About this role
Fairfield Boathouse is one of Melbourne’s most iconic hospitality destinations, a unique waterfront venue combining hospitality, tourism, events, and recreational experiences all in one. With exciting renovations on the horizon, we’re entering a major new chapter and are searching for an experienced Venue Manager to lead the business through its next phase of growth. This is a rare opportunity to take the reins of a large-scale, multifaceted operation with strong local roots, high tourist traffic, a thriving events business, and seasonal trade dynamics that require a highly capable and commercially minded operator.
About the Role As Venue Manager, you will oversee all aspects of the venue’s operation, leading a large and diverse team across food & beverage, events, and boat hire while ensuring exceptional guest experiences and strong commercial outcomes. This is not a standard hospitality management role. Fairfield Boathouse requires a resilient and adaptable leader who can confidently navigate peak trading periods, seasonal fluctuations, and the complexity that comes with running a destination venue catering to a broad range of clientele. You will play a key role in driving profitability, labour management, operational standards, team culture, and customer engagement while helping shape the venue during an exciting redevelopment period.
What You’ll Be Responsible For
• Leading and developing a large front and back-of-house team • Driving venue profitability and operational performance • Managing labour, wages, and cost controls across fluctuating trade periods • Overseeing high-volume service operations and large-scale events • Delivering exceptional customer experiences across diverse demographics • Building strong relationships with locals, tourists, families, and community stakeholders • Maintaining high standards across service, presentation, and compliance • Leading the venue through upcoming renovations and operational change • Creating a positive, high-performing team culture
About You You are an experienced hospitality leader who thrives in large, fast-paced, and operationally complex environments. You bring strong commercial acumen, calm leadership under pressure, and the ability to balance strategic oversight with hands-on operational involvement. You’ll ideally have:
• Proven experience managing large hospitality venues or destination operations • Strong understanding of P&L management, labour control, and profitability • Experience leading high-volume service environments and events operations • Exceptional people leadership and team development skills • The ability to manage seasonal trade fluctuations and operational complexity • A warm, engaging leadership style with strong customer and community focus • A proactive and solutions-focused mindset • Experience in tourism, waterfront, or multifaceted hospitality operations highly regarded
Why Join Australian Venue Co.?
• Total package up to $154K (Base salary + super + KPI bonus) • Staff discounts across 250+ venues throughout Australia & New Zealand • Real career growth opportunities within one of the fastest-growing hospitality groups in ANZ • Strong centralised support across operations, marketing, people & culture, finance, recruitment, and training • Be part of an exciting renovation and transformation journey • Work with a business that invests heavily in people development and internal progression
If you’re a commercially savvy hospitality leader ready for your next challenge, we’d love to hear from you.