Manager, Executive Office

Opera Australia; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Diversity & inclusion

Generous leave provisions

Employee Assistance Program

Private health insurance discount

Salary packaging via SmartSalary

Swag Rewards discounts

Complimentary tickets

Job summary

Opera Australia (OA) is Australia’s national opera company, delivering over 500 performances annually. This senior role sits in the Executive Office, driving governance, priorities and cross‑company projects.

You will manage executive meetings, briefs and reporting while supporting timely delivery and accountability across the organisation. You will lead a small team, partner with the CEO and Director, and coordinate government relations where needed, ensuring strategic priorities are translated

Qualifications

• Significant experience supporting senior executives in an Executive Assistant, Executive Operations, Chief of Staff or similar role.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating executive priorities, governance processes, decision-making and organisational workflows.
• Strong project and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive progress and accountability across multiple teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups without direct authority.
• Strong organisational judgement, with the ability to identify priorities, anticipate issues and drive practical solutions.
• Exceptional written communication skills and experience preparing executive-level briefings, reports, presentations and meeting papers.
• Proven experience coordinating executive or leadership meetings and ensuring actions and strategic priorities are followed through.
• Strong judgement and the ability to remain calm, responsive and solutions-focused under pressure.
• A high level of discretion, professionalism and emotional intelligence when managing confidential and sensitive matters.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring executive support staff.

Responsibilities

• Leading the day-to-day operations, workflow and forward planning of the Executive Office.
• Coordinating the priorities of the CEO and Director of Opera and ensuring focus is maintained across key strategic and operational matters.
• Managing Executive Team meetings, including agendas, briefing papers, presentations, action registers and follow-up.
• Tracking executive decisions, commitments and actions to support accountability and timely delivery.
• Coordinating selected strategic initiatives and cross-company projects, supporting planning, implementation and delivery while proactively managing milestones, risks and interdependencies.
• Preparing high-quality executive briefings, reports, correspondence, presentations and meeting papers.
• Supporting executive communications, stakeholder engagement and government relations activities.
• Building strong relationships across the organisation to facilitate effective collaboration and communication.
• Leading the Executive Office team fostering a collaborative, service-focused Executive Office.

Skills

Executive support

Stakeholder management

Project coordination

Communication

Job description

About the role

This pivotal role sits at the heart of Opera Australia’s Executive Office, helping to drive executive priorities, governance and strategic initiatives across the organisation. Working closely with the Executive Team, you will play a key role in supporting effective decision-making, driving follow-through on organisational priorities and ensuring critical initiatives continue to progress.

You will help ensure executive decisions are translated into action, support accountability across key priorities and contribute to a highly effective Executive Office that enables collaboration, communication and organisational alignment.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Leading the day-to-day operations, workflow and forward planning of the Executive Office.
• Coordinating the priorities of the CEO and Director of Opera and ensuring focus is maintained across key strategic and operational matters.
• Managing Executive Team meetings, including agendas, briefing papers, presentations, action registers and follow-up.
• Tracking executive decisions, commitments and actions to support accountability and timely delivery.
• Coordinating selected strategic initiatives and cross-company projects,
• supporting planning, implementation and delivery while proactively managing milestones, risks and interdependencies.
• Preparing high-quality executive briefings, reports, correspondence, presentations and meeting papers.
• Supporting executive communications, stakeholder engagement and government relations activities.
• Building strong relationships across the organisation to facilitate effective collaboration and communication.
• Leading the Executive Office team fostering a collaborative, service-focused Executive Office.

What you’ll bring

You are a highly organised, adaptable and proactive professional who is comfortable operating in a fast-paced executive environment and managing multiple competing priorities. You bring strong judgement, exceptional communication skills and a demonstrated ability to build momentum and accountability across complex organisations.

You will bring:

• Significant experience supporting senior executives in an Executive Assistant, Executive Operations, Chief of Staff or similar role.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating executive priorities, governance processes, decision-making and organisational workflows.
• Strong project and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to drive progress and accountability across multiple teams.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes and build alignment across diverse stakeholder groups without direct authority.
• Strong organisational judgement, with the ability to identify priorities, anticipate issues and drive practical solutions.
• Exceptional written communication skills and experience preparing executive-level briefings, reports, presentations and meeting papers.
• Proven experience coordinating executive or leadership meetings and ensuring actions and strategic priorities are followed through.
• Strong judgement and the ability to remain calm, responsive and solutions-focused under pressure.
• A high level of discretion, professionalism and emotional intelligence when managing confidential and sensitive matters.
• Experience leading, supervising or mentoring executive support staff.

About Opera Australia

Opera Australia (OA) is Australia’s national opera company and one of the country’s leading performing arts organisations. With a rich history and an international reputation for artistic excellence, we present more than 500 performances each year, reaching over 650,000 people through opera, musicians and concerts.

Our productions span iconic venues including the Sydney Opera House and Arts Centre Melbourne, as well as regional centres across Australia. We are committed to artistic innovation, national reach and cultural leadership, nurturing Australian talent on and off the stage while collaborating with leading local and international artists. As Australia’s largest performing arts employer, Opera Australia plays a vital role in Australia’s cultural landscape.

For more information about Opera Australia, please visit opera.org.au.

What We Offer

As Australia’s national opera company, we’re committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and collaborative workplace where our people can thrive. Guided by our values of Curious, Creative, Collaborative, Brave and Inclusive, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Generous leave provisions, including cultural, wellbeing and parental leave.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Discounted private health insurance.
• Access to salary packaging through SmartSalary.
• Discounts through our Swag Rewards platform and affiliated partners.
• Complimentary tickets to selected Opera Australia performances.

Applications close: 6 September 2026

For any enquiries about this role, please contact [e-mail].

Opera Australia recognises and acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the unceded lands and waters across Australia on which we live, perform and work. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise, celebrate and respect all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first storytellers who carry the cultural wisdom, traditions and Dreaming of this ancient land.

Opera Australia is committed to enabling and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness. Our team comes from all walks of life. We acknowledge that individual differences, life experiences, self-expression and talent strengthen our culture and reputation. In recruiting for our team, we welcome the unique contributions you can bring in terms of education, opinions, culture, ethnicity, race, sex, gender identity and expression.