Swimming is Australia’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic sport and there has never been a more exciting time to join our sport. Following a successful Paris campaign and with the green and gold runway to Brisbane 2032, we are investing further in Para Swimming with and exciting new role.

The purpose of the Para Swimming Development Manager is to play a pivotal role in building foundational entry points and creating inclusive environments to increase the number of people with a disability actively swimming and being classified at the national level.

We are looking for someone who is aligned with our values of Courage, Unity and Excellence to support stakeholders to overcome barriers to entry and progression towards High Performance pathways within Para-swimming. This exciting opportunity is a Full Time (fixed term to December 2028) position working in a hybrid model between the office (any or our Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney offices), home and includes some travel to our programs across the country.  

About the role:

Reporting to the Executive General Manager High Performance Pathways, Coaching and Participation, the principal duties of this role include:

• Partner with relevant National Disability Sports Organisations & National Disability Organisations to create entry pathways into Para-swimming and help leverage funding opportunities.
• Provide standardized resources to clubs, schools and facility operators that help them create safe, welcoming and inclusive environments for Para-swimmers.
• Conduct research and analysis to understand system landscape, participation trends of people with a disability in swimming and other aquatic activities, and to identify areas for engagement and growth.
• Promote the benefits of including Para-swimming programming across various audiences, highlighting its impact on health and community well-being, and organisational value to specific stakeholders.
• Work with Paralympics Australia and other key stakeholders to research and analyse trends in Para-Sport participation and where there are opportunities for growth.

About you:

What you will bring to the role:

• A minimum of four years’ experience within a Para-Sport development environment, or equivalent. Experience in Para-swimming is desired, but not essential.
• Knowledge of inclusive program design best practices, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) principles.
• An understanding of the models of disability, ableism and disablism.
• An understanding of the Australian sporting system, particularly Paralympic sport.
• An understanding of the key principles of long-term athlete development.
• Experience and skilled in developing strong relationships; influencing and motivating staff and key stakeholders
• Able to create a safe, supportive environment that fosters ongoing mutual respect and trust

At Swimming Australia, we are an equal opportunity employer that celebrates and supports an inclusive and diverse workforce that represents our vast swimming community. We embrace differences in gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion and sexual orientation.

We are also committed to promoting and protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people through our safeguarding children practices. Candidates should be aware this includes a number of screening processes during the recruitment and selection process to ensure we uphold this commitment. All employees at Swimming Australia are required to hold a valid employee Working with Children and a satisfactory criminal history check.