General manager

NatRoad (National Road Transport Association)

Canberra, ACT | Permanent Full-Time | Reports to CEO

About the Opportunity

NatRoad is looking for a General Manager who knows how to lead people effectively and deliver business critical functions. The role is hands‐on, highly visible and sits at the operational heart of Australia's peak road transport body. It is a great role for someone who takes genuine pride in making organisations work.

You will report directly to the CEO and have accountability for four direct reports across the full range of corporate services including human resources, operational planning, membership, marketing, procurement, information technology, and sponsorship. You will be the person who ensures NatRoad's commitments are met, its people are supported, its partners are retained, and its internal operations are consistently aligned with its external reputation.

This is a role for someone who is organised without being rigid, strategic without losing sight of the day‐to‐day, and commercially sharp without being transactional about relationships. If you have spent your career building things that work and stand the test of time, come and join us.

About NatRoad

NatRoad has been in the corner of Australian road transport operators since 1948. We are the country's largest road freight transport association, and are entirely independent, funded through membership fees and business partnerships rather than government grants or political affiliations. Our board is made up of people who run transport businesses. Our members range from owner‐drivers running a single truck to major fleet operators managing hundreds of vehicles.

What that means in practice is that we operate in a high‐trust, high‐accountability environment. Our members expect us to advocate credibly, deliver consistently, and handle ourselves with integrity. The General Manager plays a central role in making sure we do all three.

We are a lean, purposeful organisation. We do not carry unnecessary complexity and what we say is what we do.

Our Values

• Integrity in everything they do, particularly when it is difficult or inconvenient.
• Dedication to the work and to the people they are responsible for.
• Reliability in following through on commitments, large and small.
• Empathy in dealing with colleagues, members, partners, and external stakeholders, recognising that the people we serve are running businesses under real pressure.
• Innovation in thinking about problems and being willing to try things differently when the current approach is not delivering.
• Results focus because good intentions are not enough. We exist to make a difference for the road transport industry, and that requires us to measure what matters and hold ourselves accountable for outcomes.

What You Will Be Responsible For

People and Culture

The General Manager owns the HR function. Leading recruitment and onboarding with genuine care for candidate experience and role fit, not just getting a warm body in a seat. It means managing performance in a way that is honest, timely, and fair, including difficult conversations when they are needed. It means maintaining employment contracts, policies, and documentation that are current, compliant, and used, not filed away and forgotten.

You will oversee workforce planning, career pathways, and succession planning, ensuring NatRoad has the capability it needs not just today but, in the years ahead. You will keep the organisation compliant with relevant workplace legislation, and you will be the person the CEO turns to when people issues need to be managed well.

You will establish clear performance expectations for each direct report, conduct regular one‐on‐ones and formal reviews, and maintain a consistent cadence of team reporting that gives you early visibility of what is on track and what is not.

This is not a transactional HR function. NatRoad is a small team, and the General Manager is expected to know the people, understand what motivates them, and create the conditions where high performance is possible.

Operations and Delivery

You will lead the development and execution of NatRoad's operational plans, translating strategic priorities into practical, resourced, and time‐bound plans that the team can deliver against. You will oversee projects that drive strategic outcomes, with accountability for scope, budget, timelines, and risk. You will be expected to spot problems early, escalate when necessary, and resolve issues before they become crises.

This includes accountability for NatRoad's technology environment, ensuring the organisation has fit‐for‐purpose systems and tools, that IT vendors and service providers are managed effectively, and that the team's digital capability keeps pace with operational needs. You do not need to be a technologist, but you do need to take IT seriously as an enabler of everything else the organisation does.

This requires both the discipline to put proper planning and governance frameworks in place, and the flexibility to adapt when circumstances change, which in an industry‐facing advocacy organisation they frequently do. You will need to be comfortable managing multiple workstreams at once without dropping balls, and you will need to be the kind of leader who gives their team clarity about priorities and enables them to run with activities, providing guidance where necessary.

Procurement and Risk Management

You will oversee procurement from end to end, including supplier selection, due diligence, contract negotiation, ongoing performance management, and exit where required. NatRoad is a responsible steward of member funds, which means procurement decisions need to be made with both value and governance in mind.

You will also carry accountability for NatRoad's risk management and business continuity frameworks, identifying risks proactively and ensuring the organisation has appropriate controls and contingency arrangements in place. This is not about creating bureaucracy. It is about protecting the organisation's ability to keep operating and keep delivering for members.

