About Netball Australia

Netball Australia (NA) is the driving force behind netball in Australia, shaping the game from grassroots to greatness. As a proud member of World Netball (WN), NA oversees national teams, the elite Suncorp Super Netball league, and fosters the sport at every level - from local courts to the global stage. For nearly 100 years, NA has led, inspired, and supported a myriad of opportunities for thousands of communities and millions of Australians to play, deliver, watch, and ultimately love our sport.

With over 8.2 million Australians interested in netball, and over 4 million considered to be core fans of Suncorp Super Netball, our game is in great shape with the incredible success of our elite competitions propelling strong participation and fanbase growth domestically and globally.

We are rightly proud of our heritage, our standing, and our successes. Few teams in any sport, and even fewer organisations in any industry, enjoy the position and the positive pressure of being No. 1 in the World! You will be joining a team of passionate individuals who take pride in their skills, love what they do and thoroughly enjoy being part of making Netball one of the most loved sports in Australia. On the cusp of our centenary, and significant opportunity leading into the 2027 Netball World Cup in Sydney, there has never been a more exciting time to join.

About the Role

This position will be responsible for the management of the national pathway strategy, which is part of the National Performance Plan, ensuring Netball Australia achieves its talent development objectives. With a strong focus on stakeholder management, the Head of Pathway will contribute to ensure the organisation achieves its business objectives faster, with less risk and at a lower cost or greater revenue by improving how systems operate and information is recognised, shared and acted upon.

In this role you will be responsible for the following key areas:

Netball Australia Pathway Programs

• Develop strong connection with the National Coach and Head of Performance to ensure effective alignment and integration between the national program and the pathway.
• Lead the design, management and evaluation of all national pathway programs and camps.
• Provide technical advice, support and direction to key stakeholders to support alignment of deliverables within the National Performance Plan.
• Manage an integrated delivery model of support staff, volunteers and service providers.
• Develop identified coaches and umpires within national pathway programs.
• Align yearly planning with Head of Performance to ensure an integrated approach across high performance programs and activities.
• Support strategic priorities of the organisation including the design of annual operational plans, achievement of KPIs and development of reporting and evaluation frameworks.

Management & Leadership

• Contribute to building and managing a high performing culture across the organisation and foster team cohesion.
• Lead the netball ecosystem to drive pathway initiatives that support whole of system alignment.
• Engage in national forums and whole of business initiatives to support the strategic priorities of the business.
• Collaborate with NA business departments including events, commercial, media and marketing to deliver pathway outcomes

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong relationships with system partners (AIS, NIN) and secure investment for the delivery of pathway initiatives.
• Foster collaboration with Member Organisations and/or SSN clubs and provide direct support for agreed pathway deliverables.
• Design systems and processes that deliver reliable information and supports ease of communication flow with internal and external stakeholders.
• Develop strong working relationships with all internal Netball Australia staff, Member Organisations, Pathway Managers and athletes.

People & Culture

• Direct management of key staff including annual performance reviews, role design and future retention / recruitment.
• Management of all pathway program Service Agreement contractors including the design of scope to support program outcomes and negotiation and administration of formal agreements.

Budget and Finance

• Develop and manage annual budget process in consultation with EGM Netball.
• Manage pathway program budgets to ensure financial efficiency, compliance and optimal resource allocation.
• Drive monthly forecasting discussions and deliver budget tracking processes to manage budget decisions across multiple programs.
• This position will assist with other activities where required across the Netball pillar that are within the employee’s skills and capabilities.

About You

We are looking for someone who has the following key attributes, skills and knowledge:

Decision Making Skills

• High integrity, dependable, and results-focused with strong attention to detail.
• Skilled problem-solver with the ability to think creatively and make timely decisions.
• Flexible, adaptable and resilient, with a collaborative approach to achieving team and organisational goals.
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgement when managing complex matters, ensuring compliance with legislation, regulations, organisational strategies and corporate policies and procedures.

Specialist Knowledge & Skills

• Experience in sports services or a similar industry.
• Capability to develop strategies, policies and high-level reports with clear recommendations.
• Ability to set priorities, plan work programs, meet deadlines and manage time effectively within available resources and competing timeframes.
• Ability to prepare budgets and monitor financial performance.
• Highly computer literate.

Interpersonal Skills

• Strong interpersonal and engagement skills with the ability to develop relationships across all levels of management.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to prepare external correspondence and reports, and to positively engage with key stakeholders and employees.
• Ability uphold and demonstrate Netball Australia’s Values.

Management Skills

• Proven ability to motivate, develop and manage professional staff.
• Ability to work within, and lead the development of, high performing teams.

Knowledge / experience

• Minimum ten (10) years’ experience in a related field of employment.
• Demonstrated experience in high performance program management and leadership.
• Experience in budget interpretation and understanding, program/project/line and contract management, working with Government agencies/authorities, policies and funding programs.

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in exercise science, sports management, or related discipline.
• Professional membership of a relevant body would be an advantage.
• Current Australian driver's licence.
• Current Working With Children Check

The role is based at Netball’s Head Office in Fitzroy/Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung country where you will be spoilt for choice on great coffee spots! Given the unique nature of the sports industry, and the domestic & global reach of our organisation, travelling and working outside of Netball HQ and traditional office hours may be required. Our teams work flexibly, and we encourage the successful applicant to discuss flexible working options with their new Manager.

Applications will close at 5.00pm on 21 January 2026.

We do not take for granted the high volume of applications we receive, but please be aware this means we are only able to contact shortlisted candidates. Our recruitment process consists of a phone screening, two rounds of interviews, (virtual and in person) along with professional reference checks, and we'll be here to guide you through the entire process.

Netball Australia takes our Safeguarding responsibilities seriously and we provide an environment that is safe for our child and adult beneficiaries. All successful candidates will undergo a criminal record and Working with Children check prior to employment and must be able to hold valid checks at all times throughout their employment. We provide our staff and volunteers with ongoing supervision, support and training in their work with child and adult beneficiaries. We have a collaborative, supportive and diverse culture and promote the continued development of our team members! We believe your religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identification or culture do not define you nor impact your application or employment with Netball Australia. We are a sport for all people across the community and take pride in providing a diverse, inclusive and safe environment for all.

Recruitment agencies - thanks for thinking of us, but we have this one covered!