About Us:
The Australian Professional Leagues (APL) operates the A-Leagues - the pinnacle of professional football (soccer) in Australia and New Zealand, comprising of the Isuzu UTE A-League Men and Ninja A-League Women competitions.
The APL’s vision is to be the league of choice for modern Australians and New Zealanders, uniting communities through a shared love of football. Our team champions the A-Leagues by empowering clubs to deliver football excellence and build lifelong connections with fans – to unlock the full potential of the global game.
The Opportunity:
The Communications Executive/ Manager is responsible for supporting the delivery of APL’s media relations, media operations and communication campaigns to help build the profile of professional football in Australia. This role sits within a small team delivering best-in-class media relations and engagement, proactively pitching and promoting stories to increase awareness of the A-Leagues, its clubs, players, and major events.
In this role, you will work closely with the 14 A-Leagues’ Club Media Managers, our broadcast partner (Network Ten and Paramount ANZ) and the media, to drive conversation around the A-Leagues, its players and football in Australia.
We are looking for an organised, enthusiastic and proactive person with sports industry and communication experience, and a passion for football. This is a full-time role, preferably Sydney or Melbourne-based.
Note this role may be appointed at either Executive or Manager level, depending on the candidate’s experience.
The Responsibilities:
Media Relations
* Manage the day-to-day relationships with key football media, proactively pitching stories to build the profile of the A-Leagues.
* Work with the Network Ten/ Paramount ANZ publicity teams to deliver regular A-Leagues coverage in news, sports and entertainment and lifestyle programming.
* Support and build quality relationships with sports, lifestyle and non-traditional media, including developing a year-round media engagement and event plan.
* Maximise coverage of the A-Leagues in traditional and non-traditional channels, identifying and engaging media outlets to drive coverage, targeting both mass audience and specific audience segments.
* Work in partnership with our clubs and internal content team to identify newsworthy narratives, and bring those stories into the news cycle through sports and lifestyle media.
* Support large league campaigns, and oversee small campaigns and announcements with key internal and football stakeholders.
* Manage the monthly reporting, and support the Head of Media and PR in tracking KPIs and budget deliverables.
Media Operations
* Manage media operations during league-owned events, including season launches, finals series and other major events, such as All Stars’ games.
* Support the Head of Media and PR in building effective relationships and ways of working with APL’s broadcast partners and on-screen talent, to promote league messaging with impact and manage issues as they arise.
* Act as the main point of contact for the A-Leagues’ Club Media Managers, to build and maintain effective working relationships and communications channels.
* Manage the league media accreditation for the regular season and finals series.
* Develop and deliver media materials, including media guides, weekend reviews, and stats packs.
* Manage the APL’s media contacts and database, ensuring that contacts are up-to-date at all times.
* Monitor media attendance at games, and work with Clubs to improve media attendance and engagement.
* Manage media monitoring, media analysis and regular reporting for internal stakeholders.
* Manage the communications team’s templates, folders and systems.
About You:
* Degree qualified (PR, Media or Communications) or equivalent experience in a similar role.
* Minimum 3 years’ experience in a Communication or PR role in-house or within an agency – experience within sport preferred.
* Strong written and verbal skills, and experience building strong relationships.
* Excellent organisational and time management skills, with an eye for detail.
* Passion for and knowledge of football is desirable.
* Good judgement, with the ability to work in a fast-paced and agile environment.
* Strong understanding of the media landscape and what makes a great story.
* Ability to influence and engage internal and external stakeholders.
* Energetic, flexible, collaborative and proactive.
Our Values:
Every fan in mind: we respect the privilege and responsibility that comes with our mission to unite, entertain and grow our game.
Play our own way: in order to get and stay ahead of the game, we create and innovate.
Win together: the only way to win is to win together; who makes the assist is as important as who scores the goal.
Get off the bench: we don’t sit on the bench - we expect everybody to get up and involved.
Play fair: sport is all about competitiveness and fierce rivalry, but we always play fair!
We believe in creating an inclusive environment, and we encourage anyone interested in this role to reach out and start a conversation, regardless of gender or the number of skills that match your profile.
Why work for us?
You’ll get to work as part of an elite team of passionate and like-minded individuals. On top of that, we offer:
* Hybrid working arrangement.
* Generous leave entitlements.
* Monthly mobile phone allowance.
* Employee Recognition Program.
* Plus benefits, discounts and tickets.
Above all, we love football and, if you do too, you’ll love working with us. So, if you’re excited about this opportunity, please ‘Apply now’.
APL does not accept unsolicited CVs from recruiters or employment agencies. Please note only shortlisted applicants will be contacted. Thanks for your understanding .