Partnerships, Sponsorship, and External Engagement

NatRoad's commercial relationships with partners and sponsors are significant assets that need active management. You will oversee the marketing lifecycle of these arrangements, from onboarding through to delivery of commitments and value reporting. You will ensure partners feel valued and know what they are getting from the relationship, and you will hold NatRoad accountable for delivering what it promises.

You will also play an active role in identifying and securing new sponsorship opportunities, particularly around events, that align with NatRoad's advocacy priorities and growth objectives. This requires commercial instinct, relationship skills, and the ability to represent NatRoad credibly in external forums.

More broadly, you will represent NatRoad at external meetings, events, and industry forums. You will build and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders, partners, and alliances, and you will ensure NatRoad's identity and values are consistently represented in everything it does externally.

Membership Operations and Marketing

The General Manager has oversight of membership operations and marketing, ensuring alignment between how NatRoad presents itself, what it promises members, and what it delivers. You will work closely with the team to ensure member engagement is managed with the same rigour and care that the organisation applies to external stakeholders.

You will maintain a coordinated approach to partner and member engagement, ensuring consistency in communication, reporting, and lead generation, all aligned with member growth targets. You will also support delivery of key Association projects as required, working across functional boundaries to get things done.

What We Are Looking For

Experience and Qualifications

You will bring at least ten years of senior leadership experience, ideally across strategy, corporate services, or operations in a complex stakeholder environment. You do not need to have worked in road transport or an industry association, although familiarity with the sector would be an advantage. What matters more is whether you have the leadership depth, commercial acumen, and operational discipline that this role demands.

• A track record of leading and developing people in a direct, hands‐on way, not just managing through structure or process.
• Demonstrated experience in procurement and contract management, including commercial negotiation and supplier performance oversight.
• Solid grounding in employment law and HR best practice, including experience managing sensitive and complex people matters.
• Project management or strategic planning experience with evidence of successful delivery against defined outcomes and timelines.
• Strong capability in stakeholder engagement and external relationship management, including at the executive and board level.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce high‐quality correspondence, reports, and briefings with minimal rework.
• Sound planning and organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities calmly and effectively.
• High standards of accuracy and attention to detail across all aspects of the work.
• A mature approach to confidentiality and discretion, including in relation to sensitive commercial, personnel, and organisational matters.
• Proficiency in IT and digital environments with confidence using Microsoft Office Suite of tools to support team productivity.
• A university degree in business, law, or a related field.

The Kind of Person You Are

Beyond the technical requirements, we are looking for someone with the right orientation for this kind of role.

You are comfortable with accountability. You do not deflect when things go wrong, and you do not wait to be asked to fix them. You have a natural bias for action combined with enough judgement to know when to slow down and think before you move.

You are a strong communicator who adjusts your style to your audience. You can write a governance report and then turn around and have a frank conversation with a team member about their performance without missing a beat.

You build trust with people because you do what you say you will do.

You have a genuine interest in the road transport industry and in the people who work in it. You do not need to be a trucking expert on day one, but you need to care about the sector and the role it plays in the Australian economy, because that is what NatRoad cares about.

You are resilient and calm under pressure. Advocacy organisations operate in an environment where external events can quickly shift priorities and demand rapid response. You handle that kind of volatility without it destabilising either you or the team around you.

Why NatRoad

There are not many roles where you can walk into work knowing that what you do directly affects the livelihoods of tens of thousands of Australian transport operators, from the owner‐driver running a single truck between Melbourne and Sydney to the fleet manager overseeing hundreds of vehicles across the country. NatRoad sits at that intersection, and the General Manager is one of the people who helps make it work.

This is a role with genuine scope, genuine accountability, and genuine relationships. You will work directly with a CEO who is engaged in both the strategic and operational dimensions of the organisation. You will have a team that is capable and committed. And you will be part of an organisation with a clear sense of purpose and a long history of showing up for its members when it matters.

NatRoad is headquartered in Canberra, and this role is based at our head office. We offer a competitive remuneration package commensurate with the seniority and scope of the position.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and a cover letter that speaks directly to your experience against the key responsibilities and attributes described above. Generic applications are unlikely to progress. We want to understand specifically how your background equips you for this role and why NatRoad interests you.

Applications are assessed on a rolling basis. We encourage you to apply as soon as you are ready rather than waiting until the closing date.

For a confidential discussion about the role, please contact NatRoad directly.

Applications must be submitted by 5.00 pm on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, either online via Seek or by emailing ce@natroad.com.au.