Head of Athlete Development

Position Summary

The Head of Athlete Development is responsible for the design, implementation and continuous improvement of Snow Australia’s Athlete Development Framework (ADF) across all 14 Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. Reporting directly to the General Manager – Sport, the role provides operational leadership of athlete development programs from talent identification through to development, ensuring consistent and evidence-based practice across the national snow sports pathway.

The role ensures a coherent and connected development system across all Snow Australia disciplines. Working collaboratively with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA), National Institute Network (NIN) partners (NSWIS, VIS, QAS, ACTAS), National Discipline Committees (NDCs) and discipline coaching staff, it ensures athlete development programs are aligned with Snow Australia’s strategic priorities, Athlete Development Framework and AIS system best practice.

As a key member of Snow Australia’s sport team, the Head of Athlete Development serves as the primary system owner and subject matter expert for athlete development across the organisation — building capability, consistency and accountability across the pathway and driving measurable athlete progression outcomes.

A pivotal cross-disciplinary role within the Snow Australia sport team, the position connects the national athlete development system from pathway club level to high-performance, working in close collaboration with the National Head Coaches and Discipline Leads to ensure a unified, athlete-centred development philosophy is applied consistently across all disciplines and programs.

Job Responsibilities

• Athlete Development Framework Leadership
• Talent Identification & HP Pathway Entry
• Discipline Program Coordination
• Stakeholder Engagement & System Partnerships
• Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting
• Leadership & Culture
• Skills, Knowledge and Abilities

Systems Thinking - sees the full athlete development system across 14 disciplines; connects people, programs and data to build a coherent and effective pathway.

Framework Design - translates strategic intent into practical frameworks and tools that coaches, athletes and partners can use - and that drive measurable outcomes.

Stakeholder Influence - builds credible relationships across a complex partner environment (OWIA, AIS, NIN, NDCs, coaches, athletes) and influences without direct authority.

Athlete-Centred Approach - consistently prioritises the athlete’s development and experience; understands what it takes to progress athletes from emerging to elite.

Collaboration - bridges across disciplines, programmes and organisations; finds common ground and builds aligned, sustainable partnerships.

Planning & Organisation - manages complex, multi-discipline programmes with rigour; sets clear priorities, monitors delivery and adapts as needs change.

Communication - clear and confident across written and verbal forms; able to translate complex pathway concepts for diverse audiences.

Drive for Improvement - curious, evidence-based and committed to continuous improvement of the development system; uses data and feedback to refine programs.

Education

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in Sport Science, Coaching, Sport Management, Human Movement or a related field (or equivalent demonstrated experience)

Highly Desirable

• Postgraduate qualification in sport management, coaching, sport science or a related discipline
• Recognised coaching accreditation or advanced professional qualifications in sport

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in athlete development, performance pathway or HP program management roles within high performance sport
• Demonstrated experience designing and delivering athlete development programs, including talent identification and ETP-style programs
• Demonstrated understanding of athlete development pathway systems and frameworks, including talent identification, confirmation and development program design
• Ability to design, implement and evaluate athlete development frameworks across multiple disciplines or sport programs
• Strong stakeholder engagement and relationship management skills, with the ability to influence and collaborate across complex sport environments
• Experience working with National Sporting Organisations, State Institutes / Academies of Sport or equivalent HP environments
• Experience collaborating with AIS, NIN partners or equivalent national sport system stakeholders
• Excellent planning, organisational and program management capability with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities
• Contemporary understanding of the drivers and barriers to athlete pathway performance and coach development

Desirable

• Familiarity with FIS frameworks, international winter sports governance and Snow Australia’s discipline-specific athlete development models
• Experience working across a multi-discipline or multi-program sport environment
• Knowledge of para-sport athlete pathway requirements and classification systems
• Experience in winter sports or Olympic and Paralympic sport environments
• Experience managing athlete categorisation or selection processes
• Connection to the snowsports community or broader Olympic / Paralympic sport networks in Australia
• Knowledge of FIS rules and international winter sports competition structures

Environment / Working Conditions

• Office-based primarily at Snow Australia Headquarters or the NSTC (Jindabyne), with travel to the Geoff Henke Olympic Winter Training Centre (Brisbane), as well as domestic and international competitions, development camps and stakeholder meetings
• Flexible approach to working hours to accommodate a seasonal snow sports programme, including evening and weekend commitments during competitions, events, camps and winter season activity
• Physical access to snow sports venues and training environments required from time to time
• Remuneration set in accordance with Snow Australia’s salary framework, commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the successful candidate
• Adherence to WHS legislation, Snow Australia policies and procedures, the Code of Conduct, and the Child Safeguarding / member protection policy