Associate Director of IT Operations

hellofresh; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Headspace access

Internal learning & development

Company discount - HelloFresh & Youfoo

Headspace

Job summary

HelloFresh, based in Sydney, seeks a senior IT leader to evolve the APAC IT function from a service desk to a globally integrated operations hub. You will coordinate across Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines while aligning with Berlin and Toronto.

As APAC Senior Leader, you will shape strategy, drive AI-enabled workflows, manage stakeholders, and oversee SLAs, audits, and vendor optimization to maximize regional ROI.

Qualifications

• Async-First leadership across multiple time zones with clear written direction.
• Experience leading APAC IT strategy and multi-country service delivery.
• Hands-on experience partnering with exec stakeholders and senior leadership.

Responsibilities

• Define and own the APAC IT strategy across HelloFresh entities.
• Lead a distributed team across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
• Transform service-desk into a specialized IT Operations framework.
• Partner with executive stakeholders to translate tech trade-offs into business guidance.
• Govern SLAs, compliance, and audits with visibility to global IT leadership.
• Embed AI-driven workflows as a core operating standard.
• Optimize regional ROI through vendor negotiations and tool consolidation.

Skills

Async-First Leadership

APAC Senior Leadership

Executive Stakeholder Management

Distributed Team Building

AI Adoption

Financial & Governance Savvy

Job description

Based in our Chippendale head office in Sydney and reporting to our Director of IT, you will lead the evolution of our APAC IT team from a traditional service desk into a high-performing, globally integrated IT operations hub. Covering HelloConnect Philippines (1,600+ staff across three sites), YouFoodz, BeCool Logistics, and HelloFresh ANZ, this is one of the most dynamic and operationally complex IT leadership roles in the HelloFresh Group.

You will...

• Define & Own Regional Strategy: Shape and execute the APAC IT strategy across all entities, balancing speed, scope, and quality to seamlessly integrate the region into the global HelloFresh ecosystem.
• Lead & Master Asynchronous Work: Guide a distributed team across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines while syncing with Berlin and Toronto. You write clear direction and document key decisions, empowering time-zone-agnostic execution where real-time overlap is optimized and asynchronous is the default.
• Evolve Regional Operations: Transform a service-desk model into a specialized IT Operations framework, building deep domain expertise so local teams can operate autonomously without constant escalation.
• Partner with Executive Stakeholders: Serve as the trusted IT advisor to APAC business leadership, translating complex technical trade-offs into clear, high-level business recommendations.
• Drive SLAs, Compliance & Audits: Govern regional performance using Jira Service Management insights, maintaining a robust audit posture and keeping global IT leadership informed on key metrics.
• Champion AI Innovation: Lead by example with AI tools, actively embedding AI-driven workflows across the team as a core operational standard.
• Optimize Finance & Influence Global Strategy: Maximize regional ROI through smart vendor negotiations, tooling consolidation, and infrastructure streamlining, while representing APAC as a key contributor to global IT strategy.

You have/are...

• Async-First Leadership: Proven ability to manage across major time-zone gaps (e.g., aligning Manila with different hemispheres) using clear written communication and structure over constant calls.
• APAC Senior Leadership: Experience at the Associate Director level (or equivalent), with direct accountability for multi-country IT strategy, portfolio ownership, and service delivery across APAC.
• Philippines & BPO Expertise: Hands-on experience leading or partnering with IT operations in a Philippines-based BPO or shared-services environment-navigating regulatory requirements, multi-site logistics, and remote team management.
• Executive Stakeholder Management: Track record of advising C-suite stakeholders, balancing competing interests, and simplifying complex IT trade-offs into clear decisions.
• Distributed Team Building: Expertise in leading cross-cultural teams across borders, focusing on performance calibration, coaching, and retention.
• AI Adoption: Practical experience integrating AI tools into your personal workflows and embedding AI-driven practices within your team to boost efficiency.
• Financial & Governance Savvy: Skilled in cost optimization via vendor negotiations and tool consolidation. Familiarity with cybersecurity frameworks and BPO regulatory environments is a plus.

What you’ll get in return...

• The chance to have a significant impact in a leading global food technology company
• Flexible working arrangements
• Egoless environment, constant learning with room for personal growth
• Free access to Headspace
• Internal learning & development
• A diverse and vibrant international environment, with offices in 18 countries
• Company discount - 70% off HelloFresh & 40% off Youfoodz

Start Date: Immediately available - Can wait a notice period

Duration: Permanent full time role. You must have the right to work full-time in Australia/New Zealand

Location: Chippendale Head Office- hybrid working environment

Salary: Competitive salary & employee benefits