Join
AES
Join
AES
Contact
Us
Contact
Us
Sydney
Full Time
An exciting opportunity to lead Australia’s peak body for authors and illustrators.
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) is the peak body, professional association, community and voice of Australia’s writers and illustrators. We offer expert advice, provide professional development opportunities, nurture meaningful connections and advocate on behalf of creators for fair pay, fair contracts and robust copyright protections.
We are a vibrant, growing, and caring organisation passionate about Australia’s literary creators. We have recently secured funding for a number of new programs and roles, and our new CEO will have the opportunity to build on the current strengths and successes of the organisation to further develop its programs, services, and advocacy efforts.
We are recruiting for a Chief Executive Officer who can lead the organisation through a time of great change in the book industry.
Working closely with our executive team and the Board, your role will involve:
Advocacy
Programs and Services
Financial
Governance
Management
Stakeholder liaison
The ideal candidate will have:
Working within the ASA office in the creative hub of Ultimo, NSW, you will lead the ASA’s small team and the services provided to its 4000+ members across Australia, which includes debut, emerging, established, and bestselling authors and illustrators.
The role is office-based, with the option of working from home one day per week. An onsite car park is available for the CEO. Salary range provided upon request.
To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter addressing how you are the ideal candidate for this role to: chair@asauthors.org by 5pm AEST on 8 August 2024. Please include the names and contact details for two referees.
We will be in touch with you within three weeks of the closing date.
The ASA is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and equitable workplace and welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds and experience, including Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander persons.
The association sector is in the middle of a leadership handover.
Across Australia and New Zealand, CEOs and Executive Directors are moving on. Some are retiring. Some have gone to larger organisations.
Some have left because the relationship with their Board ran out of puff. The reasons vary, but the movement is noticeable, and Boards are
appointing replacements.
The encouraging part is the calibre of the people coming in. Many are genuinely well suited to the job — capable executives with strong
records behind them. A good number are stepping into an association CEO role for the first time.
Most associations can provide a long list of membership benefits. They may include professional development, advocacy, networking, industry information, events, resources, accreditation, discounts and access to specialist advice. However, a list of benefits does not necessarily explain why someone makes the decision to join.
While every Board is different, the same governance issues appear time and again. One of the most common is allowing one person’s behaviour
to dominate the Board table.
Almost every Board has experienced it at some point. One director who seems to consume more time and energy than everyone else combined.
How we help membership based, not-for-profit associations now and into the future.
