Manage one of Australia's most significant Aboriginal-owned art centres, working alongside artists from over 12 distinct language groups in the heart of Central-West Arnhem Land.

• Earn $100K – $120K PLUS Super and Generous Salary Packaging of up to $18,550!
• Relocation Assistance and Rent-Free Furnished Accommodation provided!
• Enjoy 6 weeks' Annual Leave, 17.5% Leave Loading and MORE!
• Dry-Season Road Access to Darwin and Kakadu National Park!

Our Story. Our People. Our Purpose.

Bawinanga Homelands Aboriginal Corporation (BHAC) is a progressive Aboriginal corporation based in Maningrida, representing and supporting approximately 4,000 Aboriginal people across 32 Homelands in West Arnhem Land. BHAC's work is grounded in people's traditional lands, cultural practices and languages, guided by values of respect and trust, community wellbeing, cultural authority, collaboration, innovation and best practice.

Maningrida Arts & Culture (MAC) operates under BHAC and is one of Australia's oldest Aboriginal community-controlled art centres, established in 1963. MAC supports around 250 artists a year from Maningrida and surrounding homelands, and is guided by the Arts & Culture Subcommittee of senior artists and the Cultural Liaison Officer, keeping the centre's direction genuinely community-led. MAC's work reaches far beyond Maningrida, with artists represented in national and international collections and a current major exhibition project with the National Museum of Australia and the ASEAN-Australia Centre

To learn more, visit www.maningrida.com and www.bawinanga.com

A Leadership Opportunity at the Heart of Community Arts

BHAC is seeking a full-time Art Centre Manager to lead Maningrida Arts & Culture, based in Maningrida, NT and reporting to the Chief Operating Officer. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across the Art Centre, its gallery, exhibitions, special projects and commissions, retail and online sales, artwork conservation, and community and cultural tourism activities.

MAC's team includes staff who have worked at the centre for over 20 years, and the right person will build on that stability and expertise rather than arrive looking to change what already works. You'll take guidance from the Arts & Culture Subcommittee, from artists themselves and from the Cultural Liaison Officer, balancing genuine commercial performance with deep respect for cultural protocols and community ownership.

It's a genuine opportunity to bring together arts leadership, cultural understanding and commercial acumen to deliver outcomes that matter, well beyond a standard desk job. Expect to travel out to homelands to visit artists on country and to be part of significant community moments.

More specifically, you will:

• Implement the Art Centre's strategic plan, including the development of an enhanced commercial strategy in line with BHAC's broader strategy
• Lead the production, presentation, exhibition and sale of artwork through the Art Centre, gallery, retail partners and national and international opportunities
• Support artists to build sustainable careers through exhibition planning, profile development and new market opportunities
• Protect artists' intellectual property, copyright and Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP) across all documentation, licensing and public presentation
• Manage artwork records, cataloguing and stock control using the SAM database, ensuring accurate and timely payment to artists
• Partner with the Arts & Culture Subcommittee, artists and the Cultural Liaison Officer to keep all activity aligned with local cultural protocols
• Develop exhibition proposals and manage relationships and contracts with galleries, museums, art fairs and retail partners
• Pursue grant and funding opportunities, contributing to applications and acquittal reporting
• Lead, mentor and supervise a team of up to 10 staff, fostering a collaborative and culturally safe workplace
• Oversee Art Centre budgets, monitor expenditure and maintain compliance with BHAC's financial delegations and procurement requirements
• Build and maintain strong relationships with community members, galleries, funders, government agencies and industry stakeholders

To read the full position description, click here

The Experience You'll Bring

BHAC is seeking an experienced arts or cultural organisation leader with good commercial acumen, strong people management, arts administration and organisational skills, genuine cross-cultural competency and a sound understanding of the Australian Indigenous visual arts sector.

You'll bring demonstrated experience across sales and retail operations, financial management, stakeholder engagement, artist support, exhibitions and curatorial practice, with the ability to balance commercial outcomes with cultural integrity and manage the competing priorities of a busy arts organisation.

You'll also need a tertiary qualification in arts, arts management, art history or a related discipline (or equivalent relevant experience), along with a current Manual Driver licence, Ochre Card, National Police Check and First Aid Certificate, or the ability to obtain these.

The following will be highly regarded:

• Experience working within an Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisation or a remote community setting
• Experience in cultural tourism, public programs or visitor engagement
• Proficiency using the SAM database or similar collection management system
• Manual 4WD driving experience in remote conditions

Please Note: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are strongly encouraged to apply.

What Great Leadership Looks Like Here

Success in this role will come from your ability to build trust, work collaboratively and lead with genuine respect for community and culture. You'll bring:

• Commercial and cultural balance – you're equally comfortable developing commercial opportunities, managing budgets and grant acquittals as you are protecting the cultural integrity of artists' work
• Collaborative leadership – you partner with community and artists, and you value the experience of a long-standing local team
• Cross-cultural competency – you're comfortable working across multiple language groups and cultural protocols, and genuinely willing to learn rather than assume
• Flexibility and patience – remote community operations shift with cultural obligations, community priorities and conditions on the ground, and you take that in your stride

Benefits That Support You and Your Journey

Salary and Financial Benefits

• A base salary of $100,000 – $120,000 + Super, with flexibility to negotiate above this range for an outstanding, senior-level candidate with strong commercial acumen
• Generous Salary Packaging of up to $18,550, available through BHAC's not-for-profit status ($15,900 for everyday living expenses, plus $2,650 for meals, entertainment or venue hire)
• 17.5% Annual Leave Loading

Relocation and Accommodation

• Relocation Assistance provided
• Rent-Free, Furnished Accommodation provided in Maningrida, NT

Leave and Travel Benefits

• 6 weeks' Annual Leave each year
• Dry-Season Road Access to Darwin and Kakadu National Park

Life and Impact in Maningrida!

Maningrida sits on the coast of the Arafura Sea in Central-West Arnhem Land, one of the most culturally rich and visually striking parts of the Northern Territory. It's a genuine community posting, home to a strong, active arts and cultural life connected to more than 30 surrounding homelands.

Life here moves differently to the city. Dry-season road access connects you to Darwin and Kakadu National Park, and time spent on the homelands offers a rare chance to properly experience Arnhem Land's landscape and culture. For the right person, this is less a posting and more a genuine way of life, built on relationships, community and country.

Ready to Lead Something Meaningful?

If you're an experienced arts leader who brings sound judgement, cultural respect and genuine commercial capability, this is your opportunity to lead one of Australia's most significant Aboriginal-owned art centres and play a key role in its next chapter - APPLY NOW!

If you'd like to discuss this opportunity further before applying, please email arts.manager@bawinanga.org.au