Chief Executive Officer

Foley Durham; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 250,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Foley Durham is seeking a hands-on CEO to provide strategic leadership and full financial and operational accountability for its Victorian operations and expansion across Australia’s Eastern Seaboard. The role focuses on executing the Board's strategy, improving margins, and leading high-performing teams with a safety-first mindset.

With decades of heritage and a vertically integrated platform across Australia, the privately owned SME operates in Victoria and Queensland, emphasising operational

Qualifications

• Proven executive leadership experience in recycling, manufacturing or related operational businesses.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to improve margins and operational performance.
• Demonstrated experience commissioning and operating industrial facilities.
• Strategic capability in acquisitions, business integration and expansion.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, Board reporting and people leadership skills.
• An entrepreneurial mindset, decisive problem-solving abilities, authenticity and execution focus.
• 15–20 years in key people leadership and operational roles with full P&L, OH&S, oversight of sales and business transformation responsibilities.
• Experience within a high-growth SME covering recycling, fleet management or industrial services.
• Ability to communicate and influence at all levels and a track record of scaling a business to $50m annually.
• Operationally focused at site (inner western suburb), leading the operations team in addition to head office in South Melbourne (1-2 days a week).

Responsibilities

• Execute the Board's strategy, identify acquisitions, partnerships and expansion opportunities
• Drive profitability, margins, cash flow, working capital and shareholder returns
• Optimise plant performance, production efficiency, throughput and cost management, with an immediate focus on improving the Victorian business
• Build high-performing teams with a strong focus on accountability, safety and continuous improvement
• Lead relationships with the Board, investors, financiers, customers and industry partners
• Ensure robust reporting, environmental compliance, risk management and operational safety

Skills

Executive leadership

Financial acumen

P&L management

Strategic acquisitions

Stakeholder engagement

People leadership

Entrepreneurial mindset

Decision making

Communication at all levels

Job description

Reporting to the Board, the CEO will provide strategic leadership, full financial and operational accountability, oversee the existing businesses and drive expansion across Australia's Eastern Seaboard.

Key responsibilities

• Execute the Board's strategy, identify acquisitions, partnerships and expansion opportunities
• Drive profitability, margins, cash flow, working capital and shareholder returns
• Optimise plant performance, production efficiency, throughput and cost management, with an immediate focus on improving the Victorian business
• Build high-performing teams with a strong focus on accountability, safety and continuous improvement
• Lead relationships with the Board, investors, financiers, customers and industry partners
• Ensure robust reporting, environmental compliance, risk management and operational safety

About you

• Proven executive leadership experience in recycling, manufacturing, industrial processing or related operational businesses
• Strong financial acumen, P&L management and ability to improve margins and operational performance
• Demonstrated experience commissioning and operating industrial facilities
• Strategic capability in acquisitions, business integration and expansion
• Excellent stakeholder engagement, Board reporting and people leadership skills
• An entrepreneurial mindset, decisive problem-solving abilities, authenticity and a strong bias towards execution
• 15-20 years in key people leadership and operational roles with full P&L, OH&S, oversight of sales and business transformation responsibilities
• Experience within a high-growth SME covering recycling, fleet management or industrial services
• Ability to communicate and influence at all levels and a track record of having scaled a business to $50m annually
• Operationally focused at site (inner western suburb), leading the operations team in addition to head office in South Melbourne (1-2 days a week)

About us

This privately owned SME has decades of heritage building a vertically integrated production collection, processing and recycling platform across Australia. With established operations in Victoria and Queensland, the company is focused on operational excellence, strategic acquisitions and sustainable growth, capitalising on the expanding circular economy while delivering long-term shareholder value. With a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation, collaboration and empowerment, the independent Board is seeking a hands-on CEO to lead the company in its next 3-5 years of measured profitability growth via M&A and eventually a trade sale (private equity).