Events Director

Future Forward Australia

About Future Forward Australia

Future Forward Australia is a youth-led, non-partisan not-for-profit building a community of young Australians who care about the country’s future.

At its heart, FFA is a social club with purpose .

We create opportunities for young Australians to meet people they would not otherwise meet, build friendships and professional networks, exchange ideas, and engage with the issues that will shape Australia over the coming decades.

We believe civic engagement should not feel remote, institutional or inaccessible. It should happen over dinner, at a panel, around a table, at a drinks night, during a debate, or in conversation with someone whose perspective challenges your own.

Through events, digital content, advocacy and youth engagement, FFA brings young Australians together around five core pillars: Climate Change, Economic Prosperity, Education, Health, and Equity & Inclusion .

Our goal is to build a community that is informed, optimistic, ambitious and willing to contribute to a better future for Australia.

About the Role The Events Director is a member of Future Forward Australia’s leadership team and is responsible for shaping one of the most important parts of the organisation: the experiences that bring our community together.

The role goes beyond organising events.

The Events Director will help build the culture, energy and social fabric of FFA by creating experiences that people genuinely want to attend — whether that is a major speaker event, an intimate roundtable, a policy dinner, a social gathering, a debate, a networking night or something we have not thought of yet.

The objective is simple: create opportunities for young Australians who care about the future of the country to meet one another and have conversations that matter.

The Events Director will own FFA’s national events strategy and oversee events from initial idea through to delivery. They will work closely with the CEO, co-founders and other functional directors to ensure our events are engaging, distinctive and aligned with FFA’s broader mission.

This is a role for someone who loves bringing people together, has strong instincts about what makes an event memorable, and is comfortable turning an idea into reality.

Key ResponsibilitiesBuild FFA’s Events Strategy

- Develop and own FFA’s annual events strategy and calendar.
- Help define what an FFA event should feel like and build a distinctive events identity for the organisation.
- Develop a mix of formats that combine substantive discussion with genuine opportunities to socialise and build relationships.
- Identify new event concepts that make public policy, national issues and civic participation more engaging and accessible.
- Ensure FFA’s five pillars are reflected across the events program.

Create a Community People Want to Be Part Of
- Design events that make it easy for people to meet, talk and form genuine connections.
- Build recurring formats that encourage people to return and become part of the FFA community.
- Create opportunities for attendees to engage with people outside their usual social, professional or political circles.
- Ensure events feel welcoming and accessible to people who may not already be involved in politics, policy or advocacy.




- Think creatively about how FFA can combine social experiences with meaningful conversations about Australia’s future.

Develop Great Events

FFA’s events may include

- Major speaker events and public forums.
- Policy panels and debates.
- Roundtables with young people, experts and decision-makers.
- Networking evenings and social events.
- Dinners and informal conversations with interesting Australians.
- Election, Budget or major national-event gatherings.
- Events delivered in partnership with universities, businesses, community organisations and other youth groups.
- Flagship national events bringing together young Australians from across the country.

The Events Director will have significant freedom to experiment with new formats and build the types of events they believe will resonate with FFA’s audience. Deliver Events End-to-End
- Take events from concept through to execution.
- Develop event plans, timelines, budgets, run sheets and risk management processes.
- Coordinate venues, catering, ticketing, audiovisual requirements and suppliers.
- Manage registrations and attendee experience.
- Coordinate speakers, moderators and contributors.
- Lead event-day delivery and troubleshoot issues as they arise.
- Establish systems and templates that allow FFA to deliver events efficiently as the organisation grows.

Attract Interesting People
- Identify and invite compelling speakers, guests and contributors.
- Build relationships with leaders across business, government, academia, media, civil society and the community.
- Find people with interesting ideas and perspectives who can contribute meaningfully to FFA conversations.
- Ensure events feature a diversity of backgrounds, professions, experiences and viewpoints.
- Create opportunities for young Australians themselves to speak, facilitate and contribute.

Grow FFA’s Community
- Work closely with the Communications and Digital teams to promote events and grow attendance.
- Develop strategies for converting first-time attendees into ongoing members of the FFA community.
- Expand FFA’s reach beyond traditional policy, political and professional networks.
- Build relationships with universities, young professional networks, community groups and other organisations.
- Use events as a vehicle for growing FFA’s presence nationally.

Partnerships and Collaboration
- Work closely with the Partnerships Director to identify sponsorship, venue and in-kind partnership opportunities.
- Help develop events that create genuine value for FFA’s corporate and community partners without compromising the organisation’s independence.
- Collaborate with FFA’s advocacy, content and leadership teams to ensure events support broader organisational priorities.

Lead the Events Team
- Recruit and lead volunteers supporting FFA’s events program.
- Build a strong and enjoyable team culture.
- Delegate responsibility and give team members meaningful ownership over events.
- Mentor younger volunteers and provide opportunities to develop skills in project management, stakeholder engagement and event delivery.





Measure and Improve
- Track attendance, repeat attendance, audience feedback and broader engagement.
- Conduct post-event reviews and continuously improve FFA’s events.
- Identify which formats work best and scale successful concepts.
- Report to the leadership team on upcoming events, priorities, opportunities and risks.

As a Member of the Leadership Team The Events Director will also contribute to the broader direction and growth of Future Forward Australia.

This includes

- Participating in leadership meetings and organisational planning.
- Helping shape FFA’s strategy, culture and priorities.
- Identifying opportunities for collaboration across different areas of the organisation.
- Representing FFA externally where appropriate.
- Supporting the development of FFA as a sustainable national organisation.

We expect our Directors to think beyond their individual portfolio and contribute to building FFA as a whole. Who We Are Looking For

We are looking for someone who is social, organised and ambitious.

You might be someone who instinctively enjoys bringing groups of people together, introducing people who should know one another, or coming up with ideas for events that people genuinely want to attend.

The ideal candidate will have:

- Excellent organisational and project management skills.
- Strong interpersonal skills and confidence meeting new people.
- A good instinct for what makes an event enjoyable, engaging and memorable.
- The ability to take an idea and make it happen.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Confidence engaging with senior speakers, partners and stakeholders.
- The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- A collaborative leadership style.
- Curiosity about the issues shaping Australia’s future.
- A genuine interest in building communities and connecting people.

Experience organising events, university societies, professional networks, conferences, festivals, community organisations or similar activities would be valuable, but is not essential. We care more about initiative, judgement, energy and the ability to execute.

Commitment

This is a volunteer leadership position .

The expected commitment is approximately 2-5 hours , with additional availability required around major events.

The role is primarily flexible and can largely be performed remotely, although attendance at FFA events and occasional in-person leadership meetings will be required.

As FFA grows and secures sustainable funding, there may be an opportunity for a stipend or other remuneration to be introduced in the future , although this is not guaranteed.

Why Join Future Forward Australia?

There are plenty of places to talk about the problems facing Australia.

We want to build a place where people meet the people they might solve them with.

FFA brings together young Australians who are curious about the world, care about the country they will inherit and want to be part of shaping what comes next.

As Events Director, you will have the prospect to build the experiences that make that community real.

You will have significant freedom to experiment, create new traditions, bring interesting people together and help shape the culture of a growing national organisation.

If you believe the best conversations often happen after the panel ends, this is probably the role for you.

📌 Events Director (Australia)
🏢 Future Forward Australia
📍 Australia