Senior Manager – Player Development & Wellbeing

Talent Focus; Brisbane; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Focus partners with a leading professional sporting organisation in Brisbane to appoint an experienced Senior Manager – Player Development & Wellbeing. The role leads a comprehensive player development framework, guiding education, career planning and life skills for elite athletes.

You will cultivate trusted relationships with players, coaches, families and external providers, aligning programs with high-performance goals while handling sensitive welfare matters with confidentiality and

Qualifications

• Experience in player development, athlete wellbeing or comparable people-focused environment.
• Broad understanding of personal development, wellbeing, mental health and career transition.
• Ability to build credibility with professional athletes and senior stakeholders.
• Experience delivering programs, initiatives or support frameworks.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate a player development and wellbeing program across multiple playing groups.
• Support players with personal development, education, career planning and life skills.
• Provide guidance around mental health, wellbeing and life outside professional sport.
• Coordinate induction, transition and ongoing development programs.
• Build strong relationships with players, families, coaches and internal stakeholders.
• Identify support needs and coordinate external specialist services as required.
• Support players through career transitions, injury and personal challenges.
• Promote a positive culture around accountability, respect, personal growth and high performance.
• Manage resources, budgets and program outcomes.

Skills

Communication skills

Relationship management

Leadership

Program development

Confidentiality

Education

Psychology

Counselling

Social Work

Education

Sport Management

Job description

Senior Manager – Player Development & Wellbeing – Confidential Opportunity | Brisbane, QLD

Talent Focus is partnering with a leading professional sporting organisation to appoint an experienced and versatile Senior Manager – Player Development & Wellbeing.

This is an opportunity for someone who understands that developing successful athletes goes well beyond performance on the field. The successful person will play an important role in supporting individuals throughout their sporting careers, helping them navigate the personal, professional, educational and wellbeing challenges that come with elite sport.

We are looking for an all‑rounder: someone who can combine strategic thinking with a hands‑on approach, build trusted relationships, lead programs and respond confidently to complex individual needs.

The Opportunity

Reporting to senior football leadership, you will lead and coordinate player development initiatives across multiple playing programs, ensuring individuals receive the guidance, support and resources they need to thrive both within and beyond their sporting careers.

You will work closely with players, coaches, performance staff, medical teams, families and external service providers to deliver a well‑rounded player development framework.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading and developing a player development and wellbeing program across multiple playing groups.
• Supporting players with personal development, education, career planning and life skills.
• Providing guidance around mental health, wellbeing, personal challenges and life outside professional sport.
• Coordinating player induction, transition and ongoing development programs.
• Building strong relationships with players, families, coaches and key internal stakeholders.
• Identifying individual support needs and coordinating appropriate external specialist services where required.
• Supporting players through career transitions, injury, personal challenges and changes in circumstances.
• Promoting a positive culture built around accountability, respect, personal growth and high performance.
• Managing sensitive welfare matters with sound judgement, confidentiality and professionalism.
• Leading the planning, delivery and continuous improvement of player development initiatives.
• Managing resources, reporting, budgets and program outcomes.

About You

You are a highly adaptable and relationship-focused professional who can operate across a broad range of responsibilities.

You may come from professional sport, athlete development, psychology, counselling, social work, education, youth work, community services or another relevant people‑focused environment.

More importantly, you bring a combination of practical experience, emotional intelligence, leadership capability and the confidence to work with people at all levels.

You will ideally demonstrate:

• Experience working in player development, athlete wellbeing, professional sport or a comparable people‑focused environment.
• A broad understanding of personal development, wellbeing, mental health and career transition.
• The ability to build credibility and trust with professional athletes and senior stakeholders.
• Experience developing and delivering programs, initiatives or support frameworks.
• Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills.
• The ability to balance strategic responsibilities with hands‑on individual support.
• Confidence managing sensitive matters, maintaining confidentiality and exercising sound judgement.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Experience leading people, projects or multidisciplinary teams.

Relevant tertiary qualifications in psychology, counselling, social work, education, youth work, sport management or a related discipline will be highly regarded. Professional registration or clinical qualifications would also be advantageous.

Experience within elite or professional sporting environments, particularly team sports, will be viewed favourably.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a chance to take ownership of an important function within a high‑performance sporting environment.

You will have the opportunity to influence how players are supported, developed and prepared for life both during and after their sporting careers.

It is a varied leadership position suited to someone who enjoys working with people, solving problems, building programs and making a meaningful difference.