ABOUT US

Football Australia is situated on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the histories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together.

Football in Australia is a melting pot of approximately 2 million participants represented by over 200 different cultures, we are proud to be the most diverse and globally connected sport within the Australian sporting landscape.

This diversity in culture, ideas, and experience makes us strong and prepares us to achieve our vision to ‘be a leading football nation where everyone is inspired to live and love the game’. To achieve this, we live by our company values which include: 

• Impact On & Off the Field: Challenge the way we think and do to seek ways to grow the impact football has, influence industry thought leaders.
• Inclusive & Diverse Football for all: Football is embedded in the nation's social fabric, follows the story of Australia, be accessible for all
• A United Team: Bringing people together to unleash the power of football and to deliver the vision, we bring the team spirit to the game
• Trust: Building trust across the whole football community, be trusted custodians of the game, act with integrity and objectivity

WHAT WE OFFER

At Football Australia we want to look after our people and below are just some of the many benefits of joining our team:

• Flexible work arrangements
• Birthday Leave
• Study Leave
• Wellbeing & Lifestyle leave
• Paid Parental leave in addition to statutory government offering
• Volunteer leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Partner discounts
• Workplace Banking Program
• Social Activities such as 5-a-side futsal

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has awarded Football Australia the right to host the AFC Women’s Asian Cup 2026 (the Event), the premier women’s national football competition in Asia.  A local organising committee (LOC) has been established by Football Australia to plan and deliver the Event.  The LOC’s vision is to deliver a world class event that celebrates Asia’s rich football culture and leaves an enduring legacy for the game in Australia.

This prestigious event will bring together 12 nations in a tournament structured into three groups of four.  Following the resounding success of last year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup, Football Australia, the LOC its stakeholders and partners are eager to create another tournament that celebrates women’s football, delivers legacy outcomes for football and Australian society more broadly.

The LOC is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Legal Counsel with a minimum of 3 years of experience to provide dedicated legal support and services for the Event.

This role requires a legal professional skilled in commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and risk management, ideally with experience specific to the events industry.

The Legal Counsel will have duties across all legal aspects of the Event, from contracts to intellectual property and compliance, ensuring seamless and legally compliant execution.

Please note that this role is Sydney based and is fixed term until 31 March 2026.

Duties & Responsibilities: 

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of Event-related agreements, including venue rental contracts, vendor contracts, consultancy agreements.
• Work closely with internal teams to ensure all contracts align with business goals while effectively managing risk and ensuring compliance with Event-specific requirements.
• Assist Head of Legal & Compliance and Senior Counsel in providing proactive legal advice on Event planning, production, and operational issues, with a focus on mitigating risks related to public safety, liability, and intellectual property.
• Provide legal advice and support to ensure Event compliance with relevant laws and regulations, including health and safety, environmental, consumer protection, and local government requirements.
• Advise on intellectual property matters, including trademarks, copyright, and branding, related to the Event materials, marketing, and content.
• Ensure protection of proprietary information and assets associated with the Event, and advise on the use of third-party IP.
• Assist in the implementation of policies to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including consumer protection, ticketing laws, privacy regulations, and data protection.
• Provide support for event-related incident response and crisis management, advising on the legal implications of various response strategies.
• Work closely with departments such as Event Growth & Experience, Operations, and Finance to provide tailored legal support and advise on Event-specific legal questions.

A full copy of the position description can be found here.

ABOUT YOU

Experience, Skills and Qualifications: 

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts, ideally within the events, hospitality, or entertainment industry.
• Proven experience in providing quality legal advice, drafting, negotiating and managing contracts
• Proven experience in the management of multiple and concurrent small-scale contracts
• Experience in protecting brands and/or intellectual property rights and in the sports industry preferred
• Adaptable and proactive with a solutions-oriented mindset.
• Strong ethical standards and a commitment to confidentiality.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, especially during peak event periods.
• A full list of experience, skills and qualifications can be found in the above position description

Additional Requirements: 

• Full working rights in Australia
• Working with children check (paid/employee) or state-based equivalent 
• International Criminal History Record for each country (other than Australia) in which you have resided for 12 months or more in the last 10 years (if applicable)
• Out of hours and weekend work as required

Click APPLY NOW to submit your application, including a cover letter and current resume. 

Application Closing Date: 24 November 2024

Football Australia are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a safe working environment that embraces and values child safety, diversity, and inclusion. Our values and behaviours support and encourage an environment that sees its people drive impact on and off the pitch, are trusting in each other, united to achieve and embrace an inclusive environment.

We encourage applications from people who identify as female or non-binary, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island people, people with disabilities and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. If you require support or advice with your application, please contact us.

In submitting an application, you agree to our collection statement. To review, head to the following link: footballaustralia.com.au/jobs/collection-statement