About Us
Football Australia is situated on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. We acknowledge the histories, traditions and living cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and commit to building a brighter future together.
Football in Australia is a melting pot of approximately 2 million participants represented by over 200 different cultures, we are proud to be the most diverse and globally connected sport within the Australian sporting landscape.
This Diversity In Culture, Ideas, And Experience Makes Us Strong And Prepares Us To Achieve Our Vision To ‘be a Leading Football Nation Where Everyone Is Inspired To Live And Love The Game’. To Achieve This, We Live By Our Company Values Which Are
Welcome: Open doors, open minds, open hearts – One Game for All
Ready: Always ready, Always ahead
Connect: Together, united
Excel: Our best, every day in every way
Protect: Guarding the game, Securing the future
What We Offer
At Football Australia we want to look after our people and below are just some of the many benefits of joining our team:
Flexible work arrangementsBirthday LeaveStudy LeaveWellbeing & Lifestyle leavePaid Parental leave in addition to statutory government offeringVolunteer leaveEmployee Assistance Program (EAP)Partner discountsWorkplace Banking ProgramSocial Activities such as 5-a-side futsal
About The Role
The Travel Operations Manager is responsible for the strategic planning, user-centric booking, delivery and commercial management of all travel and accommodation services across Football Australia.
This role ensures travel is arranged proactively, cost-effectively and in alignment with organisational priorities, policies and high-performance requirements.
The role contributes directly to operational success for national team programs (e.g., CommBank Socceroos, CommBank Matildas), domestic competitions (e.g., Hahn Australia Cup) and other Football Australia-led events.
Duties & Responsibilities
Travel Strategy, Booking & Operational Delivery
Proactively coordinate, manage and book air travel, ground transport and accommodation for Football Australia stakeholders — including national team squads, coaching & support staff, officials, board members, contractors and other travelling participants.Develop a deep understanding of event requirements, competition schedules, team logistics and stakeholder needs to ensure travel arrangements support operational performance.Facilitate and oversee timely bookings to secure optimal availability and pricing, minimising last-minute premiums and maximising early-booking opportunities for flights and best-of-market pricing by benchmarking, analysing alternative options, fare class optimisation and advance purchase strategies to achieve efficient cost outcomes.
Travel Policy Compliance & Governance
Ensure all travel bookings and expenditure adhere to the Football Australia Travel Policy and related governance frameworks, leveraging approved tools and workflows from the corporate Travel Management Services provider. Provide stakeholders with clear guidance on policy parameters, approval requirements and compliance on compliance trends, escalations, exceptions and opportunities for policy refinement to strengthen oversight and governance.
Cost Control & Best Available Pricing
Lead efforts to secure competitive rates and favourable terms across airlines, accommodation and transport suppliers, in alignment with Football Australia’s commercial objectives.Work with internal teams (e.g., Finance and Procurement) and appointed Travel Management Services partners to analyse spend data, identify savings opportunities and drive commercial value.Prepare pricing comparisons, travel cost projections and scenario analyses for senior leadership and budget holders.
Vendor & Relationship Management
Manage and nurture key relationships with external travel partners and suppliers, including Travel Management Services agents, airlines, hotel groups, ground transport operators and other service providers supporting Football Australia’s travel program. Establish and maintain service level expectations and performance monitoring mechanisms with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Event Travel Operations
Oversee travel and accommodation logistics for Football Australia event deliverables — including national team tours, friendlies, training camps and major competitions (e.g., Australia Cup). Collaborate cross-functionally with operations, events, high performance, and player welfare teams to ensure seamless integration of travel services with event and team plans.Maintain detailed operational documentation, incident reports, risk assessments and travel activity records for debrief and continuous improvement cycles.
Budget & Financial Coordination
Manage the operational travel budget and work with internal finance teams and budget holders to forecast, track and reconcile travel-related spend.Ensure travel purchasing and payments are processed accurately, in line with financial controls and reporting timelines.
Reporting, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement
Develop and maintain reporting dashboards that provide visibility on travel spend, compliance, savings, supplier performance and operational outcomes.Conduct post-event reviews with key stakeholders to capture insights, lessons learned and opportunities for process improvement.Prepare post-event travel reports outlining successes, challenges and recommendations to optimise future delivery.
MAJOR INTERACTIONS
Football Australia’s Football Department Football Australia Corporate DepartmentFootball Australia Board and Senior Management Team Football Australia’s Travel Management CompanyHotel chain representativesAirline Account Managers and key contactsProfessional services consultancies
About You
EXPERIENCE & SKILLS:
Minimum 5 years’ experience demonstrated in travel, accommodation or transport, within Major Sports Events or other Sporting Organizations A high-level understanding of travel and/or accommodation in international sporting teams Strong interpersonal and people management skills Strong written and verbal communication skills; a persuasive and passionate communicator with excellent public speaking skills. Proven capacity for successful negotiation and stakeholder consultation Financially literateProficient project management experience within an event environment with differing stakeholders and levels of service, including managing up.Responds flexibly and communicates openly to shifting demands and priorities Demonstrated ability to manage third party contractors effectively Understanding of local and global football
Qualifications
Essential
Minimum 5 years’ experience in corporate or complex travel operations, ideally within a sporting, event, government, or high-performance environment.
Desirable
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Commerce, Event Management, Sports Management, Tourism, Hospitality, or Supply Chain Management.
Additional Requirements
Full working rights in AustraliaWorking with children check (paid/employee) or state-based equivalent International Criminal History Record for each country (other than Australia) in which you have resided for 12 months or more in the last 10 years (if applicable)Out of hours and weekend work as required
Application deadline: 23rd February 2026
Click APPLY NOW to submit your application, including a cover letter and current resume.