About Us
The Perth Bears are Western Australia’s newest professional sporting club, set to join the NRL in 2027. As a high-performance organisation, we’re committed to building strong foundations on and off the field to ensure long-term success. Joining our team means being part of a rare start-up opportunity in elite sport, where your expertise will directly shape the future of rugby league in WA and help deliver a lasting legacy for our community.
The Opportunity
We are seeking an experienced Head of High Performance to design, deliver and lead the Perth Bears’ high-performance strategy. The role ensures elite athlete performance, availability and resourcefulness across training, competition, recovery and rehabilitation, directly contributing to sustained on-field success.
What You’ll Do
- Lead and implement the club’s high-performance strategy and program.
- Oversee strength & conditioning, sports science, medical and performance systems.
- Integrate data, analytics and technology to drive evidence-based performance decision-making
- Introduce innovative practices to optimise player performance.
- Partner with medical staff on injury prevention and return-to-play
- Lead and mentor a team of high-performance staff, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
- Manage budgets and resources effectively to support high-performance activities.
- Support match-day preparation, travel and recovery protocols
- Embed a values-driven, elite performance culture.
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards within the industry.
- Build trusted relationships with players, coaches, and staff to positively shape Club culture.
What We’re Looking For
- Degree/ Masters in Sport / Exercise Science or related discipline
- Extensive experience in elite high-performance environments
- ASCA Level 3 Coach Accreditation or International equivalent (minimum Level2)
- Commitment to athlete welfare and performance excellence
- High level of integrity.
- Ability to manage complex programs with multiple competing priorities.
- Proven leadership capability and demonstrated experience leading a team of specialists including strength, sport science and medical staff.
- Excellent communication skills and ability to foster strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- A growth mindset with a willingness to learn, adapt and change
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 Head of High Performance will be fully accountable for establishing, delivering, and managing the high-performance function, while the club grows. This is not a role with layers of administration or inherited systems. You will be required to design processes, integrate technology platforms, 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 high performance function.
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.
- Be part of a once-in-a-generation sporting project.
- Work in a dynamic, ambitious, and supportive start-up culture.
- Leave your mark on rugby league in WA.
