Venue Manager - Starship Group

Starship Sydney & Starship Aqua; Sydney; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

SeaLink Sydney Harbour is seeking a Venue Manager to own the day-to-day operations of Starship Sydney or Starship Aqua, acting as Cruise Director and guiding the team to deliver a premium guest experience on corporate charters and celebration cruises.

You will recruit and train Cruise Supervisors and Bar Staff, partner with the Head Chef on standards, manage rostering and stock, and safeguard the budget while driving onboard revenue initiatives.

Qualifications

• Experience managing high-volume hospitality or events venues.
• Ability to lead and mentor a floor team under pressure.
• Commercially aware with labour cost and stock management.

Responsibilities

• Lead Starship Sydney or Starship Aqua as Cruise Director on events.
• Recruit, train and coach Cruise Supervisors and Bar Staff.
• Partner with Head Chef to uphold premium event standards.
• Manage rostering and stock to protect guest experience and budget.
• Collaborate with senior leadership to keep standards high across the fleet.

Skills

Leadership

Guest experience

Team mentorship

Budgeting

Stock control

Job description

Picture this as your \"office\": gliding past the Opera House and under the Harbour Bridge, running two of Sydney's most iconic floating venues — Starship Sydney and Starship Aqua — while hundreds of guests have the night of their lives. If you're a hospitality leader who's ready to trade a static function room for the best backdrop in the country, keep reading.

About the Role

We're looking for a Venue Manager to take full ownership of the day-to-day operation of the Starship Fleet. You'll be the Cruise Director on deck — leading the team, owning the guest experience, and making sure every event, from corporate charters to celebration cruises, is delivered to a premium standard.

This isn't just an operational role. You'll work closely with our Head of Hospitality, Head Chef, Head of Charters and General Manager to shape the product, drive innovation, and keep Sydney Harbour's most sought-after cruise experience ahead of the pack.

What You'll Own

The floor and the fleet - running Starship Sydney or Starship Aqua as primary Cruise Director whenever she sails

The team - recruiting, training and leading Cruise Supervisors, Stewards and Bar Staff, building a crew that takes pride in the guest experience

The standard - partnering with our Head Chef to make sure every event lands exactly as promised

The numbers - smart rostering and stock management that protects the guest experience without blowing the budget

The culture - working alongside fellow Venue Managers to keep hospitality standards and morale sky-high across the fleet

About You

You have experience managing a high-volume hospitality or events venue - think cruise, function centre, hotel banqueting or similar, and you know what it takes to deliver under pressure without dropping standards. You're a genuine leader, the kind who trains and mentors a floor team and gets the best out of them on a big night. You're commercially sharp too, just as comfortable owning labour costs and stock levels as you are chasing onboard revenue. You'll come with a current First Aid Certificate and RSA (or be willing to obtain them), plus NSW Approved Licensee Manager accreditation or eligibility to get it. Above all, you've got a genuine sea legs mentality — you're energised by a dynamic, ever-changing environment, not looking for a 9-to-5 behind a desk.

About Us

SeaLink Sydney Harbour operates a fleet of commercial vessels on Sydney Harbour. Our brands include Captain Cook Cruises, The Jackson and the Starship Group.

SeaLink Sydney Harbour is part of SeaLink Marine & Tourism which is one of Australia's largest marine and tourism businesses with operations across six states and territories, connecting our customers to many of Australia’s most beautiful island destinations and brilliant experiences.

With globally recognised brands such as SeaLink, Captain Cook Cruises and Kingfisher Bay Resort we are a team who go beyond what others will do and are invested in supporting the communities and customers we serve.

SeaLink Marine and Tourism, is part of the Kelsian Group - a leading global operator of bus, motorcoach, and marine services, with established operations in Australia, the UK, Singapore, the USA, and the Channel Islands. Kelsian provides essential journeys for our customers by delivering safe and intelligent transport solutions designed to improve the sustainability and liveability of the communities we serve.

We aim to provide meaningful and sustainable employment opportunities that are free from barriers, support and celebrate the diverse talents of our team members, improve awareness of the value of diversity and inclusion across our organisation, and enable our leaders to champion diversity and inclusion. We welcome and encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, LGBTQIA+, people with disability and people from diverse cultural backgrounds.