About Bastion

Bastion is an independent agency that exists to put brands, organisations and people in a position of strength. Our integrated model sees brand, digital, social, influencer, experiential and research experts sitting side by side, working together on major brands to solve their marketing challenges.

At Bastion Experience we create strategic partnerships and brand experiences that people want to talk about, creating work that surprises and delights.

Our mission is to empower businesses to thrive by delivering actionable insights, enhancing brand equity, and curating exceptional experiences. We possess a deep understanding of what motivates an audience, enabling us to cultivate enduring brand loyalty and engagement. Bastion Experience ensures brands stand strong and distinguished in a competitive landscape.

Role Overview

The Managing Director, Bastion Experience is responsible for the overall strategic, commercial, and creative leadership of the agency.

Reporting to the Bastion Group CEO, and sitting on the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the MD will drive growth, ensure operational excellence, and deliver world-class experiential and partnership work across our client portfolio, and at the same time work collaboratively with each of the other practice areas to drive growth for the group.

This is a leadership role for a visionary and hands-on operator, someone who can inspire teams, nurture clients, and accelerate growth by building experiences people remember and relationships that endure.

You will work closely with the ELT, and broader executive team to shape the Agency's growth strategy, while actively mentoring and developing your team.

Roles & Responsibilities

1. Leadership & Vision

• Set and execute the strategic direction for Bastion Experience, aligned with the broader Bastion vision and commercial objectives.
• Foster a high-performance culture of radical collaboration, creativity, and accountability, ensuring every team member feels inspired, empowered, and aligned to a shared purpose.
• Champion innovation and thought leadership in experiential and partnership marketing, positioning Bastion Experience as a market leader.
• Act as a visible and credible ambassador for the agency in the industry and within the Bastion group.

2. Business Growth & Commercial Strategy

• P&L responsibility. Lead the delivery of revenue targets, growth and margin improvement, ensuring profitable expansion across all services – Creative, Commercial Strategy and Production.
• Identify, pursue, and convert high-value new business opportunities, while deepening existing client partnerships.
• Collaborate with other Bastion practice areas to drive cross-agency integration and shared commercial success.
• Develop and execute clear commercial plans, including annual revenue forecasts, pipeline management, and pricing strategies.
• Build the agency’s market reputation through visibility, relationships, and excellence in delivery.

3. Client Excellence

• Build and maintain senior-level client relationships, positioning Bastion Experience as an indispensable strategic partner.
• Oversee the delivery of world-class experiential, sponsorship, and commercial partnership campaigns that drive measurable impact.
• Ensure every engagement is underpinned by robust insight, creativity and technology - and has a clear link to client business outcomes.
• Champion effectiveness, ensuring our work delivers emotional connection, incorporates relevant and groundbreaking technologies and ensures commercial performance.
• Drive exceptional client retention and satisfaction scores, ensuring consistent year-on-year growth.

4. Strategy, Innovation & Creative Impact

• Lead a culture of commercial, strategic and creative excellence, balancing bold ideas with commercial intelligence.
• Encourage cross-disciplinary innovation, combining experiential, digital, and cultural strategy to deliver market-leading solutions.
• Use data and insights to inform creative and strategic decisions, ensuring work is culturally relevant and commercially powerful.
• Promote continuous improvement and experimentation across teams and processes.

5. People & Culture

• Lead, mentor, and develop a multidisciplinary team of 30+ specialists, including commercial strategy, client service, creative, and production.
• Foster a values-driven, inclusive, and growth-oriented culture where people feel challenged, supported, and proud of their work.
• Ensure team structures, processes, and tools are in place to support efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence.
• Champion collaboration across the Bastion group, ensuring teams work seamlessly and transparently together.
• Build future capability and succession planning through proactive talent development.

6. Operations & Financial Performance

• Oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations, ensuring commercial discipline, efficiency, and profitability.
• Deliver against annual revenue, margin, and profit targets, and maintain tight cost and resource management.
• Partner with Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, pricing, and reporting across all business units.
• Lead ongoing process improvement initiatives to drive productivity and margin enhancement.
• Report on key business performance metrics to the Group CEO and Bastion board and participate actively in group leadership forums.

What You'll Bring

1. 15-20 years in leadership roles across sponsorship, commercial partnerships or brand marketing
2. Commercial acumen with a strong track record of driving client growth preferably in an agency setting.
3. Experience leading diverse teams and delivering high-value outcomes for major brands.
4. Deep understanding of the Australian and global sport, arts, entertainment, and cultural landscape.
5. Confident presenter and communicator with experience influencing senior stakeholders and the C-suite.
6. Strong grasp of marketing effectiveness, sponsorship valuation, and ROI modelling tools.
7. High emotional intelligence, leadership maturity, and collaborative approach.

*Applicants based in Melbourne AND Sydney welcome to apply*