National Women & Girls Experience Lead
Date: 3 Sept 2026
Location: Melbourne, 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
Help create stronger, more inclusive community football environments where women and girls can thrive across coaching, umpiring and leadership.
As the National Women & Girls Experience Lead, you will oversee key retention initiatives within the Women & Girls Game Development Action Plan and work nationally with State and Territory teams, community clubs, leagues and umpire groups.
Please note that this is a 12 month maximum term contract role.
You will coordinate programmes, capability-building and nationally consistent approaches that advance gender equity across Australian football. The role is based at an AFL Head Office in Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania or the Northern Territory.
What you’ll own
You will bring together stakeholders, programmes and projects that improve experiences and create more opportunities for women and girls across community football.
You’ll add value through:
- Managing the Women & Girls Community Football Charter programme nationally and supporting State Women & Girls Experience Leads to increase its uptake across clubs, leagues and umpire groups
- Supporting nominated State staff to facilitate education modules covering areas such as gender equity, governance and inclusive marketing
- Helping clubs, leagues and umpire groups develop and implement meaningful gender action plans
- Coordinating a nationally consistent approach to programmes that develop women in community football leadership positions, including Lead Your Way
- Working with States and Territories to increase the representation of women in community football leadership roles, particularly president and vice-president positions
- Partnering with the national Coaching team to coordinate women and girls coaching recruitment and experience initiatives, including Coach Your Way
- Partnering with the national Umpiring team to coordinate women and girls umpiring recruitment and experience initiatives, including Umpire Your Way
- Coordinating State-based funding for Women & Girls Umpire Liaisons and Women & Girls Coach Developers
- Organising and delivering the annual UMPowered conference for Women Umpire Coaches
- Contributing to priority projects within the Women & Girls Game Development Action Plan and supporting the broader Game Development team
What you’ll bring
- Experience working effectively across complex stakeholder groups
- Experience developing and implementing strategy
- Experience leading projects and people to achieve shared outcomes
- Well-developed verbal and written communication skills
- Strong interpersonal and presentation capability
- Demonstrated initiative and the ability to work effectively with limited supervision
- The judgement and collaboration skills to build alignment across national, State and Territory teams
- A commitment to creating safe, inclusive and positive community football environments
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 11 September 2026