Lead the Arts Institution into a New Era of Growth and Excellence.
About the Role
We are seeking a visionary Chief Executive Officer to drive our strategic direction, aligning operations with a revitalised 2025-2030 Strategic Plan. The ideal candidate will be responsible for leading the organisation's long-term growth, relevance, and adaptability to sector changes, as well as championing a culture of innovation and continuous improvement in arts training models, venue operations, wellbeing, and stakeholder engagement.
Main Responsibilities:
* Drive Strategic Leadership & Vision: Lead the institution's strategic direction, ensuring alignment with our revitalised 2025-2030 Strategic Plan, strengthen our identity as Melbourne's premier vocational arts training and performance hub, and champion a culture of innovation and continuous improvement.
* Be Accountable for Financial Sustainability & Revenue Growth: Develop and execute a robust philanthropic strategy, securing major gifts, grants, bequests, and corporate sponsorships, oversee financial sustainability, optimising revenue streams (school fees, venue hire, food & beverage, philanthropic investment) and cost, establish a donor engagement framework, fostering long-term relationships with individual and institutional funders, and lead capital fundraising campaigns.
* Engage Stakeholders Deeply: Prioritise student and staff wellbeing, embedding a supportive and thriving workplace culture, foster collaboration and unity across diverse teams and business units through effective leadership, build and maintain strong relationships and support with local, state, and federal government agencies, advocate for arts funding and policy, ensure we remain a priority in cultural investment, develop mutually beneficial strategic partnerships with councils, arts organisations, and industry bodies to enhance our impact, and represent us in government forums, arts advocacy groups, and funding negotiations.
* Advance Excellence in Arts & Education Leadership: Advance excellence in vocational performing arts education, ensuring compliant programs that remain industry relevant, develop strategic alliances with industry to enhance student career pathways, internships, and professional mentorship, position us as a welcoming, diverse performance venue, expanding hirer engagement, drive the thinking around audience strategies, leveraging brand, digital platforms, and stakeholder engagement to enhance reach, and oversee capital works projects, ensuring heritage preservation and modernisation of facilities.
Essential Experience & Skills:
* Proven Track Record: Proven executive leadership in not-for-profit, arts, or cultural organisations, strong experience leading and/or executing fundraising, philanthropy, and strategic donor engagement, strong financial acumen, with expertise in revenue optimisation, cost optimisation, and stakeholder-driven investment, expertise in vocational performing arts education and industry training standards, track record in stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and long-term partnerships, exceptional communication, governance, and organisational development skills, demonstrated ability to engage with government agencies, secure funding, and influence policy, and demonstrated experience reporting to and working effectively with a Board of Directors.