About the Collingwood Football Club
Collingwood Football Club (CFC) was founded in 1892.
Local residents, community and business leaders and politicians all hoped that having their own football club could help bring a measure of pride to a downtrodden suburb.


In 2026, CFC is one of the great icons of Australian sport. Our history spans 130 years, 16 premierships and more finals appearances than any other club. Most importantly, Collingwood has grown from being a football club to a sports club with a commitment to our community.
The opportunity
The Community Programs Lead ensures that the Community Department delivers quality output and maintains strong relationships with Community stakeholders and partners.         

The Community Programs Lead is accountable for operational excellence, participant experience and continuous improvement, whilst also contributing to event execution and program success.

Key responsibilities include:

  • Operational leadership: Ensure all programs have the appropriate resources and Club support where agreed; manage risk; ensure venues and uniform needs are met.
  • Program quality: Manage the relationships with the Program Partners; maintain reporting and ensure the operations of the programs are successful and kept within budget.
  • Program Delivery: Manage the operations of the Wheelchair and Reclink Team across the season and throughout their Summer program.
  • Stakeholder engagement: Maintain relationships with community program partners; escalate complex matters; and coordinate with other parts of the Club as needed.
  • Volunteering: Lead the volunteer program for the Magpie Nest Café and Reclink, engaging all staff, players and partners.
  • Data & reporting: Monitor Program KPIs, data and participant feedback; prepare grant or partner information for the Head of Foundation and Programs and Partnerships Manager; and contribute stories and metrics for impact reporting purposes.
  • Events & partnerships: Lead Magpie Nest, Wheelchair and Reclink events and related engagement activities alongside the rest of the Community team.
  • Budget & logistics: Track program expenses to ensure all programs are operating within the agreed budget.
  • Elevate: Champion the Community programs throughout internal departments of Collingwood. Create meaningful connection with our players, members, staff and fans through advocacy and storytelling with athlete integration and engagement across our programs.
  • Game Day: Participate in game day and assist the Head of Foundation with other duties as required.

Capabilities & Experience: Program operations; safeguarding and risk; stakeholder management; maturity and conflict resolution; excellent written/oral communication. Experience in community, sport, youth or social work preferred.

To be successful as the Community Programs Lead, you will be someone who:

  • Has 1-3 years' experience in a similar position in the Community Programs space.
  • Has experience leading community programs with a focus on operational excellence, participant experience and continuous improvement.
  • Builds strong, trusted relationships with community partners, stakeholders and program participants, communicating with maturity and clarity.
  • Is highly organised and confident managing logistics — including venues, uniforms, volunteers, risk and program resources — to ensure smooth delivery.
  • Brings strong program operations skills, including budgeting, reporting, data monitoring and meeting safeguarding and compliance standards.
  • Thrives in roles that require stakeholder engagement, conflict resolution and clear, service‑focused communication.
  • Enjoys delivering meaningful community events and coordinating activities that connect players, partners, members and fans.
  • Is proactive, adaptable and passionate about strengthening community impact through storytelling, engagement and high‑quality program delivery.

Football Clubs are fast-paced environments but you will engrain yourself into the Collingwood culture, remain agile, adaptable, and consistently champion our Company values of DO BETTER, SIDE BY SIDE, A NEST FOR ALL and FLY HIGHER.

What we offer
As a valued staff member of our Sporting Club you will be a part of a fun, inclusive and flexible work environment:

  • Access to state of art High Performance Gym Facility
  • Access to Professional Development and Learning Development Courses
  • Access to tickets to all AFL and AFLW matches
  • Access to exclusive partner offers, the likes of Nike, Emirates, AIA Vitality, La Trobe, CUB Economy, Business Class with Emirates, Sonos and TaylorMade
  • Opportunities to support with Collingwood community outreach and volunteer programs (Magpie Nest Cafe)
  • Behind the scenes access to Match-Day, including the ability to support in on-ground activations

To Apply
If you are interested in this position, please send through your CV and cover letter that addresses why you are interested in working with the Collingwood Football Club, how your skills/experience would qualify for the position, and how you would contribute to the culture of the organisation.
Please send this application to careers@collingwoodfc.com.au<careers@collingwoodfc.com.au>. Applications close COB Friday 27 March 2026 (however, we may close this earlier if we receive a large volume of applications).

Please keep reading…
Research shows that while men apply to jobs when they meet an average of 60% of the criteria, women and other marginalized folks tend to only apply when they check every box.
So if you think you have what it takes, but don't necessarily meet every single point above, please still get in touch. We'd love to have a chat and see if you could be a great fit.
We believe in being a Nest For All – we champion respect, diversity and inclusion to make our Club a safe and welcoming place for all. The Collingwood Football Club is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified and diverse candidates. We provide a welcoming, safe and flexible approach to work and provide an environment that benefits from and enables the best from everyone.
As an organization we are committed to protecting children and young people from harm. It is essential that anyone involved with the Collingwood Football Club understands their responsibility in relation to child safety. Our organization requires all applicants to obtain a ‘Working with Children Check’ prior to appointment.
To learn more about working at Collingwood Football Club and our values, please visit