Introduction
The Manager, High Performance at the NSW Institute of Sport leads a portfolio of sport partnerships and programs, working with National Sporting Organisations and other key partners. The role involves negotiating and reviewing partnership agreements, guiding multidisciplinary teams and supporting environments where athletes can perform well. It is a specialist sport leadership position for applicants with substantial experience developing elite athletes, coaches and programs.
A clear plan for how to apply for Manager, High Performance starts with the strict one-page cover letter limit. You also need a current CV and a response to one pre-screening question of up to 600 words. Select evidence of your leadership and program outcomes before deciding which achievements deserve space in each document.
The context matters here: NSWIS is part of a national high performance system and places importance on athlete safeguarding and sport integrity. Your examples should connect performance ambitions with the quality of the environment you created. Show how partnerships, coaching and support disciplines worked together, and explain the decisions you made when resources or priorities competed.
View the official Manager, High Performance job ad.
Role snapshot
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Role | Manager, High Performance |
| Agency | NSW Institute of Sport |
| Location | Sydney region; NSWIS Olympic and Paralympic training facility at Sydney Olympic Park |
| Salary and classification | From $159,498 plus superannuation |
| Employment | Full-time contract to 31 December 2028 |
| Closing date | 18 October 2026, 11:59pm |
| Official job ad | View the official Manager, High Performance job ad |
| Role description | Read the role description |
Application requirements
Prepare the following written components. Use the cover letter to establish your fit with the requirements and focus capabilities, then use the CV and pre-screening response to provide supporting detail.
- Cover letter, maximum 1 page
- Current CV outlining experience, qualifications and achievements
- Response to 1 pre-screening question in the application, maximum 600 words
The pre-screening question is presented in the recruitment application. Read its exact wording before choosing your response; the public instructions do not reproduce it. Include at least two referees in your CV as requested.
Essential role requirements
The role requires relevant degree or coaching qualifications, a valid driver’s licence and a Working with Children Check. The listed training includes Sport Integrity Australia Anti-doping Fundamentals, the Anti-doping Annual Update and Play by the Rules Child Protection and Safeguarding. Check that your records are current and be ready for the organisation’s screening process for work involving children. The full-time contract runs to 31 December 2028.
Candidate evidence to highlight
These application recommendations reflect the elite sport work described for the role. Check the linked job description for the formal focus capabilities and use your own examples to substantiate the following areas.
| Requirement or evidence area | How to demonstrate it |
|---|---|
| Elite athlete and coach development | Demonstrate at least seven years of relevant experience through the CV and select a program showing your understanding of the demands on elite athletes and coaches. |
| Partnership and staff leadership | Explain how you negotiated shared objectives, maintained NSO relationships and developed staff through delivery challenges. |
| High performance culture and multidisciplinary teams | Show how coaching, performance support and other disciplines worked together around athletes, with clear accountability and safeguarding. |
| Resources and performance planning | Describe financial allocation, program systems, success measures and the adjustments you made after reviewing progress. |
Example application structure for Manager, High Performance
Give the one-page letter a clear leadership argument and reserve detailed supporting history for the CV. The letter is capped at one page and the pre-screening answer at 600 words. The structure below keeps both tasks connected without inventing the question you will receive in the application.
| Application section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Opening | State your relevant elite sport leadership experience and the portfolio or programs that best demonstrate readiness for this role. |
| Partnerships and people | Use a concise example of aligning sport partners, coaches and staff around a shared performance objective. |
| Performance, culture and resources | Explain your contribution to a result and how resource choices and a safe, effective team environment supported it. |
| Qualifications and close | Briefly confirm the relevant qualifications and required conditions, then connect your interest to NSWIS and athlete development. |
| Pre-screening response | Read the actual question, select one suitable example and answer every part within 600 words. Keep this distinct from the one-page letter. |
What the panel will want to see in your examples
- Your personal contribution to a sport program or partnership.
- The demands faced by athletes and coaches in that setting.
- How you managed staff, specialists and partner expectations.
- Evidence of performance progress alongside integrity and safeguarding.
A useful leadership example could concern a sport program where coaching, performance support and the national partner disagreed about priorities. Explain the performance evidence you considered, the agreement you negotiated and the resources you committed. Describe how responsibilities were made clear and reviewed. Use outcomes you can verify, such as athlete progression, program milestones or partner delivery, and explain the limits of your own contribution.
Before you submit
Check the one-page letter in its final file format and confirm that the CV contains the requested referees. Allow time to open the application and answer the pre-screening question properly. Applications close at 11:59pm on 18 October 2026. Review the selection criteria and focus capabilities in the job description before submitting.
View the official Manager, High Performance job ad.
Help with your Manager, High Performance application
Team 3Thirty can help you organise your sport leadership evidence and keep the application within its limits. Use the NSW cover letter template as a planning resource or request application support once you have the pre-screening question.