The CEO leads Next Wave in the delivery of long-term strategic objectives, facilitating organisational growth and realisation of the organisation’s vision and mission.

View Next Wave's Strategic Plan 2025–28.

Next Wave’s CEO is an exceptional individual with a passion for contemporary artistic practice and supporting independent artists, with a focus on early-career artists and young people.

Stewarding the organisation at an exciting chapter of evolution, you demonstrate a cultural sensibility to work with people across a diversity of lived and cultural experiences. You take responsibility for the social, cultural, political, and environmental impact of your work, and actively advocate for broad accessibility and best practice sustainability.

A confident people manager who prefers to use collaborative and inspirational management style to persuade and mentor others, bringing them along with you, you are equally comfortable taking decisive action when needed. You are a proficient multi-tasker, an active learner, and someone who can respond with a combination of agility and analysis to new opportunities or unforeseen challenges.

You will bring strong fundraising and/or stakeholder management experience and an entrepreneurial mindset. Drawing on your analytic and problem-solving capacities, you take a systems approach to continuous improvement in operations and governance to support stability and sustainability, foster a positive and respectful workplace culture, and carefully manage Next Wave’s tangible and intangible assets.

Leadership priorities for Next Wave's CEO

• Lead the team through organisational change, providing stability through mentorship and coaching.
• Raise the profile of Next Wave and our new direction through advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
• Nurture partnerships and deliver innovative and engaging programming to activate Brunswick Mechanics Institute.
• Evolve Next Wave’s fundraising strategy to increase and diversify income.
• Maintain transparent and effective operations and governance functions to sustain the impact of Next Wave’s services to the creative industries.

Selection criteria

• Experience in a management and/or leadership role in an arts organisation, not-for-profit or business.
• Ability to develop and deliver programs in response to industry needs and social and cultural equity frameworks, reflecting both professional and lived experience.
• Ability to lead a small team with diverse experiences.
• Demonstrated stakeholder management skills and experience, including the ability to cultivate relationships with funders, program partners and industry advocates.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, organisational governance, financial management and/or fundraising.

For all enquiries, please contact Next Wave Board Chair, Amrit Gill at [email protected] using the subject line: Chief Executive Officer enquiry via EthicalJobs.

A position description is attached.