Senior Legal Counsel, Afc Women'S Asian Cup 2026 Loc Office

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 include:
Impact On & Off the Field: Challenge the way we think and do to seek ways to grow the impact football has, influence industry thought leaders. Inclusive & Diverse Football for all: Football is embedded in the nation's social fabric, follows the story of Australia, be accessible for all. A United Team: Bringing people together to unleash the power of football and to deliver the vision, we bring the team spirit to the game. Trust: Building trust across the whole football community, be trusted custodians of the game, act with integrity and objectivity. 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 arrangements Birthday Leave Study Leave Wellbeing & Lifestyle leave Paid Parental leave in addition to statutory government offering Volunteer leave Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Partner discounts Workplace Banking Program Social Activities such as 5-a-side futsal ABOUT THE ROLE The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has awarded Football Australia the right to host the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026, the premier women's national football competition in Asia (the Event).
A local organising committee (LOC) has been established by Football Australia to plan and deliver the Event.
The LOC's vision is to deliver a world-class event that celebrates Asia's rich football culture and leaves an enduring legacy for the game in Australia.
This prestigious event will bring together 12 nations in a tournament structured into three groups of four.
Following the resounding success of last year's FIFA Women's World Cup, Football Australia, the LOC, its stakeholders and partners are eager to create another tournament that celebrates women's football, delivering legacy outcomes for football and Australian society more broadly.
The LOC is seeking a highly experienced Senior Legal Counsel to provide dedicated legal support and services for the Event.
This position will be responsible for managing complex legal issues, including key commercial agreements, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
The ideal candidate will bring experience in sports law or event-related legal practice, providing critical legal advice and strategic guidance for the successful and compliant execution of this high-profile sporting event.
Please note that this role is Sydney based and is fixed term until 31 March 2026.
Duties & Responsibilities: Assist the Head of Legal & Compliance in providing legal advice to the LOC in relation to all aspects of the organisation of the event, including compliance, corporate governance, employment, intellectual property, ticketing, venue and general commercial matters. Draft and negotiate the LOC's contracts. Implement the LOC's contract management policy to ensure that there is discipline around the execution of contracts, the management of contracts (including the treatment of signed originals and monitoring of compliance) and the sign-off of contracts at the end of their term. Assist the Head of Legal & Compliance in managing and resolving the LOC's legal disputes with minimum impact to the operation of the LOC's business. Assist the Head of Legal & Compliance to support and advise the Board in fulfilling their duties and responsibilities and in relation to the activities of the LOC. Assist Head of Legal & Compliance in the development of a rights protection strategy that meets the LOC's obligations under the Organising Agreement with the AFC and addresses: the registration and protection of intellectual property rights. strategies and monitoring mechanisms to protect intellectual property rights and to safeguard against incidents of ambush marketing and counterfeit merchandise. strategies for dealing with infringements and reporting infringements. rights protection initiatives around venues during the event. Develop good relationships with the GM, Commercial and the GM, Venue and Event Operations and key staff within each of their teams to support brand awareness and education campaigns around appropriate brand usage. Liaise with external stakeholders including the AFC, governments, external legal advisors, the police, customs and the LOC's service providers, and provide rights protection training opportunities to those stakeholders (and to volunteers) where appropriate. Ensure the LOC is informed of new or proposed legislation relevant to the organisation of the event, and provide training to LOC employees as appropriate. Develop, maintain and improve all administrative processes to enhance the operation of the legal team, including document creation and management, coordination of meetings, maintenance of meeting records and filing. Assist in the preparation of policies, rules and regulations, as appropriate. ABOUT YOU Experience, Skills and Qualifications: Minimum 6 years' experience as a lawyer. Exposure to all areas of law, particularly contract, intellectual property, technology, employment, sponsorship, broadcast, media, litigation and general commercial matters. Proven experience in providing quality legal advice, drafting, negotiating and managing contracts. Proven experience in the management of multiple and concurrent small-scale contracts. Experience in protecting brands and/or intellectual property rights and in the sports industry preferred. Ability to manage multiple priorities and competing deadlines. Highly developed written and interpersonal skills. Team player and excellent communicator. Ability to think, plan and act strategically. Proven ability to use excellent judgment and analytical ability to make rational and sound decisions. Ability to be persuasive and relentless in reinforcing the best interests of the LOC. Ability to work to high ethical standards and provide quality service delivery to stakeholders and maintain a high degree of integrity. Strong attention to detail. Familiarity with IT and communication systems and platforms. Understanding of football. Additional Requirements: Full working rights in Australia. Working 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. Click APPLY NOW to submit your application, including a cover letter and current resume.
Application Closing Date: 24 November 2024 Football Australia are an equal opportunity employer committed to providing a safe working environment that embraces and values child safety, diversity, and inclusion.
Our values and behaviours support and encourage an environment that sees its people drive impact on and off the pitch, are trusting in each other, united to achieve and embrace an inclusive environment. We encourage applications from people who identify as female or non-binary, Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island people, people with disabilities and people with culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
If you require support or advice with your application, please contact us. In submitting an application, you agree to our collection statement.
To review, head to the following link: footballaustralia.com.au/jobs/collection-statement
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