Director Site Operations

Australian Sports Commission; Canberra; On-site; AUD 220,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Training allowances

L&D calendar access

Superannuation 15.4%

Clearinghouse for Sport

Free onsite parking

Onsite facilities

Childcare priority

Job summary

The Australian Sports Commission in Canberra is seeking a strategic Director Site Operations to lead facilities management, venue operations, site security, maintenance and horticulture across the AIS campus and ASC sites. This ongoing role is critical to delivering safe, reliable and high-performing facilities that support high‑performance sport, events and community use.

You will connect long‑term site priorities with practical operations, manage budgets, contracts and service providers, and

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience in facilities management, operations management, property, security, maintenance or related operational field.
• Strong operational judgement and problem-solving capability, with demonstrated experience assessing complex issues, balancing risk and operational requirements, and developing practical solutions that enable safe and effective delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary operational teams, set direction, direction and performance expectations, building capability and delivering outcomes across complex and competing priorities.
• Extensive experience managing operational services, contractors, budgets, risks and service performance across a large site, campus, venue or comparable environment.
• Strong knowledge of operational governance, work health and safety, risk management, procurement, contract management, financial management and compliance obligations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex services or programs with broad organisational impact, work effectively across teams and clarify shared accountabilities within a new operating model.
• Highly developed stakeholder management, communication, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to provide clear advice to senior leaders and governance forums.
• Demonstrated experience using service data, risk information, stakeholder feedback and operational judgement to assess options make sound decisions and continually improve service delivery.
• Experience leading change, business improvement and continuous improvement across operational systems, services, teams or work practices.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and day-to-day leadership across facilities management, venue operations, security, maintenance and horticulture.
• Lead multidisciplinary operational teams, set priorities, service standards and oversee budgets, contracts, and service providers.
• Ensure sites are safe, functional, reliable and ready to support high-performance sport, commercial activity, events and community use.
• Build relationships with senior leaders and governance forums; provide clear advice and guidance.
• Drive business continuity, risk management and the implementation of the People and Place operating model across sites.
• Collaborate with Directors of Site Experience and Site Strategy to align long-term priorities with practical operations.

Skills

Facilities management

Operations management

Security

Maintenance

Budget management

Contract management

Risk management

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Change management

Job description

Australian Sports Commission - Canberra ACT

Applications close at 11:30pm AEST Wednesday 25 November 2026 (late applications will not be accepted).

The Australian Sports Commission is embarking on the Green and Gold decade. An exciting time filled with international sporting competitions on home soil, including the Mens and Womens Rugby World Cup, and culminating in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We have an ambitious new Strategic Vision and we need the best players on our team to help us deliver real results for the sporting sector and all Australians.

Are you up for the challenge?

About the team

The Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra is the premiere high- performance sporting facility in the country.The Site Operations team keeps the AIS campus and other ASC sites safe, functional, reliable and ready to support high-performance sport, commercial activity, events and community use. The team brings together facilities management, venue operations, site security, maintenance and horticulture. We work across AIS Operations and with service providers, contractors, sporting organisations and campus users to maintain essential services, manage operational risk and deliver a well-presented, customer-focused environment every day.

About the role

As Director Site Operations, you will provide strategic and day to day leadership across facilities management, venue operations, site security, maintenance and horticulture. As the back-of-house lead for the AIS campus, This role is critical to the success of the ASC’s new People and Place operating model, ensuring sites are safe, functional, reliable and ready to support high-performance sport, commercial activity, events and community use.

Working closely with the Directors of Site Experience and Site Strategy, you will connect longer term site priorities with practical, coordinated operations. You will lead multidisciplinary operational teams, set clear priorities and service standards while overseeing workforce and resource allocation, budgets, contracts, service providers, emergency management, incident response, business continuity and operational risk with coordinated operations, programs and experiences that build the positive reputation of the AIS.

This role requires a leader who can navigate complexity, exercise sound judgement and find practical ways forward balancing immediate service demands with longer-term planning. You will provide clear advice to senior leaders, build strong relationships across government, sport and industry, and lead teams through change with sound judgement, accountability and a strong focus on delivery.

