Football Federation Australia has appointed Gary Power to the role of National Elite Referees Instructor.
Power will work closely with National Referee Technical Director Mario van der Ende and he will be responsible for 'developing programs, systems and frameworks for the management and improvement of match officials for the Hyundai A-League, National Youth League and Westfield W-League'.
'The role will encompass talent identification, fitness training, appointment of match officials, education and training and mentoring'.
Power has recently been the Referees' Expert for the Qatar Football Association after previously working as the Director of Referees for the Asian Football Confederation.
FFA CEO Ben Buckley said the new role was extremely important for Australian football.
"Match officials are an essential ingredient of the game, and we're determined not only to improve the standard of refereeing within Australia but also to encourage more people to take up refereeing," said Buckley.
"This new role, along with the other complementary one for grassroots football, will play a leading role in developing the next generation of Australian referees.
"I hope that, with people the calibre and experience of Mario and Gary, we are sending a strong message to existing match officials, and those with an interest in it, that we are serious about what you do.
"Our objective is to improve the context in which referees operate, and to develop outstanding referees who can make a strong contribution nationally as well as internationally.
"We want to ensure that there are sufficient match officials to meet the game's growth, and that all referees have every opportunity to perform at the highest level possible."