Executive Director

Beaumont People; Blue Mountains City; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Varuna, The National Writers' House, Australia’s leading organisation for writers, seeks an Executive Director to provide strategic and operational leadership during a pivotal growth phase.

Reporting to the Board, you will shape strategy, drive financial sustainability, strengthen fundraising and partnerships, and guide Varuna’s national profile with the staff team. Applications close 5 PM, 28 October 2026.

Qualifications

• Experience in organisational leadership and stakeholder engagement.
• Financial stewardship and fundraising experience.
• Ability to work with Boards, funders and communities.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to Varuna during a growth phase.
• Drive financial sustainability and strengthen partnerships and fundraising.
• Guide Varuna's national profile in collaboration with the Board, Creative Director and staff.

Job description

Varuna, The National Writers' House is Australia's leading organisation dedicated to the development of writers and writing. For more than three decades, Varuna has supported Australian writers through prestigious residencies, professional development programs, fellowships and creative opportunities that have helped shape the nation's literary landscape.

Varuna is also the proud presenter of the Blue Mountains Writers' Festival, one of Australia's most vibrant and inclusive literary festivals, alongside a growing year-round public program that connects writers and audiences through ideas, storytelling and creativity.

With a strong reputation, expanding national profile, growing philanthropic relationships and significant recent investment in facilities and programs, Varuna is entering an exciting new phase of its evolution.

The Role

Reporting to the Chair and Board, the Executive Director will provide strategic and operational leadership to ensure Varuna remains sustainable, influential and well positioned for its next chapter.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Australia's most respected literary institutions at a pivotal moment of growth, succession and strategic opportunity. Building on a decade of stable leadership, you will guide organisational strategy, drive financial sustainability, strengthen fundraising and partnerships, and support the continued growth of Varuna's national profile and impact. Working closely with the Board, Creative Director and staff team, you will help define the organisation's future while honouring the values and purpose that sit at its heart.

The Candidate Profile

Varuna is seeking a collaborative, values-led leader who is excited by the opportunity to steward a nationally significant cultural institution through its next chapter of growth and evolution.

You may already be leading an organisation, division or significant portfolio, or be ready to step into your first Executive Director role. What matters most is your ability to build strong relationships, inspire confidence, navigate complexity and bring people together around a shared purpose.

You will bring experience in organisational leadership, stakeholder engagement and financial stewardship, together with the ability to work effectively with Boards, funders, partners and communities. Exposure to fundraising, philanthropy, partnerships or revenue generation will be highly regarded.

While experience in literature, publishing, arts or culture would be advantageous, we welcome candidates from adjacent sectors who bring a genuine appreciation for creativity, storytelling and the important role cultural institutions play in Australian life.

Most importantly, you will be motivated by the opportunity to help shape Varuna's future while preserving the culture of care, generosity and artistic excellence that has made the organisation so highly regarded within Australia's literary community.

Applications close 5 PM, 28 October 2026.

At Beaumont People, we believe a diverse workplace is a happy workplace, and we love working with organisations that feel the same way. We encourage applications from people of all different backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people from CALD backgrounds and people with disabilities or barriers to employment. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or marital or parental status. Should you require a reasonable accommodation to be made for your application to be assessed we would be more than happy to discuss how that can be arranged.

Beaumont People has been engaged to conduct the search and appointment of the Executive Director for Varuna. All applications will be managed through Beaumont People.