Chief of Staff

About VTIC

The Victoria Tourism Industry Council (VTIC) is the leading industry body for Victoria’s tourism and events sector. It represents businesses, destinations and stakeholders across the state’s visitor economy, while also championing industry growth, member support, workforce development, policy influence and collaborative partnerships with government and the broader sector.

Role overview

The Chief of Staff is the CEO’s key adviser, strategic partner and organisational connector. In practice, this role acts as an extension of the CEO and contributes across strategy, operations, governance, stakeholder engagement, communications and special initiatives.

This is an intentionally wide-ranging and adaptable position. It suits someone who can move comfortably between long-term planning, government and industry relations, board support, policy work, internal improvement, project execution, executive communication and day-to-day problem solving.

To succeed, you’ll need strong judgement, political awareness, flexibility and the confidence to work in a fast-moving environment where priorities can change quickly in response to business, government and industry demands.

The role spans VTIC as a whole rather than sitting inside a single function, ensuring strategic priorities stay aligned, delivery stays on track and the CEO is well supported to create impact for members, the industry and stakeholders.

Strategic leadership and executive support

• Serve as a dependable adviser and thought partner to the CEO.
• Help shape, execute and track VTIC’s strategic plan.
• Support annual planning, setting priorities and reviewing performance.
• Provide analysis, research and strategic guidance on emerging tourism, economic, political and sector issues.
• Spot risks, opportunities and challenges affecting VTIC and the visitor economy.
• Coordinate strategic work across the organisation and support delivery.
• Prepare strong briefing notes, reports, presentations and decision papers for the CEO.
• Oversee key processes and help ensure solid operational discipline is in place.

Government, industry and stakeholder engagement

• Assist the CEO in maintaining relationships with Ministers, government departments, agencies, local councils, industry leaders and strategic partners.
• Coordinate stakeholder meetings, engagement activity and follow-up actions.
• Contribute to advocacy planning and policy development.
• Represent VTIC in meetings, forums and events when needed.
• Build credible and trusted relationships across government and industry networks.
• Track policy developments and advise on what they could mean for VTIC and its members.

Executive office leadership

• Manage the movement of information, priorities and decisions through the CEO’s office.
• Keep executive time focused on the most valuable work.
• Organise executive meetings, agendas, action items and follow-through.
• Draft correspondence, speeches, presentations, articles and other communications for the CEO.
• Act as an important link between the CEO, Board, executive group and staff.
• Handle sensitive issues with discretion, professionalism and confidentiality.
• Support the CEO and provide day-to-day oversight in digital transformation, insights and business intelligence, internal audit, strategic and operational planning, performance, and other areas directed by the CEO.

Organisational alignment and performance

• Promote accountability for strategic priorities across the organisation.
• Help teams and functions work together more effectively.
• Track progress against organisational goals and key initiatives.
• Identify obstacles to delivery and support solutions.
• Lead or assist with organisation improvement initiatives.
• Create systems and processes that strengthen efficiency and effectiveness.
• Develop talent and support diverse succession pipelines for key leadership roles.
• Oversee business insights and intelligence work, including trend analysis.
• Design, deliver and review the digital transformation strategy so it aligns with VTIC’s overall strategy and creates synergies.
• Research and report on internal initiatives or sentiment while maintaining strict confidentiality.

Governance and board support

• Coordinate Board and committee processes with the CEO and Company Secretary.
• Prepare Board papers, committee papers and other required documentation.
• Assist with Board reporting, workshops and strategic papers.
• Make sure governance obligations and reporting requirements are met effectively.
• Monitor organisational risks and support mitigation actions.
• Help with compliance, policy development and governance frameworks.
• Build strong relationships across VTIC to improve responsiveness and operational effectiveness.
• Lead the internal audit process, including managing the relationship with auditors and securing organisational buy-in to implement recommendations.
• Support annual planning and reporting processes.

Special projects and strategic initiatives

• Lead high-priority work that does not belong to a specific department.
• Drive organisation-wide projects and initiatives where additional support is needed.
• Deliver strategic, tactical and operational solutions tied to VTIC’s priorities.
• Manage complex cross-functional initiatives aligned to the organisation’s objectives.
• Coordinate industry campaigns, partnerships and sector-wide projects as required.
• Handle sensitive or urgent projects on behalf of the CEO.
• Support transformation and innovation initiatives across the organisation.

Communications and leadership support

• Strengthen alignment and effectiveness within the leadership team.
• Facilitate executive and leadership meetings.
• Ensure decisions are clearly communicated and properly implemented.
• Prepare internal and external communications when required.
• Maintain consistency in the organisation’s messaging.
• Help foster a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement.

Key selection criteria

Essential

• Experience in a Chief of Staff, Executive Manager, Strategy, Corporate Affairs, Government Relations, Consulting or similarly senior leadership position.
• Strong strategic judgement and problem-solving ability.
• Good understanding of governance, policy development and stakeholder engagement.
• Advanced written communication skills, including board papers, speeches, reports and briefing documents.
• Strong organisational and project management capability.
• Ability to juggle competing priorities in a complex, changing environment.
• Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills.
• High levels of discretion, professionalism and political awareness.
• Ability to influence outcomes without formal authority.
• Solid commercial and financial understanding.
• Commitment to supporting Victoria’s tourism and visitor economy.

Desirable

• Experience in membership organisations, industry associations or peak bodies.
• Knowledge of Victoria’s tourism, events, hospitality or visitor economy sectors.
• Experience working with government and ministerial stakeholders.
• Tertiary qualifications in business, public policy, communications, tourism, commerce, law or a related field.

Personal attributes

• Good judgement and integrity.
• A mix of strategic thinking and practical execution.
• Comfort with ambiguity and a flexible approach.
• Resilience and composure under pressure.
• Strong emotional intelligence.
• Collaborative, relationship-led leadership style.
• Self-direction and initiative.
• Curiosity and a commitment to ongoing learning.
• Focus on organisational outcomes over personal recognition.

Success measures

• Greater effectiveness of the CEO and executive office.
• Successful delivery of strategic priorities and organisation-wide initiatives.
• Strong alignment between teams and stakeholders.
• Effective governance and Board support.
• Timely delivery of key projects.
• High stakeholder confidence and engagement.
• Better organisational efficiency and decision-making.
• Positive contribution to VTIC’s influence and the growth of Victoria’s visitor economy.

Nature of the role

This is not a conventional management job. It is a highly trusted and highly flexible leadership role that operates across every part of VTIC’s work. The position calls for someone who can shift quickly from strategy to operations, from government engagement to governance, from executive support to project delivery, and from advocacy to organisational leadership—sometimes all in one day.

Ultimately, the Chief of Staff is responsible for helping keep the CEO, Board and organisation aligned, focused and positioned to deliver the strongest possible outcomes for Victoria’s tourism industry.