Chief Executive Officer

Transcription

1 ABOUT ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA Athletics Australia (AA) is the national governing body for Athletics in Australia. Athletics Australia has a critical role in leading, fostering and encouraging interest and participation in athletics amongst Australians of all ages and abilities and promoting excellence in high performance. Athletics Australia is the National Sporting Organisation recognised by the Australian Sport Commission, the major funding partner of Athletics Australia; the Australian Olympic Committee; the Australian Paralympic Committee; and the Australian Commonwealth Games Association. Athletics Australia is affiliated to the International Athletics Federation and the Oceania Athletics Association. Athletics Australia has responsibility for a wide range of activities, including participation; coaching; juniors; Para-athletes; high performance; and domestic and international competitions. The key stakeholders of Athletics Australia are the eight State and Territory Member Associations, with Australian Athletics Clubs and individual athletes affiliated to these Member Associations. Athletics Australia receives income through significant grants from the Federal Government, through the Australian Sports Commission, for participation and high performance programs; membership fees from individuals joining directly; various national programs; corporate sponsors and a range of various commercial activities. Athletics Australia is about to enter an exciting new phase in its development. This will involve the engagement of the athletics community in agreeing a new vision and strategic direction. This new direction will see considerable change in the organisation over the next few years. It will be a challenging but rewarding time to be involved. CHIEF EXECUTVE OFFICER As Chief Executive Officer you will be responsible for overseeing the day-to-day management of this sport-business and be accountable for driving and delivering the commercial and strategic priorities as agreed with the Board. To be considered for this role you will need to be a dynamic and inspirational leader, with excellent people skills and the ability to engage and develop lasting, positive relationships with a range of stakeholders. Your commercial acumen will be matched by your skill in identifying and then capitalising on opportunities, finding innovative solutions and thinking outside the square. You will need to demonstrate a successful track record in managing and growing likesized, multi-layered, decentralised businesses. You will have the skills to navigate through complex issues prioritising, managing and delivering outcomes that fulfill the commercial and strategic priorities of Athletics Australia. You will have led the development and have had an active role in documenting strategic plans for large organisations, as well having an in depth understanding of the structural, corporate governance and other challenges faced by federated associations. Given the popularity and profile of the sport of athletics, this role is clearly one of the prized sport-business positions in Australia. Prior experience in the not-for-profit, sport business sector will be highly regarded.

2 KEY DELIVERABLES Increase participation in athletics across all demographics, both in competitive and recreational activities, especially amongst young people. Build a sustainable and inclusive coaching framework that is world best practice and leverages off strong relationships with all stakeholders. Develop a sustainable high performance system that ensures consistent, worldbest performance at international level. Introduce a national competition structure that engages athletes, coaches, officials, the media and the public and raises the profile of athletics in Australia. Reduce reliance on government funding through the identification and exploitation of a range of commercial opportunities. RESPONSIBILITIES The CEO will: Leadership Provide leadership to develop and continually reinforce the Vision (Strategic Direction), Mission (Purpose) and Values (Culture) of the organisation With the Board, establish financial and non-financial performance targets and drive the organisation to achieve these targets Represent the organisation and its values and goals with members, customers, suppliers, government and regulatory bodies, other stakeholders and the broader athletics community. Motivate a high-performing executive team by attracting, retaining and mentoring managers who have credibility throughout the organisation. Strategic Planning Through active engagement with key stakeholders, develop and annually review a Rolling Strategic Plan to maximise value and recommend the Plan to the Board for input, review and approval. Implement the Rolling Strategic Plan and report to the Board on progress and agreed strategic, key performance indicators. Review trends and opportunities in society generally and create delivery models that recognise these opportunities to encourage membership and participation growth. Identify new products, new events and initiatives that will capture new members and create greater participation. Operational Management Develop an Annual Operations Plan linked to the Rolling Strategic Plan and recommend it to the Board for input, review and approval. Implement the Annual Operations Plan and report to the Board on progress against the Plan. Provide supervision and management of day-to-day affairs of the organisation within policies established and agreed by the Board.

3 Ensure that appropriate systems are in place to effectively and efficiently manage the business of the organisation consistent with the objectives Ensure organisational commitments are within delegated approval authorities. Risk Management Establish systems to identify and manage risks within the framework of the Risk Management Policy endorsed by the Board. Report to the Board on the management of risks as required by the Risk Management Policy. Ensure the accuracy, completeness, integrity and disclosure of the organisation s financial statements through appropriate policies, procedures and internal controls. Ensure the organisation complies with all regulatory and government requirements. Provide any required regulatory or government assurances regarding the organisation and its activities. Ensure appropriate operational policies and procedures are developed, implemented and maintained. Organisational Effectiveness Develop and maintain a strong organisation with the right people in the right positions to implement the Rolling Strategic Plan and Annual Operations Plans. Recommend to the Board appointments to management positions where the Board has reserved the authority for approving appointments to the position. Implement a performance management system throughout the organisation and undertake performance management of senior personnel. Ensure people strategies and compensation systems are appropriate to attract and retain the right people to implement the Rolling Strategic Plan and Annual Operations Plans. Governance Communicate in a timely way with the Board on material matters affecting the organisation and particularly on matters reserved for the Board. Communicate regularly with the Chair and other board members and ensure the Board is being provided with the information necessary to fulfil its legal duties and responsibilities and to make good decisions Ensure that the organisation has appropriate governance policies in place and that these are regularly reviewed by the Board Ensure all Board committees have appropriate charters in place and that these are regularly reviewed by the Board, as well as assisting these committees to fulfil their charters. Ensure the Board has regular exposure to senior management, accepting that the Board only instruct the CEO. With the Board, ensure effective succession plans are in place for the position of CEO and all senior managers.

