Sport Operations Manager

Overview

Little Athletics NSW leads and supports the promotion, development and delivery of grassroots athletics programs for participants between the ages of 3 and 17 years across NSW. The participants (members) take part in a range of age-modified running, jumping and throwing events at 190 centres across the State.

Athletics NSW leads and supports athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers in the delivery of Athletics events for all ages across NSW.

The NSW Athletics Partnership (NSWAP) entails Little Athletics NSW (LANSW) and Athletics NSW (ANSW) delivering the first entirely unified and single Athletics offering in NSW in 56 years and has three main components:

• A single Affiliation structure

• A single Membership offering

• A single Championship and Events pathway.

The NSWAP ensures the removal of duplicated membership costs and administration processes, while also significantly expanding competition opportunities and pathways for all members by providing everyone with the best that both LANSW and ANSW have to offer.

NSW Athletics provides the framework for over 50,000 registered members and participants to enjoy athletics at all levels of performance, working closely with our 230+ member centres and clubs for the best interests of the sport of athletics throughout NSW.

As a result of this Partnership, our sport is currently experiencing a surge in popularity and in participation and performances and together we are poised to build on the momentum of this summer to inspire the next generation of athletes and fans and to continue growing the sport in NSW.

The Role

We are seeking a full time Sport Operations Manager who is committed to ensuring the smooth and efficient administration and delivery of events for the benefit of the NSW athletics community.

Reporting to the General Manager – Sport Delivery, the Sport Operations Manager will manage the pre planning and delivery of the ‘operational’ elements for all NSW Athletics events.

The right candidate for this role will have the ability to blend your passion for athletics with effective leadership, organisational skills, and attention to detail in order to contribute to the success of NSW Athletic events to the satisfaction of athletes, coaches, clubs, and spectators alike.

Responsibilities

As the Sport Operations Manager, you will be responsible for the following key functions:

1. Event Operations & Delivery

• Lead the operational planning, coordination and delivery of NSW Athletics competitions, ensuring efficient execution in alignment with the annual events calendar and strategic goals.
• Prepare and maintain key operational documents, including:

o Event management plans

o Operational schedules and run sheets

o Risk management and contingency plans

• Liaise with venue operators, including SOPAC and local councils, to ensure venues are competition-ready, compliant, and meet required standards.
• Lead processes that see the implementation of best-practice processes that ensure compliant and effective risk management and mitigation
• Work closely with the Sport Competition Manager, Australian Athletics and World Athletics, ensuring that all NSW Athletics competition are permitted and ratified at the appropriate level.

2. Sport Presentation & Fan Engagement

• Lead the development and delivery of innovative sport presentation strategies and fan engagement initiatives that elevate the event-day experience for participants and spectators.

3. Equipment & Readiness

• Oversee the maintenance, inventory and logistics of equipment used across NSW Athletics competitions.

• Collaborate with Technical Officials, staff and other key personnel to ensure the venue is fully operational and compliant and meets all partnership/sponsorship obligations in its setup

4. Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate with the Marketing & Communications team to ensure timely updates across all platforms, including social media and website content.
• Provide clear and proactive communication to clubs, athletes, officials and volunteers regarding event logistics and operational matters.

5. People & Cross-Functional Support

• Provide on-the-ground leadership to casual staff, volunteers, and officials to ensure professional delivery of all operational components.
• Collaborate with other NSW Athletics Functional Areas and provide assistance during peak periods or major campaigns.

6. General Duties

• Contribute to post-event reviews and debriefs to identify improvement opportunities.
• Undertake other duties as directed by the General Manager – Sport Delivery.

Key Selection Criteria

• Experience in a similar role within the sporting industry
• Strong attention to detail
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency and prioritise 90/10 solutions over perfection
• Outstanding customer service skills including the ability to work collaboratively and to establish and maintain respectful and ethical relationships with a range of stakeholders.
• Creative problem-solving skills and a results-oriented mindset
• Current Working with Children Check
• Be able to work collaboratively within a small, dynamic team.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in the delivery of Athletics Competitions, both in and out of stadia, is preferred but not essential
• An understanding of the structures and systems of Athletics and Little Athletics in NSW, is preferred but not essential.

NSW Athletics 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.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer and firmly believe that diversity and inclusion is an important part of Athletics community in which we operate. Our sport is for everyone, and we strive to be a workplace for everyone. We encourage people of all cultural backgrounds and identities to apply.

To Apply

All applications should be submitted via the apply button

Should applicants be shortlisted for a first round interview, interviews will likely occur from Monday 7 July 2025.

For a confidential conversation please call Andrew Matthews on (02) 9746 1122.

Closing Date

Applications will close Wednesday 2 July 2025.