Chief Executive Officer

• Lead a complex, multi site organisation with strong financial foundations and significant growth projects
• Shape culture and performance across a geographically dispersed workforce of 800+ employees
• High impact CEO role with autonomy, be part of a national and global movement

The Y Ballarat is a purpose-driven, community-focused organisation which believes in the power of inspired young people and delivers a wide range of programs and services to empower young people and strengthen the communities that support them to grow, learn and thrive. For more than 145 years, The Y Ballarat has serviced the Ballarat community and is an association of the global YMCA Movement.

Through early learning, education, recreation, youth services and community programs, The Y Ballarat has over 93 locations across Victoria, 800+ employees, 500+ volunteers and welcomes 3,500+ families to their services every week.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will lead the Y Ballarat through its next phase of sustainable growth, consolidation and impact. Providing inspirational and values driven leadership the CEO will steer significant strategic and operational initiatives to support and embed the continued expansion of the Y Ballarat’s services. The role requires expertise in leading a complex, multi-site organisation with a large and geographically dispersed workforce, within a highly regulated education and early years environment with complex safety, risk and compliance obligations. The CEO will lead a diverse portfolio of services at different stages of maturity, balancing consolidation and targeted growth while improving systems, efficiency and data use.

The Board is seeking a CEO who can provide financial expertise in a complex multi-stream funding environment, has sophisticated stakeholder management skills including working with Boards, regulators, government, and community; who can engage stakeholders from the frontline to the boardroom.

This is a role for a leader who can combine commercial acumen with community purpose and who is comfortable operating at the intersection of governance, strategy and on the ground impact.

About You

Success in this role requires:

• Authentic alignment with the Y values and a genuine passion for education, youth and community development
• Tertiary qualifications in business, management, education, community services or a related discipline.
• Proven CEO or senior executive experience in a medium to large complex, service based, multi site organisation, within the education, early years, community services or similar sector
• Demonstrated strategic and visionary leadership, able to translate strategy into operational delivery and lead a diverse portfolio of services
• Strong communication and people leadership skills to ensure clear, consistent messaging across a dispersed workforce and the natural ability to nurture a collaborative, empowering culture.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including government funding, grants and capital/asset management
• Deep experience in governance, risk, compliance and safety, with a strong appreciation of child safety
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, influencing and advocacy skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships and represent the organisation with credibility.

The essential information:

• The role requires the CEO to be based on-site in the Ballarat head office
• Travel across Victoria to visit services and attend stakeholder meetings is required, occasional interstate and international travel is required to attend national meetings or as part of the global YMCA movement.
• Five (5) year fixed term contract with the option to extend based on performance
• Attractive remuneration package including base salary, vehicle or vehicle allowance, standard superannuation and access to not-for-profit salary packaging benefits
• The successful applicant will be required to undertake a National Police Check and maintain a valid employment Working with Children Check whilst employed in this position.

Inspired? For further information and a confidential discussion, contact Ange Connor on 0407 833 152. To download a copy of the job profile information pack, please click the Download Position Description button below.

To apply, please click the Apply For Position’ button below.by close of business Monday 10th August, 2026.