Whether you're passionate about health and fitness, team sports, or outdoor adventure, this industry offers fun, active, and rewarding career paths. It’s a great fit for those who enjoy working with people, promoting wellbeing, and helping others stay active and connected.

Sport & Recreation as a Regional Employment Sector

Sport and recreation is a high‑participation, community‑driven industry in the Frankston–Mornington Peninsula region. The area hosts hundreds of sporting clubs, aquatic centres, gyms, schools, outdoor recreation providers, and local government facilities, creating diverse employment opportunities across casual, part‑time, full‑time, and contract roles.

Local councils (Frankston City Council and Mornington Peninsula Shire), council‑owned operators such as Peninsula Leisure, schools, and private operators are the largest employers in this sector. [peninsulal...ure.com.au], [careers.pa...people.com]

Community Sport & Club‑Based Roles

These roles support grassroots sport and club sustainability across football, netball, basketball, cricket, soccer, gymnastics, and emerging sports.

Common roles include:

• Sports coach (junior, senior, school‑based)

• Club development officer

• Sports administrator

• Volunteer coordinator

• Competition and fixture officer

These roles are widely offered through local clubs, schools, and council‑supported programs, often on casual or seasonal contracts. [careers.pa...people.com]

Fitness, Health & Aquatic Employment

This is one of the largest employment streams in the region due to major facilities such as:

• Peninsula Aquatic Recreation Centre (PARC)

• YAWA Aquatic Centre (Rosebud)

• Local gyms, studios, and health clubs

Key roles include:

• Lifeguards

• Swim teachers

• Gym instructors

• Personal trainers

• Group fitness instructors

• Duty and facility managers

Peninsula Leisure alone employs a large, flexible workforce covering aquatics, fitness, customer service, and facility operations. [peninsulal...ure.com.au]

Council & Public Sector Recreation Roles

Local government plays a major role in sport and recreation delivery, planning, and infrastructure.

Typical positions include:

• Recreation Development Officer

• Sports and recreation planner

• Facilities and contract manager

• Community strengthening officer

• Inclusion and participation officer

These roles focus on club support, facility planning, participation growth, and community wellbeing, and usually require formal qualifications in sport, recreation, or community development. [careers.pa...people.com]

Outdoor & Nature‑Based Recreation

The Peninsula’s coastline, parks, and trails support growing employment in outdoor recreation and adventure tourism.

Examples include:

• Surf instructors and lifeguards

• Outdoor education instructors

• Ranger and park activity staff

• Eco‑tour and recreation guides

These roles are often seasonal and linked to tourism and school programs, particularly around coastal and national park areas.

Sport, Recreation & Education Pathways

Many schools across the region employ sport professionals directly or contractually.

Roles include:

• School sports coordinators

• PE teachers (with education qualifications)

• Casual school sports coaches

• Strength and conditioning assistants

Events, Tourism & Sport Business

Beyond direct delivery, the sector includes commercial and operational roles.

Employment types include:

• Event operations staff

• Sports venue customer service

• Golf course operations

• Sport retail and sales roles

• Membership and program administration

These roles link sport, recreation, and tourism—an important economic driver for the Peninsula region. [au.jora.com], [au.indeed.com]

Employment Characteristics in the Region

• High availability of entry‑level and casual roles, especially for young people

• Strong demand for qualified staff (Cert III/IV Fitness, Lifeguard, Coaching Accreditation)

• Clear pathways from volunteering → paid work → management

• Growth aligned with population increase, wellbeing initiatives, and active‑living strategies

These roles are widely offered through local clubs, schools, and council‑supported programs, often on casual or seasonal contracts. [careers.pa...people.com]

Yawa Aquatic Centre - Rosebud