Director / Executive Director

Company Description

The Australian Institute of International Affairs (AIIA) is an independent non-partisan, non-profit organisation devoted to the promotion and discussion of international affairs and global issues. The mission is to help Australians know, understand and engage more in International Affairs. The Institute does this through an extremely active nationwide and international agenda, grounded in principles of political neutrality and open debate.

Established in New South Wales in 1924, and in Victoria in 1925 as overseas branches of London’s Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chatham House), the AIIA was created as an Australian entity in 1933 and today has branches in all states and territories. The AIIA nationally publishes the Australian Journal of International Affairs, Australia’s premier academic journal in the field and Australian Outlook, a weekly online publication featuring short articles and a summary of events in Australian foreign policy.

The Australia Institute of International Affairs, Victoria (AIIA VIC) is the Institute’s largest and most active branch; it hosts an active program of speaker events, conferences and roundtables throughout the year, as well as running overseas Study Tours and an annual International Careers Conference. The AIIA VIC also offers Australia’s largest International Relations internship program.

Role Description

The AIIA VIC seeks an experienced Director/Executive Director to be the face of Melbourne’s most profiled organisation focused on international affairs, to lead its activities and manage a compact team of professionals. The position is fractional with input estimated at 2 to 4 days per week, working at the AIIA VIC office in Melbourne’s CBD. The position will be available from August 1st 2026 with some flexibility in the start date.

Reporting arrangements

The Director/Executive Director will be accountable to the AIIA Victoria Council and will report to the Branch President. The Director/Executive Director’s performance will be rated formally against an agreed set of objectives and KPIs. The AIIA VIC Office team will report to the Director/Executive Director. This currently consists of a General Manager, a Young Professionals Programme Manager and an Office Coordinator. The team in turn manages a wide range of part-time interns and volunteers.

Core responsibilities

The Director/Executive Director is the senior executive leader and principal public face of the AIIA Victoria. The Director/Executive Director holds single-point accountability for strategy, performance, reputation and financial sustainability of the organisation, and plays a pivotal role in shaping AIIA Victoria’s contribution to national and international debates on international relations and global affairs.

This is a high-profile leadership role combining strategic influence, external engagement and commercial and operational stewardship. The successful applicant will have strong commercial acumen.

Key responsibilities include

● Shaping and executing the AIIA Victoria strategy, business plan and priorities

● Hosting and moderating AIIA Victoria events

● Leading fund- and revenue-raising efforts

● Providing leadership across competing priorities, resources and opportunities

● Demonstrating ethical leadership of the Internal Office Team and Interns

● Managing financial and operational aspects of AIIA Victoria

Core capabilities for the role include (and not limited to):

● Deep knowledge of and familiarity with international affairs and Australia’s role within it

● Commercial experience, including in sales, fundraising and partnership development

● Financial and operational acumen, including demonstrated experience in improving financial performance in a membership based not-for-profit organisation

● Past experience of a similar leadership role in government or the private sector

● A network of contacts and organisations which will facilitate managing AIIA Victoria’s events programme

● Proven values-driven team management skills, including coaching and mentoring

● Managing performance and conflict, working in diverse environments and with empathy and respect

● Excellent written, spoken and presentation-led communications skills

● Proven experience at managing senior stakeholders (such as Ministers and Dignitaries)

For the full Position Description, please go to our website https://www.internationalaffairs.org.au/state/victoria/

To Apply

Applicants are encouraged to send through their Resume and Cover Letter (max 3 pages) outlining their suitability to the role.

For questions on the recruitment process and submissions of interest, please contact ***email_hidden***

Application Closing Date: Friday 5 June 5PM AEST 2026