Transition Project Manager

Harness Racing Victoria; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements

Employee Assistance Program

Discounted health insurance

Free on-site parking

Job summary

Harness Racing Victoria in Melbourne is seeking a Project Manager for a two-year fixed-term role to lead the end-to-end delivery of HRV's legislative transition project. The role reports to the CFO and collaborates with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team to coordinate legal, governance, finance, IT, and people-related workstreams.

The successful candidate will manage complex regulatory subject matter, senior stakeholders, and ensure timely delivery per milestones and delegated authorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in law, business, commerce, public policy, project management, or related field (equivalent experience accepted).
• Proven ability to draft legal documents, briefs and assess evidentiary materials.
• Experience in risk, governance, audit, and regulatory compliance.
• Track record of managing multi-workstream programs with senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead planning, coordination and delivery of the transition program, with on-time delivery.
• Maintain master project plan, schedule and action register; manage risks and dependencies.
• Oversee cross-functional workstreams including legal, governance, finance, IT and comms.
• Prepare and implement transition deliverables: governance docs, transfers, systems, contracts.
• Engage stakeholders across employees, clubs, regulators, and external advisers.
• Manage the project budget and prepare regular financial reports to CEO/CFO.
• Coordinate government reporting and executive/board reporting.
• Provide strategic advice to ELT and escalate critical decisions.
• Lead post-commencement activities and transition to BAU.
• Support governance framework for successor entity.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Governance

Legal drafting

Risk management

Project governance

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in law, business administration, commerce, public policy, project management or related discipline

Job description

The Project Manager is a two years fixed-term role (ending 31 Dec 2028) established to lead the end-to-end delivery of HRV's legislative transition project. The role is responsible for coordinating all implementation actions across the organisation, maintaining the project plan, managing workstream owners, escalating risks and issues, and ensuring the project is delivered on time and to the required standard.

This is a high-visibility, high-accountability role reporting directly to the CFO and working closely with the CEO and Executive Leadership Team. The Project Manager will be the central coordination point for legal, commercial, governance, integrity, finance, people and IT workstreams, and will provide regular reporting to the Board and executive team. The role requires someone who can work with confidence across complex legal and regulatory subject matter, manage senior stakeholders, and drive delivery in an environment where many actions have immovable deadlines.

Please note that this role will initially be established as a standalone coordination position, however, as the project scales in complexity, particularly during the pre-commencement period, the Project Manager may be required to lead a small team or direct reports or engaged contractors.

About Us

Harness Racing Victoria (HRV) is a statutory body whose role is to oversee all harness racing activity in Victoria.

HRV is currently undertaking a significant legislative transition following the introduction of the Racing Legislation Amendment (Entity Governance and Other Matters) Bill 2026, which will reconstitute HRV as a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Act. This transition is complex, time-critical and requires dedicated project leadership to deliver successfully.

Our mission is to deliver the most sought-after and accessible harness racing that produces financial sustainability, ensures clubs arethe heart of their communities and provides equal opportunities for all participants to compete. (Further information about HRV can be found athttps://www.thetrots.com.au/)

We also operate a racetrack, accommodation, and entertainment complex (hotel accommodation, functions, bars, and gaming) which is situated in Melton and trading as Melton Entertainment Park (MEP).

OUR VALUES

Purpose: Act with clear intent, consistency, and alignment to core objectives.

Respect: Extend it unconditionally; earn it through integrity and accountability.

Innovate: Strive for meaningful progress through thoughtful, transformative change.

Deliver: Fulfill every commitment with reliability, precision, and excellence.

Empathy: Seek to understand others by thoughtfully considering their perspectives and experiences.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination and delivery of the transition program, ensuring all workstreams are delivered on time, within scope and in accordance with legislative, regulatory and governance requirements.
• Develop, maintain and monitor the master project plan, project schedule and action register, actively managing milestones, dependencies, risks, issues and critical path activities.
• Oversee the delivery of cross-functional workstreams, including legal, governance, integrity, finance, people and culture, information technology and communications, ensuring a coordinated and seamless transition to the successor entity.
• Manage the preparation and implementation of all transition deliverables, including governance documentation, employee transfer arrangements, asset and liability transfers, business systems, insurance arrangements, contractual novations and operational readiness activities.
• Develop and implement stakeholder engagement and communication strategies, working closely with employees, clubs, industry participants, government stakeholders, regulators and external advisers to build commitment and support the successful delivery of the transition.
• Manage the project budget, monitor legal and operational expenditure against approved budgets, prepare regular financial reports for the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and maintain accurate project forecasts throughout the transition.
• Manage all government reporting obligations associated with the transition, ensuring the timely preparation, coordination and submission of statutory, ministerial and project reporting requirements.
• Establish and maintain robust project governance arrangements, including preparing Executive Leadership Team and Board reports, maintaining project documentation, monitoring risks and issues, and escalating matters requiring executive consideration or decision.
• Provide strategic advice to the Executive Leadership Team on project progress, emerging risks, key dependencies and critical decision points to support the successful delivery of the transition program.
• Lead post-commencement implementation activities, including business stabilisation, benefits realisation, post-implementation reviews and the transition of ongoing responsibilities into business-as-usual operations.
• Support the establishment of the successor entity's governance and regulatory framework, including implementing governance policies, compliance obligations, reporting frameworks and assurance processes to enable a successful commencement of operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree or higher in law, business administration, commerce, public policy, project management or a related discipline. Equivalent professional experience considered in lieu of formal qualification.
• Demonstrable and sound skills in drafting legal documents, preparing briefs and assessing evidentiary materials in legal proceedings and/or domestic tribunals
• Relevant tertiary qualifications and or evidence of management experience in a risk and governance function and specialist contemporary knowledge, understanding and experience of risk management, governance, reporting and audit and legislative requirements
• A background of emotionally intelligent management experience, motivating and developing adaptable, partnership and outcomes-focused teams.
• Evidence of legal, risk and governance management and analysis, strategy development and implementation that effectively informs strategic decision making.

Skills and Attributes

• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-workstream projects with fixed or regulatory deadlines in a legal, governance or regulated industry environment.
• Proven ability to coordinate senior stakeholders, including Board members, executives and external advisers, and hold them accountable to project commitments.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance, legal process or regulatory compliance sufficient to engage meaningfully with legal counsel, constitution drafting and regulatory obligations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into clear project actions.
• High-level organisational and planning skills, including proficiency in project management tools and methods.
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgement under pressure, and escape appropriately when project objectives are at risk.

What We Offer

• Flexible working arrangements
• Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted health insurance
• Free on-site parking

Harness Racing Victoria are an Equal Opportunity and Child Safe employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to child safety and supporting the best interests of children in all our operations. We are dedicated to attracting and retaining people from a diverse background, including but not limited to, those identifying as LGBTIQ, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, people from cultural and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds, and people with a disability.