He will replace Ben Hindmarsh who announced in November last year he would not renew his contract into 2020.
Sources close to the appointment process said Mr Hawkes had won the job ahead of Jeremy Greenwood,a former staffer to Resources and Northern Australia Minister Matt Canavan.
McDonald's government relations manager Tahlia Robertson was also a candidate.
The Nationals will celebrate the party's centenary on January 22 ahead of a historical re-enactment ceremony at the Parliament of Victoria in March.
Mr Hawkes is a political journeyman,having served as Tasmanian Liberal Party state director,a press secretary in the Howard government and to opposition leaders in the ACT and Northern Territory.
He also worked in public affairs roles for the Minerals Council of Australia and the Australian Automobile Association.