Description

MARI is a global events and experiences company powering world-defining live experiences. Our portfolio of premium live properties spans sports, art, and entertainment — including the Madrid and Miami Open tennis tournaments, Frieze (a leading voice in contemporary art), and Barrett-Jackson (the premium U.S. collector car auction company). MARI also includes TodayTix Group, the global e-commerce leader for cultural experiences, connecting millions of customers with the best in live entertainment.

MARI is reshaping the live events landscape — building a growing portfolio of category-defining events and brands that set the standard for what's next, across sports, entertainment, art, and lifestyle.
At MARI, you'll work alongside people who are passionate, curious, and driven — people who believe that live experiences have the power to shape culture, and who care about the work, the mission, and each other. We welcome outstanding applicants of all backgrounds and encourage everyone to apply.

About the Role:

We are seeking a strategic, hands-on Operations and Event Director to lead the end-to-end delivery of two of Australia's most iconic running events. The Nike Melbourne Marathon Festival, the country's largest marathon festival, draws tens of thousands of runners each October for a course that finishes with a lap of the MCG. The Great Ocean Road Running Festival is a two-day coastal event each May that takes runners along one of the world's most scenic roads, between Lorne and Apollo Bay. In this position, you will oversee a high-performing team responsible for developing, operating, and growing these events and MARI's broader commercial activities across Australia.

This role sits at the intersection of event leadership, operational excellence, commercial performance, and people management. You'll orchestrate the end-to-end delivery of complex, high-profile mass participation events, balancing exceptional event experiences with strong financial discipline and sustainable growth.





This is a full-time role and qualified candidates must be based in Melbourne or within a reasonable commuting distance.

What Success Looks Like:

- Delivering protected, high-quality, commercially successful events that consistently meet or exceed operational and financial targets.
- Building a strong, collaborative, and high-performing team that delivers against MARI's strategicobjectives.
- Developing trusted relationships with government, councils, commercial partners, suppliers, venues, media, and other key stakeholders.
- Identifyingand delivering new commercial opportunities, event assets, and revenue streams across the Australian portfolio.
- Establishing a culture of operational excellence, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
- Successfully balancing hands-on event leadership with longer-term strategic planning and portfolio growth.

Requirements

- Significant experienceleading and delivering complex events, ideally within sport, entertainment, or live experiences.
- Proven ability to develop,commercialise, and execute events in complex stakeholder environments.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen, with experience managing budgets and delivering against — or exceeding — profitability targets.
- Demonstrated experience developing new business opportunities, event assets, partnerships, or revenue streams.
- Strongpeopleleadership experience, including leading teams within a matrixedorganisation.
- Exceptional stakeholder management, communication, negotiation, and influencing skills.
- Strong project management, planning, and execution capabilities, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving environment.
- Creative and commercially minded approach toidentifyingnew opportunities andleveragingexisting IP and relationships.
- Ability to remain adaptable and solutions-oriented when navigating complex or rapidly changing situations.
- High levelof personal integrity, professionalism, and accountability.
- Qualifications orsignificant experiencein event or project management.
- Knowledgeof,experience in, or genuine interest in the running industry is desirable.

📌 Operations and Event Director, Action Sports (Australia)
🏢 Mari
📍 Australia