Essendon premiership ruckman Steven Alessio returns to the club as football operations manager.

"After an extensive interview process, that included a number of high quality candidates, it became clear Steven was the perfect fit for the role," Essendon general manager of football operations Danny Corcoran said.

"We believe Steven's previous role with the AFL Players' Association gives him great insight into the industry."

Callum Twomey for AFL.com.au