Sports Development Officer

A Sports Development Officer designs and delivers community sports programmes to increase participation, skill development, and engagement across diverse population groups in Australian localities. They work for local councils, non-profit sports organisations, or state sporting associations to identify barriers to participation, recruit participants, manage coaching or volunteer staff, and evaluate programme outcomes against participation targets and community health objectives.

Design sports development programmes targeting specific demographics such as women, older adults, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, or people with disabilities in accordance with organisational strategic plans. Conduct community needs assessments and consultation with local stakeholders to identify gaps in sports participation and facility access. Recruit, train, and supervise volunteer coaches and sports assistants using accredited coaching frameworks recognised by state sporting organisations. Manage sports registrations, participant databases, and attendance records using club management software or spreadsheet systems. Liaise with schools, community centres, and health services to promote sports programmes and identify underrepresented participant groups. Deliver or coordinate coaching sessions and sports clinics in line with sport-specific technical standards and duty of care requirements. Manage programme budgets, track expenditure, and submit funding acquittals to grant providers or council finance teams. Obtain and maintain appropriate Working with Children Checks (WWCC) and National Police Clearance as required by state legislation.

The standard entry pathway requires a diploma, advanced diploma or associate degree (ABS skill level 2). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

Most jobs are council or non-profit based, so pay stays modest and caps out early. You'll spend a lot of time chasing funding grants, doing admin work, and managing volunteers who don't show up. The role can feel like you're fighting uphill against low participation rates and tight budgets. Job security depends on council funding cycles and grant renewals, not steady demand.

Jobs concentrate in local councils across metro and regional areas, plus state sporting associations and non-profits. Practically speaking, every council has at least one person doing this work, so opportunities exist in most towns, but regional positions often combine this role with other duties. Remote work is rare since you need to be on the ground running programmes.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 4523, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Community Developmentcore
• Cultural Awareness and Sensitivitycore
• Goal Setting and Planningcore
• Group Facilitationcore
• Inclusive Practicecore
• Negotiationcore
• Report Writingcore
• Research and Analysiscore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Adapt teaching to student's capabilities
• Adapt teaching to target group
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Adjust sporting equipment
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Disability Awareness and Inclusion
• Feedback Collection and Actioning
• Microsoft Office Suite Proficiency
• Process Improvement Identification
• Record Management
• Reporting and Analytics
• Risk Identification

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 10 October 2026