4 Commercialisation, Marketing and Communications Oversee all marketing, PR and communication initiatives that ensure that the organisation and its mission, programmes and services are consistently presented in a strong, positive way to relevant stakeholders. Serve as the primary spokesperson and representative for the organisation, working in conjunction with Athletics Australia President as appropriate. Reduce reliance on funding from the Federal Government, identifying new properties that will develop the sport of the Athletics whilst being attractive to sponsors and other commercial partners. Pursue philanthropic and other related opportunities for appropriate programs, working through both the Australian Sports Foundation and the Athletics Australia Foundation. Stakeholder Management Effectively manage the relationships between Athletics Australia and key stakeholders, seeking input on key issues as appropriate. Ensure that communication between Athletics Australia and key stakeholders is both timely and appropriate. Regularly engage with representatives of Member Associations to develop and maintain a close working relationship. Ensure an appropriate level of transparency amongst key stakeholders impacted by Athletics Australia policies and decisions. CEO Performance Facilitate and participate in an annual evaluation of CEO performance conducted by the Board or relevant Board committee. Participate in developing annual and longer-term CEO objectives and success measures aligned with the Rolling Strategic Plan, Annual Operations Plan and the organisation s Values. Social, Environmental and Ethical Practices Other Foster ethical and responsible decision-making by management. Set the ethical tone of the organisation. Lead the organisation in its corporate social responsibility. Be a community leader and ensure the organisation contributes to the well-being of the community in which it functions. Serve as the external spokesperson for the organisation and manage, effectively, relations with external stakeholders. Be responsible for communicating the organisation s Vision, Mission, Values, Rolling Strategic Plan and Annual Operations Plans to external stakeholders. Carry out any other appropriate responsibilities assigned by the Board. Ensure the Board reviews this position description annually.

5 SELECTION CRITERIA In addition to demonstrating relevant experience across the core functional areas of responsibility identified in this Position Overview, candidates applying for the Chief Executive Officer role will require a range of personal and professional skills, including: A demonstrable passion for sport and a genuine understanding and respect for the opportunities and health, social and other benefits that athletics presents to the entire Australian community. Strategic thinking, with the ability to create and articulate a vision and the capacity to plan and prioritise at the strategic level; Outstanding leadership skills, with the ability to build a shared understanding of, and commitment to, a vision for the sport. The ability to relate to people at all levels; the presence to inspire others to achieve the identified objectives of Athletics Australia and the capacity to achieve real credibility with the stakeholder family. A strong, energetic, inclusive and down-to-earth management style with the ability to identify and harness the specialist knowledge of the athletics community for the benefit of the sport and Athletics Australia as a whole. The ability to influence and work collaboratively with a range of interest groups including employees, officials and volunteers, members and supporters, the general public, other national sporting organisations, local, state and national government agencies and the media Strong brand and positioning skills, with the ability to identify and develop commercial and marketing opportunities for Athletics Australia, delivering stable and diverse revenue streams. Superior presentation and communication skills, with a personal presence and the ability to act confidently as the public spokesperson for Athletics Australia. Demonstrate integrity in all dealings; be honest and open; listen to and consider stakeholder views; and act in a way that reflects the culture and values of the organisation. Have a strong understanding of the workings and demands of a multi-level sport and/or member-based organisation. The ability to grow an organisation through steady and continuous improvement against established performance objectives. Solid financial acumen, including the capacity to interpret and report on financial accounts, with experience in the management of operating budgets of approximately $12 million plus per annum. Tertiary qualifications and/or extensive relevant experience in a related area of management.

6 STAFFING STRUCTURE The CEO reports to the Board through the President of Athletics Australia. Six positions currently report directly to the Chief Executive Officer. National Participation Manager National Coaching Development Manager High Performance Director Competitions Manager Communications and Marketing Manager Chief Operating Officer KEY RELATIONSHIPS As CEO you will work with and need to carefully manage a number of key relationships, including: Athletics Australia President Athletics Australia Board Members Athletics Australia Board Committees Member Associations (MAs) of Athletics Australia Athletics Australia Management and Staff Athletes, Coaches, Officials, Agents, Promoters and other personnel Suppliers, Sponsors and Supporters Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) State Institutes of Sport/State Academies of Sport (SIS/SAS) National Institute Network (NIN) Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) Australian Paralympic Committee (APC) Australian Commonwealth Games Association (ACGA) International Athletics Federation (IAAF) Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) Little Athletics Australia LOCATION AND HOURS The Athletics Australia office is located at Athletics House, Level 2, 31 Aughtie Drive, Albert Park, Victoria. The expectation is that the CEO will be based at the Head Office. The nature of the position will require some weekend work as well as domestic and international travel from time to time to attend scheduled events. The role is full time. REMUNERATION An attractive salary package structured to attract high quality candidates will be available, dependent upon skill level and experiences.