Success in this role means creating safe, reliable and high-performing sites, delivering efficient and valuable operations, and ensuring athletes, staff, partners and visitors have a positive experience across AIS facilities.

About you

You are a practical, solutions-focused and experienced operational leader who can navigate competing priorities, make sound decisions and find a way forward in complex environments.

You are comfortable helping establish a new operating model, translating strategy into coordinated delivery and working as one leadership team across interdependent accountabilities. You will build a trusted, highly collaborative partnership with the Directors of Site Experience and Site Strategy, balancing back of house operational excellence with front of house experience, long-term asset priorities and commercial outcomes.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated senior-level experience in facilities management, operations management, property, security, maintenance or a related operational field.
• Strong operational judgement and problem-solving capability, with demonstrated experience assessing complex issues, balancing risk and operational requirements, and developing practical solutions that enable safe and effective delivery.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary operational teams, set direction, direction and performance expectations, building capability and delivering outcomes across complex and competing priorities.
• Extensive experience managing operational services, contractors, budgets, risks and service performance across a large site, campus, venue or comparable environment.
• Strong knowledge of operational governance, work health and safety, risk management, procurement, contract management, financial management and compliance obligations.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex services or programs with broad organisational impact, work effectively across teams and clarify shared accountabilities within a new operating model.
• Highly developed stakeholder management, communication, influencing and negotiation skills, including the ability to provide clear advice to senior leaders and governance forums.
• Demonstrated experience using service data, risk information, stakeholder feedback and operational judgement to assess options make sound decisions and continually improve service delivery.
• Experience leading change, business improvement and continuous improvement across operational systems, services, teams or work practices.

This position is offered as an ONGOING position based at our Canberra campus.

Why work with us

We have offices located in Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney. Across all locations, we offer:

• Options for flexible working arrangements.
• Annual allowances towards training based on individualised career goals.
• Access to a customised ASC L&D calendar for ongoing professional and career development.
• Generous superannuation scheme with up to 15.4% employer contributions.
• Access to Clearinghouse for Sport, an information sharing platform for Sporting professionals.

Additionally, our Canberra campus offers:

• Free onsite parking
• Onsite facilities including café, dining hall, gym, and swimming pool.
• Priority placement for your children to access the award winning, onsite AIS Caretaker’s Cottage Childcare Centre.

Contact Officer

• Contact Officer: Rachel Forte, General Manager, AIS Operations
• Phone number: 0401 053 ***
• Email address: ************@ausport.gov.au

Eligibility

To be eligible for this position applicants are required to be Australian citizens only and must be able to obtain and maintain an AGSVA Security Clearance.

As part of the Commonwealth Child Safety Framework the ASC is committed to being a Child Safe Organisation and leading the way in Child Safety across the sports sector. This position requires a Working with Vulnerable/Children People check to obtain employment.

Notes

• The ASC is committed to protecting children from harm. We require all applicants that will work with children to undergo screening processes prior to appointment.
• Should a merit pool be established for this position, it may be used to fill ongoing or fixed term opportunities as they arise within 18 months from the date advertised.
• The ASC operates under the Australian Sports Commission Act 1989 and is separate to the Public Service Act 1999. The ASC accepts most leave liability and recognition of prior service if you are currently employed at a Commonwealth agency.
• If you are experiencing issues or have any questions with the e-recruitment system, please contact the People & Culture Hub via email ******@ausport.gov.au or phone [phone]***.

Getting to know the Australian Sports Commission

At the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), we champion the value of sport. We encourage and help Australians of all backgrounds, ages and abilities to get involved in sport and enjoy the many benefits. We play a central leadership role across the broader sport sector through collaboration and direction.The ASC delivers a variety of grants through investment in high performance and national sport participation programs, performance pathways, people development and wellbeing, and research and innovation. We manage high performance operations at the AIS Campus in Canberra, supporting seven National Training Centres of Excellence, and a European Training Centre in Italy. Further, we individually support thousands of athletes and dozens of Australian sports through guidance and collaboration.