Head of Operations

Southlink Pty Ltd (SA); Adelaide; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Novated leasing

Retail discounts across 9000 locations

Health and wellbeing programs

Job summary

Keolis ANZ is seeking a Head of Operations to lead safe, reliable passenger transport services across South Australia. You will report to the General Manager, drive performance, manage depots, and ensure regulatory compliance while delivering excellent customer outcomes.

You will oversee staffing, rostering, planning, and continuous improvement initiatives, working with stakeholders and external partners to optimise service delivery and maintain Euro/ISO-aligned safety and quality systems.

Qualifications

• Proven senior leadership experience in a complex operational environment.
• Strong knowledge of safety, compliance and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to lead large, multidisciplinary teams and drive performance.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with focus on continuous improvement.
• Tertiary qualifications in transport, business, management or related field.

Responsibilities

• Accountable for the efficient delivery of all operational services across depots.
• Lead workforce management including staffing, rostering and performance assessment.
• Present and monitor long-term operational plans, reporting progress to senior leadership.
• Oversee planning of bus services including timetabling, scheduling and fleet utilisation.
• Ensure compliance with legislative, regulatory WHS, accreditation, and NHVR requirements.
• Maintain and improve the Business Management System (ISO aligned) for safety, quality and environment.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives and manage risks and incidents.
• Represent the organisation in external forums and build relationships with partners.
• Provide day-to-day strategic and operational leadership to multidisciplinary teams.

Job description

Keolis ANZ is one of Australia's largest private providers of multi-modal public transport. Keolis has a long-term commitment to Australia and New Zealand and aspires to be the partner of choice for public transport authorities by delivering on our commitment to “think like a passenger”. At the heart of this approach, we work closely with our clients, the community, and our customers to understand their objectives. We then work in partnership to deliver a shared vision for a city or region. In Australia, Keolis is the proud operator of 6 business units within the bus group including our brands of Keolis Northern Beaches, Keolis Hunter, Hornibrook Bus Lines, Path Transit, Link SA and SouthLink. Together we operate a fleet of over 1,500 vehicles from our depots located in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

There's never been a more exciting time to join as we transition to a Zero Emission Bus Fleet in a number of our major contract regions across Australia. You will be a part of a dynamic and enthusiastic team that delivers the best possible bus transportation across Australia. We want our people to take pride in what they do, have a passion for creating connections and relish the opportunity to develop a fulfilling career. Competitive salary package on offer including employee benefits such as novated leasing, discounts with hundreds of retailers in over 9000 locations across Australia with big name brands, health and wellbeing programs for you and your family.

About the role

As the Head of Operations, you will lead the delivery of safe, reliable and efficient passenger transport services across South Australia. Reporting to the General Manager, you will drive operational performance, lead high-performing teams, ensure regulatory and contractual compliance, and work closely with stakeholders to continuously improve service delivery and customer outcomes.

Key responsibilities

Accountable for the efficient and effective delivery of all operational services, ensuring high standards of customer service and contractual performance across all depots.

Exercise authority over operational workforce management, including staffing levels, rostering, performance assessment, disciplinary actions, and capability development.

Present and monitor current and long‑term operational plans, objectives, and performance outcomes, reporting progress and risks to senior leadership.

Oversee planning and execution of bus services including timetabling, scheduling, on‑road operations, fleet utilisation, and resource allocation.

Ensure full compliance with legislative, regulatory, WHS, accreditation, and NHVR speed and fatigue management requirements.

Own and maintain the operational components of the Business Management System, including safety, quality, and environmental systems (ISO aligned).

Lead continuous improvement initiatives by analysing operational trends and implementing enhancements to work practices, systems, and equipment.

Represent the organisation in operational, stakeholder, regulatory, and community forums, building strong relationships with key external partners.

Provide day‑to‑day strategic and operational leadership to multidisciplinary teams, managing risks, incidents, service disruptions, and emergency responses.

About you

Proven senior leadership experience in a complex operational environment, ideally within public transport, logistics or a service delivery industry.

Strong knowledge of safety, compliance and regulatory requirements, with a commitment to maintaining the highest operational standards.

Demonstrated ability to lead, develop and motivate large, multidisciplinary teams to achieve exceptional performance outcomes.

Strong commercial and operational acumen, with the ability to balance service delivery, performance cost and risk.

Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across customers, government, employees and external partners.

Highly developed analytical and problem-solving skills, with a focus on continuous improvement and operational excellence.

Relevant tertiary qualifications or equivalent leadership experience in transport, business, management or a related field.

A collaborative leadership style aligned to Keolis' values, with a focus on integrity, accountability, inclusion and customer service.

A genuine commitment to safety, wellbeing and creating a respectful, high-performing workplace culture.

As an employer who embraces Equal Opportunity and promotes diversity, we encourage men and women of all ages and background, including indigenous Australians, to apply.

This role is being sourced directly by Keolis. We respectfully request no agency approaches.

SouthLink operates and manages route, school and special bus services under contract to the South Australian Government for the Outer South, Outer North and Hills Contract Areas of metropolitan Adelaide.

We operate out of seven bus depots located at Lonsdale and Seaford in the south, Elizabeth, Pooraka and Willaston in the north and Aldgate and Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills.

We have a team of over 660 dedicated transport professionals whom we employ across the seven main depots, the majority of these being Bus Drivers, Maintenance, Operations and Administration employees make up the balance of the staff

Source: this is an extract from the company’s own website.

SouthLink operates and manages route, school and special bus services under contract to the South Australian Government for the Outer South, Outer North and Hills Contract Areas of metropolitan Adelaide.

We operate out of seven bus depots located at Lonsdale and Seaford in the south, Elizabeth, Pooraka and Willaston in the north and Aldgate and Mt Barker in the Adelaide Hills.

We have a team of over 660 dedicated transport professionals whom we employ across the seven main depots, the majority of these being Bus Drivers, Maintenance, Operations and Administration employees make up the balance of the staff

Source: this is an extract from the company’s own website.