- Executive Contract | Full Time Fixed Term
- Salary: $204,000 (including vehicle allowance) + Superannuation
- Position Brief - Manager Events

Shape the events that bring the Gold Coast to life The City of Gold Coast is seeking an accomplished and collaborative leader to guide the planning, approval and delivery of a diverse city-wide events portfolio. As Manager Events, you will provide strategic and operational leadership across Council-led events, supported community events, venue and open-space bookings, and external event approvals, licensing and permitting.

This is a significant leadership opportunity for someone who understands the complete event lifecycle and can bring together delivery, customer service, safety, compliance, stakeholder engagement and continuous improvement.

Reporting to the General Manager City Activation, you will lead a multidisciplinary team of approximately 25 employees, with three direct reports. The team is responsible for event planning and delivery, venue and open-space bookings, and event-related approvals and permitting services.

About The Role

You will provide end-to-end oversight of events, from early planning and assessment through to approvals, operational delivery, compliance and evaluation.

Working across the organisation and with government agencies, the City’s funded entities, event organisers, businesses and community organisations, you will help deliver safe, welcoming and well-managed events that generate economic, community and placemaking benefits for the Gold Coast.

You will also act as the central executive liaison for event-related matters, including coordination with the Office of the CEO and Office of the Mayor.

Key Responsibilities In this role, you will:

- Provide strategic leadership across the City’s events, venue booking, event approval and permitting functions.
- Oversee the planning and successful delivery of Council-led events, community events, civic activities and public-facing programs.
- Lead streamlined, transparent and compliant assessment and approval pathways for events on public and private land.
- Drive the development and continuous improvement of event, booking, licensing and permitting policies, frameworks, processes and systems.
- Foster a strong culture of safety, wellbeing, care and respect across event operations
- Ensure services are delivered consistently and in accordance with legislation, local laws, Council policy, safety standards and regulatory requirements.




- Manage business unit resources and budgets to achieve strategic and operational outcomes.
- Provide expert advice to senior leaders, Council stakeholders and external partners on event strategy, delivery, compliance and approvals.
- Build productive relationships with government agencies, businesses, event companies, community organisations, contractors and consultants.
- Balance commercial, community, regulatory and operational considerations to achieve positive outcomes.
- Support the activation of key precincts and create benefits for local traders, residents, visitors and the broader community.
- Develop the capability of leaders and team members, promoting accountability, collaboration and high performance.
- Actively contribute to the leadership and strategic outcomes of the City Activation Branch.

About You You are an experienced events leader who can operate confidently in a complex, highly visible and community-focused environment. You bring sound judgement, strong business acumen and the ability to turn strategic priorities into coordinated programs and practical outcomes. You are comfortable navigating competing interests, regulatory obligations and operational pressures while maintaining a clear focus on safety, customer experience and community benefit.

You Will Demonstrate

- Substantial experience leading the planning and delivery of small and large-scale public events
- strong people leadership skills and experience developing capable, collaborative and accountable teams
- The ability to influence, negotiate and build trusted relationships with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
- Experience managing complex portfolios, budgets, resources, risks and competing priorities
- a strong understanding of governance, compliance and contemporary service-delivery practices
- The ability to provide clear, credible and considered advice to senior leaders and key stakeholders
- A commitment to continuous improvement and the delivery of consistent, customer-focused services




- The ability to lead strategically while remaining connected to operational delivery

Qualifications And Requirements

- A bachelor’s degree in business or equivalent, combined with relevant experience and knowledge in the management of small and large-scale public events, is required.
- An understanding of event-related local laws, approvals and permits is desirable but not mandatory.

Be part of shaping the Gold Coast’s future The Gold Coast is inspired by lifestyle and driven by prospect. We are the second largest Council in Australia.

Benefits

We care about being the most flexible government organisation in Australia. We have a range of benefits to help you create the right balance:

- Coaching and advice to develop your leadership competencies
- Mental health training
- Study allowance provisions
- 4 free confidential counselling sessions a year for you or an immediate family member
- Salary sacrifice provisions including vehicles on novated lease and superannuation

We pride ourselves on our shared mission of being a high-performing, customer-focused organisation which delivers value-for-money services to the community. How To Apply To submit your application, please click apply now and complete the application form. You will be required to upload your resume and a cover letter (no more than two pages) that demonstrates how your skills, experience and personal attributes align with the requirements of this role. In your application, please highlight your leadership capabilities, relevant achievements, and your vision for success in this position.

Contact Person Carly Barnes

Contact Email [email protected]

Closing Date Sunday 18th October @ 11:59pm AEDT

Our selection process may include a one-way video interview via Criteria, a face-to-face or virtual interview via Microsoft Teams, reference checks via Xref and additional checks including police checks, employment history checks, qualification checks, pre-employment medical reviews and drug and alcohol testing.

We’re committed to creating a diverse workplace and inclusive culture. We take pride in people who align with our high-performance principles. We believe that the diverse makeup of our workforce reflects the community we serve. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, experiences and identities, and encourage candidates to discuss any support or adjustments they may need throughout the recruitment process.

📌 Manager Events (City of Gold Coast)
🏢 City Of Gold Coast
📍 City of Gold Coast