National Participation Manager

Special Olympics Australia (SOA) is the peak national body developing and delivering inclusive sport and physical activity programs for people with intellectual disability (PWID). Since 1976, SOA has provided year-round inclusive sports training and competition in sports for children and adults with intellectual disability in communities throughout Australia.

Special Olympics has grown from a backyard camp into a global movement that has been transforming the lives of PWID for almost 50 years. Today, Special Olympics supports over 5 million athlete and unified partners in more than 170 countries.

Special Olympics Australia strives to ensure that everyone living with an intellectual disability has opportunities to participate in sport. The dedicated network of volunteers and coaches create accessible sports training, coaching and competitions that allow PWID to reach their personal best – in sport and in life.

Special Olympics Australia provides:

• grassroots sporting, recreational, social and health activities in local communities around Australia;
• an environment where people with an intellectual disability can develop physical fitness, build self-esteem, demonstrate courage and make friends; and 
• competition pathways ranging from weekly club events, to regional, state and national games culminating in the Special Olympics World Games.

Hours of work: Full Time - 38hrs per week (plus additional reasonable hours as required)

Reporting to: General Manager - Sport, Participation & Programs

Primary Purpose of Position:

To lead and manage a network of State Managers responsible for the delivery of all Special Olympics Australia participation opportunities across school, community and club settings. The National Participation Manager assists the General Manager – Sport, Participation & Programs in implementing the National Participation strategy with a focus on growth and expansion. They engage and maintain mutually beneficial partnerships with national sporting organisations, peak bodies, national delivery partners, affiliated organisations, government agencies, grantors/funders, and other key stakeholders.

Location: Flexible Working Arrangements (Combination of SOA Office and Remote/Home Based)

Key Relationships and Interactions:

• Key SOA Staff
• SOA National Council and National Sports Coordinators
• Sport Industry Stakeholders including National Sporting Organisations (NSO)
• National Delivery Partners, Peak Bodies and Affiliated Organisations
• The Australian Sports Commission
• State Departments of Sport & Recreation (or similar)
• Grantors and Funders

Section Two - Selection

Essential Criteria:

1. Tertiary qualifications and/or equivalent experience in the sport and recreation sector
2. Experience building and maintaining effective relationships with a range of volunteers
3. Experience working with key sport partners and stakeholders to deliver mutually beneficial outcomes
4. Experience coordinating sport and physical activity programs in a variety of formats and settings
5. Experience in planning, project management and/or community program delivery
6. Experience working as part of a team with a proven record of creating positive organisational culture
7. Demonstrated leadership and experience working autonomously and in a fast-paced environment
8. Demonstrated ability to work under pressure, and to plan, prioritise and organise to meet deadlines
9. Demonstrated understanding of appropriate behaviours when engaging with children or vulnerable adults
10. Strong alignment with Special Olympics Australia’s Vision and Mission

Desirable Criteria:

1. Knowledge and understanding of the disability sector and issues facing people with intellectual disability
2. Knowledge and understanding of the Australian sporting landscape.
3. Knowledge and understanding of the Special Olympics General Rules and competition pathways
4. Understanding of the workings of not-for-profit and/or national disability sporting organisations
5. Experience in membership organisations and an understanding of federated or matrixed organisations

Personal Qualities:

1. Confident engagement style with the presence to represent Special Olympics Australia (at national and state level) and to influence and advocate for the organisation
2. Driven, ambitious and with a strong sense of accountability, supported by a flexible and agile approach
3. Excellent interpersonal, collaborative and communication skills to support the organisation and culture, and engage with staff, volunteers, and other stakeholders
4. Demonstrated capacity to cooperate and work well with others in a cross-functional environment, as part of a multi-faceted team, to promote and pursue organisational goals
5. Mature, resilient, and highly ethical, with impeccable integrity and judgement
6. Strong alignment to the Special Olympics culture

Section Three - Key Accountabilities

Sport Development

• Support the review and implementation of SOA’s National Participation strategy
• Lead the growth and expansion of SOA sport program delivery and participation nationally
• Identify national sport development priorities and develop national sport action plans
• Ensure the delivery of safe, inclusive, high quality participation experiences
• Provide strategic direction and guidance to SOA’s national sports coordinators

Sporting Competitions

• Support the SOA Competition Team to foster the competition pathway
• Connect NSOs and the SOA Competition Team to deliver more national level competitions
• Provide support to State Managers in the planning phase for State Games

Participation Programs

• Enable increased delivery of SOA programs in school, community and club settings
• Strategically identify participation growth areas to implement Special Olympics programs
• Develop a membership categorisation framework and measure participation growth
• Monitor performance of grant funded participation projects, staff and resources

Stakeholder Engagement

• Develop and maintain relationships with NSOs and peak bodies
• Coordinate the national affiliation process and support the engagement of all affiliates
• Develop and coordinate the national endorsed delivery provider model
• Develop and oversee implementation of SOA’s Coach Development Framework

Leadership

• Provide staff management of SOA State Managers and/or SOA State Coordinators
• Provide support to the General Manager – Sport, Participation & Programs
• Represent SOA at meetings, workshops, forums and other events
• Actively contribute to a ‘One Team’ culture at all levels of the organisation
• Always role model the SOA values and place athletes at the centre of what we do

Special Olympics Australia is a child-safe organisation. We require all applicants to undergo background checks and screening before or during any appointment. Our Commitment Statement to Safeguarding Children and Young People and other important information can be found here.

We embrace diversity in gender, age, ethnicity, disability, religion and sexual orientation. We are committed to providing a safe environment for all our members.