About Them
The Australian Football League (AFL) is one of Australia's most recognised and influential sporting organisations, connecting communities through a shared passion for Australia's game. With approximately 1,000 employees and 3,000 casual workers across a growing and increasingly complex organisation, the AFL is investing in its people capability to support future growth, performance and organisational effectiveness.
About the Role
This newly created role represents a rare opportunity to shape the future of organisational effectiveness at one of Australia's most iconic brands. Reporting to the Executive General Manager People, you will lead the design and delivery of key people initiatives that strengthen organisational capability, workforce performance and employee experience. Operating as a trusted adviser and strategic partner, you'll combine big-picture thinking with hands-on delivery across a broad organisational development portfolio.
Key priorities include:
- Strategic workforce planning and organisational capability
- Future of work and ways of working initiatives
- Culture and engagement strategy
- Performance framework enhancement
- Organisation-wide people projects and change initiatives
- Contributing to the development and driving execution of the AFL People Plan
This is not a role for someone who wants to simply advise from the sidelines. You'll have the opportunity to identify opportunities, design practical solutions and see them through to implementation in a fast-moving, highly ambitious environment.
About Success
Success in the first 12 months will look like:
- Establishing a practical and scalable workforce planning approach
- Enhancing the AFL's performance culture and performance frameworks
- Driving meaningful improvements in ways of working and organisational effectiveness
- Bringing engagement and culture insights to life through tangible action plans
- Building credibility as a trusted partner to leaders across the business
- Delivering high-impact outcomes at pace, without unnecessary complexity
You’ll be known for balancing strategic thinking with pragmatic execution and delivering solutions that genuinely improve business outcomes.
About You
You are an experienced Organisational Development, Organisational Effectiveness or People professional who thrives in high-performance environments.
To succeed, you’ll bring:
- Proven Organisational Development professional with experience leading workforce planning, culture, performance or organisational effectiveness initiatives
- Strong project and change leadership capability
- Commercial acumen and the ability to connect people initiatives to business outcomes
- A practical, solutions-focused mindset
- Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills
- The confidence to challenge thinking and introduce fresh ideas
- High levels of resilience, adaptability and personal accountability
Importantly, you’ll know what good looks like and be able to adapt leading practice to fit a fast-paced, resource-conscious environment.
About Culture & Benefits
As a values-led organisation built on Play to Win, Play as One Team, Play with Passion and Play Fair, the AFL is committed to creating a high-performing culture where people can thrive and make a meaningful impact.
The AFL offers a culture unlike any other. You'll join a highly capable and collaborative People team that values initiative, innovation and delivery. This is an environment where great ideas are welcomed, bureaucracy is limited and leaders are genuinely open to new thinking. In return, you’ll enjoy:
- A newly created role with significant organisational impact
- Exposure to executive leaders and enterprise-wide initiatives
- The opportunity to shape the future workforce of the AFL
- A values-driven, high-performance culture
- Flexibility and autonomy
- Working within one of Australia's most recognised and respected brands
- A collegiate team that enjoys challenging ideas, moving quickly and delivering outcomes
For an Organisational Development professional seeking breadth, influence and the opportunity to create meaningful change, few opportunities offer this level of exposure and impact.
Please note I will be out of the office from 27 - 30 October and will therefore only be able to speak directly with candidates who closely match the search criteria and are being seriously considered for the role.
For specific questions about this role, please contact Lisa Hammond at lhammond@thenextstep.com.au
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Organisational Effectiveness Lead in Melbourne employer: The Next Step
Join a dynamic, Australian-owned technology and services business that prioritises its people and fosters a collaborative culture. As an HR Lead based in the vibrant Logan/Brisbane corridor, you'll have the chance to shape the HR function, work closely with senior leadership, and make a meaningful impact on employee engagement and development within a growing organisation of approximately 350 employees. Enjoy a modern office environment, competitive salary, and the opportunity for professional growth in a supportive setting that values your contributions.
