Business/Operations Manager

The Organisation

Yorta Yorta Nation Aboriginal Corporation (YYNAC) is a Victorian Registered Aboriginal Party (RAP) undertaking a variety of functions and activities throughout Victoria and NSW. Ranging from cultural heritage services, labour hire, farming, eco-tourism and the education and training centres in the Barmah National Forest. YYNAC also maintains the Traditional Owner Land Management Agreement over Barmah National Park, and the operation and management of the natural resource management team.

The Dharnya Centre Precinct will be a multi-faceted facility that will have a conference centre, dormitory style accommodation, an interpretive centre, amphitheatre, glamping space, eco-tourism experiences including guided and unguided hiking, boat tours, camping and hospitality facilities. It is expected to be a showpiece attraction drawings thousands of visitors from the Echuca/Moama and Bendigo tourism hubs.  It will also play a valuable role in revitalising the whole area surrounding the Barmah Forrest including economic opportunities to communities that live in the area.

Benefits & Culture

• Competitive salary with great packaging and regional relocation incentive
• Join an Indigenous organisation transitioning through a large growth phase
• Make lifestyle changes a reality – and healthy living a priority
• Good schools, outdoor lifestyle, cuisine & wineries, and the mighty Murray River

 
The Role

Reporting to the COO, this role is responsible for the overall development, performance, and maintenance of the centre’s activities to deliver on its objectives – to provide cultural, educational, environmental, land conservation, and eco-tourism experiences to as many people as possible. This newly created role will rely on your high-level planning skills to create a business unit from ground up, which includes being hands-on and rolling-up your sleeves to re-launch a breakthrough tourism precinct.  You will thrive on managing multiple teams and projects whilst ensuring milestones and project deadlines are met.

You will assist in delivering initiatives aimed at increasing Indigenous participation, employment, and tourism businesses whilst leading all the traditional financial elements including compliance and financial risk management.

Specifically, you also be responsible for:

• Assisting with all planning activities required to re-launch the Dharnya Centre including but not limited to resource planning, recruitment, operating procedures, engaging with tourism authorities, marketing, and customer service
• Operational planning and management of a new centre with multiple activity streams – conference and training, interpretive centre, glamping facilities, amphitheater, walking trails and boating tours on board the “Kingfisher”
• Verbal and written reporting – board reports, funding updates, budgetary reports
• Performing all duties in compliance with related legal/statutory, regulations, professional duties, responsibilities, and obligations
• Responsible use of resources and control expenses to meet agreed budgetary controls

Skills Required

Previous experience in running a centre offering tourism, cultural or experiences with multiple streams will be viewed very strongly. Ideally you have experience with a ‘start-up’, coupled with strong management and customer service exposure. You are financially and commercially savvy and thrive in an agile environment where process and policies must be created and embedded as operating procedures.

Previous experience working in an Indigenous corporation or a like-minded organisation or corporate will be considered favourably. Most importantly, you have strong emotional intelligence, and ready to drive the relaunch of a multi-faced facility in the Barmah Forrest that will be re-launched in 2024. With the focus on providing cultural education, immersive cultural experiences, and tourism experiences.

Above all you will have a great desire and ability to match, to make things happen and re-launch a facility that will change the Barmah area forever.

If you are an experienced business manager looking to take the next regional step in your career whilst working alongside a strong and supportive leadership team, please click apply to submit your application. Alternatively, please call Jill Van Der Ross on 03 8080 8978 to discuss further.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with relevant skills and experience are encouraged to apply.

Please note there is no formal closing date for this role, if you are interested, we would encourage you to apply as soon as possible.

NGO Recruitment values equitable recruitment practices and is committed to representing candidates reflective of the diverse organisations and communities we work with. We welcome and encourage applications from all backgrounds, ages, and identities, and are happy to adjust our recruitment process to support accessibility needs. If you are interested in this position and have most of the skills or experience we are looking for, please go ahead and apply.