Director of Retail and Business Partnerships

Director of Retail and Business Partnerships

Hamilton Island is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director of Retail and Business Partnerships to join our Executive Team. This pivotal role provides strategic leadership and oversight of our buggy fleet, retail offerings and tour desk operations, ensuring exceptional guest experience, service quality and sustainable commercial performance.

Reporting directly to the Chief Operating Officer, you will play a critical role in shaping the long-term direction of these business units, embedding operational excellence, and fostering innovation that ensures every experience continues to reflect the wonder of Hamilton Island.

Why you'll love working with us

• Executive leadership role in one of Australia's most iconic destinations
• Shape the future of Hamilton Island's retail offerings and commercial partnerships
• Enjoy exclusive employee benefits – subsidised housing, discounts on dining, activities & insurance, and more
• Work in a purpose-driven, values-based organisation with a strong executive team
• Lead, inspire and energise change within a collaborative, high-performance culture

Where you'll make an impact

• Identify emerging retail market trends and lead retail innovation, introducing new concepts, layouts and technologies to enhance the shopping experience
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the buggy hire fleet, retail sector and tour desk operations, ensuring efficiency, consistency and alignment with Hamilton Island's values
• Build and maintain strong concessionaire and supplier relationships, supporting the COO with contract reviews, negotiations and renewals to maximise long-term value
• Develop workforce strategies across business units, ensuring sustainable resourcing, productivity and cost control
• Oversee capital investment and maintenance programs to safeguard long-term asset performance, sustainability and compliance
• Ensure compliance with laws, regulations and concessionaire agreements, maintaining operational policies, procedures, licences and documentation
• Champion a guest-first culture by embedding robust systems, service standards, training and escalation pathways that deliver consistently exceptional guest outcomes
• Lead financial performance and reporting across retail, hire, tours, childcare and concessionaire operations, driving accountability for budgets, cost control and profitability
• Monitor key financial and operational metrics, providing insights and recommendations to support strategic decision-making
• Inspire, develop and celebrate a diverse team, fostering a culture that reflects Hamilton Island's values - Wonder-filled, Intuitive Service, Respectful by Nature, Safe Always and Better Together

What we're looking for

The successful candidate will be excited to be relocating to Hamilton Island and joining our community.

You are a seasoned executive leader with deep expertise in retail or commercial partnerships and a proven track record of driving both cultural and commercial outcomes.

You thrive in complex environments, combine strategic vision with operational discipline, and can balance the demands of guest experience, partnership management and financial sustainability.

To be successful, you will need:

• Bachelor's degree in Management, Business Administration, Commercial Finance or a related field
• Minimum 10+ years' experience in senior retail or commercial partnership roles
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to inspire, motivate and guide a diverse team
• Proven ability to drive sustainable and profitable business outcomes through strategic decision-making and operational excellence
• Strong commercial acumen to balance customer experience with sustainable financial performance
• Ability to build, negotiate and maintain strategic partnerships
• Creative thinking and willingness to experiment with new approaches and technologies
• Ability to drive change and foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to engage and collaborate effectively with stakeholders

About Hamilton Island

Our mission is to share the wonder of Hamilton Island with the world by creating wonder-filled experiences for our guests, employees and community.

Every team member plays a role in shaping those experiences - making Hamilton Island not just a great place to visit, but a great place to work.

A little island can do wonders - make your next career move one to remember. Apply now

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