GRAHAM Wright has been named the new head of football at Hawthorn as part of changes to the senior management structure at the club.

He will now oversee all aspects of the club's football operations, including the playing list, contracts and salary cap, having been at the Hawks for 11 years as a recruiting manager and since 2011, as list manager.

Jason Burt, who spent 16 months as general manager of football at the Hawks after the departure of Chris Fagan to coach the Brisbane Lions, moves to a new position as general manager of people, culture and integrity.

Shoring up Wright's commitment is a key appointment for the Hawks, given the key role he played in the putting together the team that won three straight premierships between 2013 and 2015.

Carlton and Gold Coast are two clubs that have chased his services, while there is the romantic link to Collingwood, where he played 201 games on the wing including the 1990 premiership.

In announcing the changes, Hawthorn chief executive Justin Reeves said it was a logical move to elevate Wright.

"Graham has been an influential member of Hawthorn's football department for some time," he said.

"This is an opportunity for Graham to progress his career at Hawthorn, but equally an exciting time for the club to be able to appoint someone with Graham's knowledge.

"We look forward to Graham leading our football department as we continue the hunt for our next piece of silverware."

Mark McKenzie, formerly Hawthorn's recruiting and special projects manager, is now the national recruiting manager.

Hawk president Jeff Kennett said the new role for Burt fits with the club's mission statement.

"When developing the club's new vision, it became apparent that we needed to place a greater emphasis on our people and to have an executive lead responsible for this," Kennett said.

"Jason has been with the club for 12 years and his extensive experience, passion and knowledge of the development and culture of our staff combined with his teaching background makes him the perfect candidate to lead this area."