Participation Lead South/West Country
Date: 9 Jul 2026
Location: Ballarat, Victoria, AU
Company: Australian Football League
Join the team shaping the future of Australia’s game.
This is your chance to do work that has real impact, in an organisation that moves fast, aims high and plays a meaningful role in the lives of millions across the country through football. Every role at the AFL helps progress the game, so more people can love it, connect with it and see what is possible through it.
The opportunity
As a Participation Lead, you will play a key role in growing the game at a grassroots level by leading the delivery of participation programs across your region. This role is central to increasing engagement in Auskick, Schools, Superkick, NINES and community football, helping more people experience and stay connected to our game.
You will lead a team of Participation Coordinators and casual staff, driving performance against regional targets while ensuring high-quality program delivery aligned to community and school needs across Victoria.
What you’ll own
You will lead the planning and delivery of participation programs within your region, ensuring strong execution and meaningful outcomes across all key initiatives.
You’ll add value through:
- Leading regional delivery to meet KPIs across Auskick, Schools, Superkick, NINES and community football
- Managing and delivering the Auskick mapping project to ensure centres are effectively planned and executed
- Aligning programs with community clubs to support new teams and grades across competitions
- Leading the categorisation and prioritisation of schools to ensure targeted, needs-based program delivery
- Building strong relationships across school football pathways to drive participation growth
- Deploying and coordinating full-time and casual staff across all booked programs
- Leading booking, rostering and workforce planning for participation programs
- Supporting the training and capability uplift of staff delivering AFL programs
- Driving consistent delivery of high-quality programs across schools and community settings
- Supporting the implementation and adoption of systems including CRM and workforce tools
- Providing subject matter expertise across participation programs
- Contributing to broader team priorities and key projects
What you’ll bring
- Proven experience leading and managing teams, with the ability to motivate and influence others
- Strong planning, strategic thinking and problem-solving capability
- Experience leading and implementing change initiatives
- Ability to negotiate, mediate and manage competing priorities and stakeholder interests
- Demonstrated ability to deliver against targets and achieve results
- Strong communication, stakeholder engagement and presentation skills
- Excellent organisational and administrative capability, including Microsoft Office
- Ability to prioritise tasks and manage competing demands effectively
- Experience working with volunteers and diverse stakeholder groups
- Knowledge of AFL participation programs and community football pathways
- Strong relationship-building capability across clubs, schools and communities
- Demonstrated initiative, drive and sound judgement
- Experience coordinating programs and aligning diverse perspectives
Why you’ll love being on our team
At the AFL, you will be part of a values-led team that aims high, backs each other and brings energy, care and integrity to work that matters. This is a place where people play to win, play as one team and play with passion, while always staying grounded in fairness, inclusion and respect. We work hard, support each other and create the conditions for our people to grow, perform and thrive.
What you can look forward to:
- Play The Day Your Way, our flexible approach to working life, built to support you on game day and every day
- My Development, with coaching, mentoring, on-the-job learning and formal development to help you keep building your game
- Play Well, our health and wellbeing programme designed to support a healthy body, healthy mind and healthy workplace
- My Benefits, giving you access to a range of partner offers and discounts through our AFL Corporate Partners
- AFL Silver Memberships for permanent team members, so you can enjoy the action at Marvel Stadium and the MCG with family and friends
- 6 months paid primary parental leave with no qualification period for permanent team members
Everyone has a place here
Our game brings people together, and we want our workplace to do the same.
We are committed to building a culture of belonging and an environment where people feel respected, included and able to thrive, and where diversity of background, experience and perspective makes us stronger.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are encouraged to apply.
Whether you’re a footy fan or new to our game, we welcome everyone to apply. We know great candidates don’t always tick every box – if this role excites you, we encourage you to apply, even if your experience doesn’t perfectly match the job description.
The AFL is committed to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people in our care. Please note, we undertake several screening processes to ensure this commitment is upheld, this includes ensuring the successful candidate to this position holds a valid employee Working with Children/ Vulnerable People check and a satisfactory criminal history record check.
Ready to play your part?
Applications close 31 July 2026