & girls and micro-groms.
• From time to time, support other functions of the organisation to connect with and serve parts of the community as needed during peak periods, such as surf schools.
• Utilise and build upon Surfing NSW’s increased data capability to make informed data-driven decisions.
• Manage and ensure community enquiries are responded to quickly and efficiently, escalating as required.
• Work closely with the Surfing NSW CEO, leadership team and staff, contractors, and volunteers and actively demonstrate a team-first, problem-solving attitude and behaviours to advance the strategic priorities of Surfing NSW.
• Any other work, as required by the GM- Sports & Community.

Key Attributes

• Understanding of volunteer capacities and environments of sporting clubs
• Highly developed interpersonal and presentation skills
• Highly developed financial acumen and commercial nous.
• Experience in in-field delivery or programs or services
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities
• Attention to detail and compliance with policy, regulations.
• Ability to perform in an ever-changing, fast paced environment
• An appreciation of the sporting landscape, surf culture, how best to engage with athletes and the wider sports community an advantage
• A team player with an ability to work collaboratively and muck in when needed
• The successful applicant must have a valid working with children check