Executive Director

The Melbourne Racing Club is one of Australia's most dynamic sporting, events, and property development organisations. Alongside hosting world-class racing at Caulfield, Sportsbet Sandown, and Mornington Racecourses, the Club also owns 15 pub venues under the Pegasus Leisure Group (PLG) across metropolitan Melbourne.

We are seeking an Executive Director – Operations on a full-time permanent basis to lead the delivery of exceptional race days, events and venue experiences, while ensuring operational excellence, workforce capability and sustainable financial performance. This is a broad, influential executive role with accountability across Operations, Facilities, Food & Beverage, and Human Resources, offering the opportunity to make a lasting impact on people, performance and culture.

As a key member of the executive team, you will lead multiple operational portfolios, ensuring seamless day-to-day delivery while shaping the organisation's long-term strategic direction. In doing so, you will play a key role in strengthening MRC's competitive edge and elevating the experience for members, guests and employees.

What will your responsibilities be? 

• Provide strategic leadership and mentorship to the Operations, Facilities, Food & Beverage and Human Resources portfolios, fostering high-performing, cohesive, and accountable departments.
• Evaluate and optimise existing frameworks, operating models, and business practices to enhance organisational alignment, operational efficiency, and cost effectiveness whilst retaining quality customer experience and best practice standards.
• Review analysis of strategic partnerships, business ventures, and market opportunities to inform decision-making, expand MRC's hospitality portfolio, and strengthen its competitive position.
• Monitor financial performance and forecasting to ensure fiscal discipline, transparency, and the efficient allocation of resources.
• Support the planning of reworked Masterplans across all racecourses and inform Capital Expenditure requirements to enable sustainable growth and long-term asset performance.
• Cultivate effective, collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure alignment and shared accountability across key projects and initiatives.
• Articulate departmental strategies and ensure alignment with MRC's 5 year strategy, inspiring teams to take ownership and contribute to long-term organisational success.
• Ensure full compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards by proactively identifying and addressing potential risks.
• Design and lead initiatives including research and diagnostics to maximise the engagement of all employees and build organisational commitment to the desired culture
• Foster and maintain productive relationships with government bodies and other related stakeholders, service providers and employees.

 Skills & Competencies

• Builds and leads high-performing teams through strong people leadership, fostering engagement, capability and resilience during periods of change.
• Develops and maintains trusted relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, balancing competing priorities and collaborating effectively to achieve shared outcomes.
• Influences and negotiates at a senior level, building commitment through clear, compelling communication and strong commercial judgement.
• Demonstrates strong financial acumen, with experience in budgeting, forecasting and performance analysis, and a clear focus on revenue growth and cost optimisation.
• Applies sound operational judgement to improve efficiency, assess vendor value and implement effective cost controls.
• Identifies, manages and mitigates operational, financial and organisational risks, ensuring strong governance and compliance frameworks.
• Anticipates emerging trends and opportunities, applying innovative and adaptable thinking to drive continuous improvement.
• Plans and executes with discipline, aligning priorities to strategic objectives and ensuring resources are in place to deliver results.
• Leads with pace and accountability, creating momentum, clarity and a strong sense of ownership across teams.
• Models integrity, transparency and fairness, demonstrating high standards of ethics, probity and professional conduct while fostering a consultative leadership approach.

Qualifications & Experience

• Proven expertise at executive level in major events industry, racing or similar.
• Significant senior leadership experience in the hospitality, F&B, or tourism sectors, with proven capability leading multi-site or large-scale operational teams in complex, fast-paced environments, including the use of temporary infrastructure.
• Generalist HR exposure to a wide range of HR functions, including recruitment, people development, remuneration and employee relations.
• Applied knowledge of Australian employment law and related regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Tertiary level qualification (desirable).
• Venue Operations Management qualification (desirable).
• Post-graduate qualification in HRM and/or related discipline (desirable).  

Melbourne Racing Club values differences in gender, age, ethnicity, race, cultural background, disability, religion, and sexual orientation and encourages all suitable applicants to apply for this role.

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