Head of Fleet Operations – ANMM

Council of Australasian Museum Directors; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

The Council of Australasian Museum Directors in Sydney seeks a seasoned Head of Fleet Operations to lead the Museum's maritime fleet. You will oversee vessels, people and systems to ensure readiness, safety and heritage stewardship while delivering compelling visitor experiences.

In this senior role, you will translate strategy into practical delivery, uphold regulatory compliance, manage asset integrity and budget considerations, and build trusted relationships with regulators and partners.

Qualifications

• Executive-level leadership in complex maritime operations.
• Translate strategy into delivery and drive performance.
• Deep expertise in fleet operations, heritage assets and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead people, vessels and systems to enable maritime experiences.
• Ensure vessels are seaworthy, compliant and ready to support visitor experiences.
• Translate strategy into practical delivery and drive performance.
• Advise senior leadership and build relationships with regulators and partners.
• Balance activation with regulatory obligations and asset integrity.

Skills

Executive leadership

Strategic execution

Fleet operations

Regulatory compliance

Financial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Job description

Employment status

Full-time, Ongoing

Location

Sydney

Contact name

Contact email

The Head of Fleet Operations is a rare leadership opportunity for an accomplished maritime professional ready to take responsibility for one of the most distinctive operational fleets within an Australian cultural institution.

In this influential role, you will lead the people, vessels and systems that make the Museum’s maritime experiences possible. From operational readiness and maintenance to safety, compliance, and workforce capability, you will set the standard for how the fleet operates today while building the foundations for its future.

Your impact will be visible across the entire Museum. You will turn strategy into practical delivery, strengthen accountability and performance, and create a confident safety-first culture across a multidisciplinary workforce. You will ensure vessels are seaworthy, compliant, and ready to support unforgettable visitor experiences, public programs, heritage preservation and commercial opportunities.

Every day will call for sound judgement, decisive leadership, and the ability to navigate complexity. You will balance vessel activation with regulatory obligations, asset integrity, and heritage stewardship, while managing resources and priorities in a dynamic operational environment.

As a senior Museum leader, you will influence decisions well beyond Fleet. You will advise senior leadership, work closely with teams across the organisation and build trusted relationships with regulators, contractors, and maritime partners. Your leadership will drive innovation, continuous improvement and a fleet operation that is safer, stronger, and more sustainable.

If you are inspired by the opportunity to lead complex maritime operations, develop outstanding people and protect nationally significant vessels, this is your chance to make an enduring contribution to Australia’s maritime heritage.

The successful candidate will demonstrate their capacity against the following:

• Proven executive-level leadership in complex maritime operational environment, with the ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and deliver high-risk, asset-intensive operations safely and effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into delivery, driving operational execution, aligning resources, and embedding performance frameworks to achieve organisational outcomes.
• Deep expertise in fleet operations, heritage asset management, and regulatory compliance, with a strong understanding of maritime safety obligations and risk management frameworks.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including experience managing budgets, optimising resource allocation, and supporting revenue-generating and public engagement activities
• Highly developed stakeholder engagement and influencing capability, with the ability to build trusted relationships, provide expert advice to senior leadership, and navigate complex internal and external environments.