Director Event Delivery & Activation

Destination NSW; Sydney; On-site; AUD 231,000 - 257,000; Full time

Job summary

Destination NSW is seeking a high-impact leader to serve as Director Event Delivery & Activation, based in Sydney. You will direct end-to-end delivery of flagship events like Vivid Sydney and Australia Day, driving visitor experiences, partnerships and commercial outcomes.

You will report to the Executive Director and oversee multidisciplinary teams across operations, production and activation while ensuring governance, risk, and budget considerations are met.

Qualifications

• Significant leadership experience delivering large-scale programs or events.
• Experience balancing strategy, commercial outcomes and governance in a government context.
• Proven ability to build and refine operating models and organisational structures.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of Destination NSW's owned events portfolio.
• Ensure events are delivered safely, efficiently and to high standards.
• Drive visitor, stakeholder and commercial outcomes while managing complex partnerships.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy execution

Stakeholder management

Governance & risk

Operating models

Job description

• Lead the teams behind NSW's most iconic events and help shape the experiences that inspire visitors, activate communities and drive the state's visitor economy.
• Public Service Senior Executive (PSSE) Band 1, TRP $230,952 - $256,646
• Ongoing opportunity based in Sydney, NSW Destination NSW is the lead agency, champion and voice for the visitor economy within the NSW Government.

Through world-class events, strategic partnerships and destination marketing, we help drive visitation, economic growth and vibrant communities across the state. We are seeking an outstanding leader to join Destination NSW as Director Event Delivery & Activation, responsible for leading the delivery of some of the state's most significant and high-profile events, including Vivid Sydney, Australia Day and future flagship event experiences.

About the role

Reporting to the Executive Director Event Strategy, Delivery & Activation, you will lead the end-to-end delivery of Destination NSW's owned events portfolio, ensuring events are delivered safely, efficiently and successfully while achieving strong visitor, stakeholder and commercial outcomes. You will work across government, tourism, events, cultural, venue and commercial sectors, bringing together diverse stakeholders to deliver complex, large-scale events that enhance NSW's reputation as Australia's premier events destination. In this role, you will provide executive leadership across Destination NSW's event operations, delivery and activation functions, leading multidisciplinary teams responsible for planning, production, operations and event readiness. Working across a diverse and complex portfolio, you will ensure events are delivered safely, efficiently and to the highest standard, while achieving strong commercial, financial and governance outcomes. Success in the role will rely on your ability to build and manage effective relationships across government, industry, sponsors, venues and delivery partners. You will continuously seek opportunities to enhance visitor experiences, strengthen operational performance and maximise event impact, while helping shape the future direction of Destination NSW's owned events portfolio through innovation, strategic thinking and continuous improvement.

About you

We're seeking a highly capable executive leader who combines deep experience in major events, tourism, destination management or large-scale program delivery with a strong understanding of how to operate successfully within government. You will have led complex, high-profile events, festivals, venues or visitor economy initiatives where you have been accountable for the overall performance of the business. You understand what it takes to balance strategic objectives, commercial outcomes, operational excellence, governance obligations and stakeholder expectations, while leading large multidisciplinary teams toward a common goal.

You’ll bring

• Significant leadership experience delivering large-scale events, festivals, tourism initiatives, venue operations or comparable complex programs
• Demonstrated accountability for strategy, commercial performance, revenue generation, budgets, governance and risk
• Experience building or refining operating models, organisational structures and ways of working to improve performance and delivery outcomes
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills and the ability to build trusted relationships across government, industry, sponsors, delivery partners and internal support functions
• Strong leadership experience integrating multiple teams and service providers around shared objectives and performance expectations
• The strategic mindset to balance immediate delivery requirements with longer-term organisational and portfolio goals

Working at the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport

At the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism, Hospitality and Sport we bring vibrancy to NSW by growing our creative industries and workforces, driving strong visitor and night-time economies, ensuring a responsible hospitality sector, and putting arts, culture and sport at the heart of our communities.

Together we

• create social and economic opportunities for the state
• support the creation of jobs across the creative, visitor and night-time economies
• prioritise First Nations artists, stories and culture
• ensure arts, culture and sport are at the heart of every community to be enjoyed and accessed by all
• drive visitation through events, campaigns and visitor experience development
• activate our night-time and creative economies to unlock unique precincts and community spaces
• deliver a vibrant and responsible hospitality, liquor, racing and gaming environment
• support NSW’s key Cultural Institutions to ensure access for all, enable community experiences and education and preserve the state’s diverse cultural assets and history

EEO Statement

At DCITHS, we welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds, including people with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, people identifying as LGBTIQ+, culturally and linguistically diverse people, carers and other diversity groups.

Reasonable adjustments

If you require an adjustment to be made during the recruitment process or have an enquiry about the support provided, please contact Lisa Smith, Executive Talent Acquisition Partner at [e-mail] or on 02 9228 5966. For more information on reasonable adjustments and types of alternate formats available through the recruitment process you can visit ‘Adjustments for Individual needs’ at I work for NSW.

Closing Date & Contact

Closing Date : 29 September 2026 [10.00AM] Please contact Lisa Smith, Executive Talent Partner by email: [e-mail] with any questions about the role or the recruitment process.