High Performance Director – Cycling Australia

November 10, 2016

Location: Adelaide, Australia

Background:
Cycling Australia (CA) is the national governing body responsible for the sport of cycling in Australia. CA is responsible for the management and development of the sport from the national team at the elite level, including Olympic, Paralympic and Commonwealth Games, through to grassroots community level participation. With offices in Melbourne (Head Office) and Adelaide (High Performance), Cycling Australia’s vision is for Australia to be the world’s leading cycling nation through performance, participation and advocacy.
Cycling Australia is responsible for preparing and delivering elite, technical and high performance programs that aim to produce world class riders across identified UCI disciplines including Track, Road, Mountain Bike and BMX racing, including Para-cycling. Australia has consistently delivered on the world stage and in the four years leading up to Rio 2016, Australian athletes achieved over 45 elite / world championship podium performances.
While the Australian Paralympic team enjoyed a successful Paralympic Games, the Olympic track, road and off-road team under-performed against targeted expectations. This has created the opportunity for a review, renewal and change within CA’s High Performance Unit. The High Performance Unit (HPU) is responsible for leading and implementing CA’s contribution to Australia’s Winning Edge (AWE) targets. The CA Podium Plan develops strategies to ensure the sustained success of its athletes and teams at the elite level in a complex and integrated structure that is led from its HPU in Adelaide, South Australia. The HPU has International Podium Programs for:
  • – Track Sprint – men and women
  • – Track Endurance – men and women
  • – Road – men and women
  • – Off Road – BMX and Mountain Bike
  • – Para-Cycling – men and women
CA also operate National Pathway Programs within all State Institutes and Academies of Sport, a BMX National Training Centre in the Gold Coast, a European High Performance Unit in Italy, in addition to a cooperative partnership with the GreenEdge road racing team.

Key Responsibilities

The High Performance Director (HPD) is head of the CA High Performance Unit  and is responsible for the performance of the elite teams. The HPD will operate across all forms of cycling in the program and be effective and sensitive towards the different disciplines of track, road, off-road and para-cycling. However, with 10 out of 18 Olympic medals available in the velodrome, CA resources are channelled to reflect the opportunities on the track.
The HPD is supported in the leadership of the HPU by a General Manager – High Performance, who is responsible for program direction, stakeholder relationships, human resources, finance, sponsorship, policies, contracts, environment management, staff and athlete team management at major events. This allows the HPD to focus entirely on the elite and high performance strategy and athlete and coach development, with an unapologetic focus on delivering the very best athletes and teams to enable medals and podiums.
Leadership
  • In collaboration with the CEO and General Manager – High Performance, lead and ensure that CA’s high performance direction, planning and investment is aligned to Australia’s Winning Edge (AWE) Performance Strategy.
  • Manage, review and update the new four year (2017 – 2020) High Performance Plan in line with CA’s Strategy 2020, AWE performance and annual operational plans for the national teams and network.
  • Ensure international and sustainable success is attained at Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
  • With the General Manager – High Performance, oversee the national coaching network, to ensure all centralised, specialist and state/territory coaches input is effectively integrated and planned whilst providing professional development opportunities to identified coaches.
  • With the General Manager, High Performance, make sure national selection policies and processes are applied and adhered to and appropriate feedback to athletes and other relevant parties is provided.
  • Direct and plan talent identification and junior development in accordance with long term strategy
Stakeholder Management
  • Effective and clear communication with the CA Board, CEO, Australian Institute of Sport and Australian Sports Commission.
  • Manage relationships, programs and processes with key strategic and funding partners including the ASC, AIS, SIS/SAS, AOC, APC, ACGA, international partners and other key stakeholders.
  • Provide leadership and oversight of the national talent pathway program, monitoring of all network programs and CA investment into the State Institutes and Academies
  • Work in collaboration with State  CEO network, coaches and technical directors, and lead improvement, maximisation of opportunity and collaboration with GreenEdge road racing team.
Staff Management/Operations
  • Shape and outline CA’s philosophy, as well as communicate the objectives of the organisation to staff, coaches, athletes and stakeholders.
  • Lead a collaborative, high performance environment which elicits optimal input from coaches and staff across the nation to ensure sustainable success.
  • Create annual performance plans and manage staff in line with established plans and manage their performance to ensure that targets are attained or exceeded.

Skills & Experience Required

Essential:

  • Understand the key levers for high performance delivery to achieve international success.
  • Understanding leading trends in high performance sport
  • An ability to think and plan strategically and implement improvement across all forms of cycling
  • An ability to drive and attain excellence from all stakeholders through the ability to build partnerships, influence, negotiate and communicate effectively.
  • Exceptional communication skills, confident in all settings with the ability to clearly articulate a vision and plan to a diverse range of stakeholders, ranging from the CA board to elite athletes
  • A highly motivated and target-orientated individual that has a passion for sport and achieving elite success. A motivator who is ambitious for themselves and for Cycling in Australia

Other information

Remuneration

The successful candidate will be offered a base salary commensurate with the experience and reflecting the profile and importance of this position. As a domestic and global search exercise, a relocation allowance including flights, visas, temporary accommodation and shipping will also be available. Candidates will be expected to relocate to South Australia.

The nature of the International Competition Calendar and the distribution of CA operations means that there will be significant domestic and international travel (circa 40%).

Process – Application

For further information and more detail on the key responsibilities and competencies that Cycling Australia are looking for in this critical role, please download the Assignment & Candidate Brief that is attached to this advertisement.

SRi, is the exclusive partner on this search with Cycling Australia. To apply please send a letter of application, a full CV, your current remuneration package and indication of your availability / notice period to jharris@sriexecutive.com.

For further information or to engage in a confidential discussion about the role please contact: Jonathan Harris, Managing Partner on +61 413 939 993.