Exercise & Sports Science Australia (ESSA) is the nation’s leading voice for exercise and sports science professionals. Established in 1991, ESSA represents more than 10,000 members and plays a critical role in advocacy, education, and regulation, ensuring high standards and advancing the profession nationally.
As the peak professional body, ESSA is dedicated to supporting the careers of tertiary qualified practitioners and promoting the essential role of exercise in improving health, wellbeing, and performance across all stages of life. The organisation sets professional standards, accredits university courses, and champions evidence based practice to ensure quality and safety for the Australian community.
Purpose: Provide industry leadership through advocacy, research, education, and regulation to support professionals and promote an active nation.
Values :
Our values are centred around commitment , curiosity and connection .
We leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of supporting our members. Cultivating and nurturing connections is core, with our focus on building a strong sense of belonging and connection for our teams, our members and their communities.
About the Role
Reporting to the Board, the CEO will lead ESSA through a period of cultural and strategic enhancement, ensuring operational excellence, strong advocacy, and heightened member value. As CEO, you will be an inspiring leader and communicator who builds trusted relationships, shapes policy, and positions the organisation for sustainable growth and national influence.
You will oversee operations, guide strategic priorities, and represent ESSA to government, regulators, and key stakeholders. Working closely with the Board and leadership team, you will deliver an ambitious agenda of advocacy, professional development, member engagement, and organisational sustainability.
Key Deliverables
- Member Engagement & Value: Lead strategies to enhance member service, engagement, retention, and recruitment.
- Industry Leadership: Strengthen ESSA’s reputation and influence policy change through collaboration with key stakeholders.
- Advocacy & Promotion: Represent ESSA credibly across government, health, sport, and allied health sectors. Build partnerships to advance ESSA’s advocacy agenda and promote the profession.
- Regulation & Governance: Safeguard professional standards and accreditation. Ensure legal compliance and provide strategic advice to the Board.
- Culture & Change Management: Lead cultural transformation, and shape a high performing, values led team.
- Operational Management: Oversee financial performance, risk management, and operational efficiency.
- Play a pivotal leadership role in a respected national association
- Influence exercise, health and sport policy and promote the value of exercise science
- Lead cultural and strategic change with a committed team
- Opportunity to shape the future of a growing profession
About You
The successful candidate will demonstrate:
- Proven executive leadership experience, ideally as CEO or in a senior management role
- Success in complex stakeholder environments and member based organisations
- Expertise in advocacy, governance, accreditation, and education
- Strong financial acumen and ability to manage large budgets
- Outstanding interpersonal and communication abilities, with a proven capacity to inspire, engage, and communicate with influence to members, stakeholders and the public
- Demonstrated strength in connecting with people, with the ability to inspire and lead diverse teams
- Strategic thinking, sound judgement, and resilience under pressure
- A commitment to ethical business practices and corporate social responsibility
- Relevant tertiary qualifications; MBA highly desirable
Interested?
Please apply using the APPLY NOW button on this website.
Applications close 8am Tuesday 23 December , but will be reviewed as received.
Please note only applications submitted through the application portal will be considered .
To request more information regarding this exciting position, please reach out to us at connect@beaumontexec.com.au.
Beaumont People has been retained to recruit for this position on behalf of Exercise & Sports Science Australia . Please direct all enquiries to Jo Brown or Anannya Jain.
At Beaumont People, we believe a diverse workplace is a happy workplace, and we love working with organisations that feel the same way. We encourage applications from people of all different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from CALD backgrounds and people with disabilities. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital or parental status. Should you require a reasonable accommodation to be made for your application to be assessed we would be more than happy to discuss how that can be arranged.
