Head of Technology Programs and Services

National Rugby League Limited; Sydney; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

The National Rugby League Limited (NRL) is seeking a Head of Technology Programs and Services to lead the technology portfolio and major programs, aligning investment with business priorities and delivering measurable outcomes.

In this senior role you will set the technology direction, govern delivery, manage budgets and vendors, and partner with Product and business leaders to translate strategy into actionable roadmaps and service improvements for a fast-growing sports organisation.

Qualifications

• 8+ years’ experience in technology leadership roles.
• Experience governing significant technology investments and executive‑level decision‑making.
• Strong leadership experience with developing teams and organisational capability.
• Experience establishing portfolio strategy, governance frameworks and benefits realisation.

Responsibilities

• Lead the NRL’s technology portfolio, roadmap, investment planning and prioritisation activities.
• Provide executive oversight of major technology programs, ensuring effective management of scope, budget, timelines, risks and dependencies.
• Partner with Product and business leaders to translate strategic priorities into achievable technology programs and delivery plans.
• Lead portfolio governance, investment decision-making and executive reporting across the technology function.
• Set technology direction across software, data, integration and technology services while empowering technical leaders to own detailed design and engineering decisions.
• Oversee technology service performance, lifecycle management, resilience and operational sustainability.
• Manage technology budgets, forecasts, suppliers and strategic vendor relationships.
• Build organisational capability through workforce planning, leadership development and succession planning.
• Champion the practical use of AI, automation and modern ways of working to improve organisational capability and efficiency.
• Maintain oversight of technology, delivery, commercial and operational risks across the portfolio.

Job description

Head of Technology Programs and Services

Rugby League is Australia’s most entertaining and community driven sport. Rugby League broadcasts have grown to be the most watched programs on Australian television. The NRL Telstra Premiership is the closest elite sporting competition in the country and the State of Origin series between New South Wales and Queensland is Australian sport’s greatest rivalry.
We’re looking for a Head of Technology Programs and Services to join our Technology Team and help shape the future of Rugby League. If you’re a strategic technology leader who enjoys turning business priorities into successful technology outcomes, we’d love to hear from you.
About the role:
As the Head of Technology Programs and Services, you will lead the NRL’s technology portfolio and major technology programs, ensuring technology investment is aligned to business priorities and delivered effectively. You will be responsible for portfolio governance, program oversight, technology services, workforce planning, commercial management, and strategic vendor partnerships.
This is a senior leadership role that sits at the intersection of strategy, technology and business delivery. Working closely with Product, business leaders and Technology teams, you will translate business priorities into clear technology roadmaps, investment plans and delivery programs while ensuring strong governance, risk management and service performance.
In the role you will:

• Lead the NRL’s technology portfolio, roadmap, investment planning and prioritisation activities.
• Provide executive oversight of major technology programs, ensuring effective management of scope, budget, timelines, risks and dependencies.
• Partner with Product and business leaders to translate strategic priorities into achievable technology programs and delivery plans.
• Lead portfolio governance, investment decision-making and executive reporting across the technology function.
• Set technology direction across software, data, integration and technology services while empowering technical leaders to own detailed design and engineering decisions.
• Oversee technology service performance, lifecycle management, resilience and operational sustainability.
• Manage technology budgets, forecasts, suppliers and strategic vendor relationships.
• Build organisational capability through workforce planning, leadership development and succession planning.
• Champion the practical use of AI, automation and modern ways of working to improve organisational capability and efficiency.
• Maintain oversight of technology, delivery, commercial and operational risks across the portfolio.

Ideally you will have:

• 8+ years’ experience in technology leadership roles, including experience leading technology portfolios, major programs or multidisciplinary technology teams.
• Demonstrated experience governing significant technology investments, organisational change initiatives and executive‑level decision‑making.
• Strong leadership experience with a track record of developing teams, leaders and organisational capability.
• Experience establishing portfolio strategy, investment priorities, governance frameworks and benefits realisation approaches.
• Proven experience managing large‑scale programs involving complex budgets, resources, risks and dependencies.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience managing budgets, vendors, offshore providers and strategic technology partners.
• A strong understanding of modern technology environments, including software, data, integration and digital service delivery.
• Experience driving innovation through AI, automation and modern delivery approaches while maintaining appropriate governance controls.
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence and communicate effectively at executive level.
• Strong judgement, decision‑making capability and the ability to balance competing priorities in complex environments.

Whilst we look for experience, we also look for people who share the same beliefs as our organisation – we are UNITED, POSITIVE, INCLUSIVE & DISCIPLINED. Should you meet most of the criteria and share our beliefs,
The NRL is a child‑safe organisation committed to providing a safe place for all children to learn and have fun. We have strong recruitment procedures to make sure the safest and most suitable people work with us and require all applicants to undergo an extensive screening process prior to appointment, a process that will include, but is not limited to comprehensive reference checks, an identity check, “Working with Children” checks and/or national criminal history checks.