About Us

History is being made in Perth! The Bears are coming to the NRL in 2027, and we’re looking for passionate people to help us build something incredible from the ground up. This is your chance to be part of the action, working behind the scenes of a professional sporting club as we prepare to roar onto the national stage. If you love sport, thrive in fast-paced environments, and want to be part of rugby league history, this is your moment.

The Opportunity

The Perth Bears are building something serious in Western Australia. As part of our long-term commitment to elite pathways and grassroots growth, we are seeking an experienced Pathways Operations Manager (WA) to lead the day-to-day delivery of our Academy and support the growth of rugby league across the State.

This is a hands-on leadership role at the centre of junior talent development, athlete welfare, and high-performance operations.

Reporting to the Elite Pathways Manager, with functional leadership from the General Manager – Football, you will be responsible for the operational leadership, coordination, and delivery of the Perth Bears WA Academy, while supporting alignment with national pathways programs.

You will work closely with coaches, performance staff, medical providers, schools, clubs, and governing bodies to ensure a professional, compliant, and athlete-centred pathways environment.

 What You’ll Do

• Lead the day-to-day operational delivery of the Perth Bears WA Academy.
• Support the implementation and alignment of national pathways programs within Western Australia.
• Oversee Academy player onboarding, engagement, welfare, and ongoing pastoral care.
• Ensure compliance with safeguarding policies, medical and insurance requirements, and risk management frameworks.
• Coordinate coaching, performance, and high-performance program delivery with Academy partners.
• Support talent identification initiatives and facilitate player progression into national and elite pathways.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with WA-based rugby league stakeholders and partners.
• Deliver accurate reporting and provide governance and compliance support to Football leadership.

What Success Looks Like

• Successful establishment and ongoing delivery of a high-quality WA Academy program.
• Strong pathways player wellbeing, retention, and progression outcomes.
• Consistent compliance with safeguarding, medical, insurance, and risk frameworks.
• Trusted relationships with clubs, schools, institutes, and governing bodies.

 What We’re Looking For

• Proven track record in in elite or professional sport, ideally Rugby League.
• Demonstrated experience in sports administration, including operational and financial coordination.
• Experience managing sports facilities, logistics, and program delivery.
• Strong understanding of youth athlete development, welfare, and safeguarding frameworks.
• Experience within NRL, state league, or aligned high-performance systems (desirable).
• Familiarity with institute-based performance programs (desirable).
• Current Working With Children (WWC) Check and Police Clearance (or ability to obtain).
• Strategic and analytical thinker with strong operational discipline.
• Confident leader who collaborates well across multidisciplinary teams.
• High emotional intelligence and strong stakeholder management capability.
• Genuine commitment to athlete welfare, development, and performance excellence.

 Why Join Us

• This is more than a job - it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the success of Perth’s new NRL team. You’ll be part of a start-up phase where your ideas, energy, and leadership will directly influence the club’s future.
• This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of rugby league pathways in Western Australia from the ground up, within a high-profile, values-driven organisation preparing for long-term success at the elite level.
• Work in a dynamic, ambitious, and supportive start-up culture.
• Leave your mark on rugby league in WA.

Working in a Start-Up Environment

The Perth Bears are a start-up organisation in a critical foundation phase. Like other roles recruited to date, this position is intentionally hands-on and will initially operate with lean support structures.

The Pathways Operations Manager (WA) will be fully accountable for establishing, delivering, and managing the WA pathways function, end to end, while the club grows. This is not a role with layers of administration or inherited systems. You will be required to design processes, build relationships, solve problems in real time, and deliver outcomes concurrently.

Success in this role requires comfort with ambiguity, strong personal accountability, and the ability to move seamlessly between strategic planning and day-to-day execution. As the club scales, there will be opportunities to influence the future structure and resourcing of the pathways function and broader football operations.