Barwon Sports Academy, South West Academy of Sport, and FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport are regionally based high-performance sporting organisations committed to developing talented athletes across western Victoria. Working collaboratively with state sporting organisations, schools, coaches, and community partners, we provide targeted development programs, athlete support services, and professional learning opportunities that help athletes, coaches, and practitioners reach their potential. Our academies play a vital role in strengthening regional talent pathways, fostering excellence, and creating positive sporting environments that support long-term success both on and off the field.

The Regional Para-Sport Talent Identification Officer will lead the identification, engagement, and connection of athletes eligible for Para sport, to relevant pathways and development opportunities across the Barwon Sports Academy, WestVic Academy of Sport, and South West Academy of Sport regional catchments. The role will strengthen system alignment between regional communities local sporting networks, national Para sport pathways, the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS), and Paralympics Australia (PA) - establishing a clear talent pathway and reducing barriers for regional para-athletes to be identified andsupported to enter and progress through the Para sport pathway. This position is prioritised for a person with disability, reflecting the project’s commitment to lived experience leadership and enhanced para-literacy in regional sport systems.

Job Responsibilities

Talent Identification & Pathway Support

• Coordinate and deliver regional Talent Identification (TID) testing and discovery days.
• Maintain a Paralympic sport focus for talent identification activity and pathway support, by facilitating athlete eligibility screenings and engaging sports that offer Paralympic pathways.
• Engage schools, councils, allied health, disability service providers and Regional Sports Assemblies in recruitment and referral processes.
• Facilitate connections for identified athletes with relevant sporting bodies (i.e. State Sports Organisations and/or VIS Para Unit) Community & Stakeholder Engagement
• Engage and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders across the region to increase visibility and understanding of para-sport pathways - including schools, clubs, disability and allied health support networks, and community organisations
• Represent the Regional Academies in meetings, community events and partnership activities.

Workforce & Coach Education

• Deliver Para sport education workshops for coaches, officials and volunteers to build confidence in coaching Para athletes and develop understanding of classification, pathways, adaptive equipment, and unique barriers that Para athletes face.
• Increase para-literacy across regional sporting and disability sport networks.

Resource & Program Development

• Colate accessible referral tools, information sheets and TID resources.
• Assist in the production of promotional materials and inclusive communications.
• Contribute to development of a sustainable, scalable regional para-sport model.
• This position may be required to travel domestically.
• This position requires weekend work, or outside ordinary work hours.

Reporting & Administration

• Capture and track data, including athlete registrations,screenings, talent identification and referrals, coach education, and community engagement.
• Provide regular updates to project partners and prepare an endof-year evaluation report.
• Support administrative tasks related to event planning, scheduling, travel, and documentation.

Essential Requirements and Experience

• Lived experience of disability (role is prioritised for applicants with disability).
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including presenting to groups.
• Experience in community sport, allied health, disability services, education, or athlete development.
• Understanding of inclusion principles and/or para-sport participation pathways.
• Ability to build relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Capacity to travel across regional Victoria regularly.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to coordinate events and manage schedules.

Key Behaviours / Competencies

• Athlete & Community Well-being - Demonstrates a sincere commitment to meeting relevant athlete & community needs;intrinsic desire to help others; ensures problems are solved as soon as possible.
• Ethics - Always treats leaders, athletes and colleagues with honesty, respect and fairness; makes decisions within an ethical context; always protects values, confidentiality and organisationalinformation where appropriate.
• Leadership - Demonstrates exceptional ability in setting avision/goal and influencing and inspiring others to achieve this vision; always brings the best out in others.
• Attention to Detail - Can always be relied upon to produce completely accurate data and documentation; attention to detail is never compromised.