ABOUT SWIMMING AUSTRALIA
Swimming is Australia’s most successful Olympic and Paralympic sport, and there has never been a more exciting time to join us. Our purpose is simple yet powerful: Inspire Australia Through Swimming. Guided by our values of Courage, Unity and Excellence, and the Swimming 2032 Strategy, we are building a high-performance culture across every part of our organisation.
Based from Brisbane, we are looking for an experienced technical leader to shape and lead the next generation of Australia’s Paralympic swimming athletes, building the pathway, coaches and environments required for sustained international success through Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The National Pathway Technical Lead, Paralympic Program will lead the technical direction of Australia’s Paralympic swimming pathway, ensuring identified talent is converted into high-performing, podium-capable athletes.
Working closely with the National Head Coach, Paralympic Program and Paralympic Performance Pathway Manager, this role will set national pathway priorities, technical standards and progression benchmarks across Para talent identification, Futures, Flippers and NextGen programming. You will lead and support coaches, programs and daily performance environments across the country to build a sustainable, world-leading pathway.
This is a nationally focused leadership role for someone who combines deep technical knowledge of Para sport with the ability to align stakeholders, develop coaches and translate strategy into practical, athlete-centred programs
WHAT YOU’LL DO
- Build national alignment - foster trusted relationships across the Paralympic and Olympic programs, the National Institute Network, State Sport Organisations and the broader swimming system.
- Set national technical direction - establish and communicate a clear technical blueprint for Paralympic pathway athletes and coaches, including impairment-specific athlete profiles, standards and progression benchmarks.
- Influence daily performance environments - work with SIS/SAS Para Units, State Sporting Organisations, clubs and coaches to lift consistency, capability and athlete progression, with a deliberate focus on environments supporting athletes with moderate to significant physical impairments and visual impairments.
- Lead pathway programs - design and lead National Futures and Flippers programming, integrate Para talent identification, and support athletes and coaches to progress into emerging and senior high-performance environments.
- Shape competition and campaign pathways - inform domestic and international competition opportunities and provide technical leadership for pathway benchmark campaigns.
- Develop coaches and workforce depth - influence coach development through targeted projects, camps, mentoring and feedback, while partnering with the AIS, Gen2032 partners, SSOs, and Swimming Australia’s coach education function.
WHAT YOU BRING
- A minimum of five years’ experience in elite athlete development coaching, performance technical development, program leadership or an equivalent role.
- Significant experience developing and delivering technical and coaching guidance for emerging and elite athletes across daily performance and competition environments.
- Demonstrated experience working with Paralympic athletes across a range of impairment profiles, including strong expertise in coaching considerations for athletes with moderate to significant physical impairments and athletes with visual impairments.
- Proven capability designing and leading age-group, school or pathway programs that progress athletes into emerging high-performance environments.
- Demonstrated ability to lead high performers, influence change and align stakeholders in complex and continuously changing environments.
- Strong communication, negotiation, presentation, analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- Swimming Australia Performance Coach Accreditation, or an equivalent coaching accreditation from an Olympic or Paralympic sport.
WHY JOIN US?
This is an opportunity to make a national impact on the future of Paralympic swimming. You will help shape the pathway to Brisbane 2032 and beyond, strengthen the environments that develop Australia’s next generation of Para athletes and coaches, and contribute to a program committed to performing when it matters most.
