Head of Operations

Sonder Executive; Queensland; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonder Executive is seeking an experienced Head of Operations to oversee two fresh produce processing and packing facilities in Bundaberg, QLD. You will drive capacity expansion, automation initiatives and Lean improvements while ensuring safety, quality and regulatory compliance.

You will lead production planning, capital projects and budgets, developing strong leadership across teams and delivering measurable efficiency gains in a growing Australian food business.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in food manufacturing or fresh produce processing.
• Experience overseeing operations across multiple facilities.
• Strong financial acumen with budget ownership and cost management.
• Proven track record of improving throughput, yield and productivity.
• Experience delivering capital projects, automation or plant expansions.
• Lean/cim principles with HACCP/GMP knowledge.
• Developing operational teams and driving accountability.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations across two facilities with safe, cost-efficient production.
• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, labour productivity and costs.
• Oversee production planning and scheduling to optimise capacity and delivery.
• Manage expansion, capital investment and automation projects to meet budgets and timelines.
• Administer site budgets and maintenance expenditure.
• Champion a proactive safety culture and regulatory compliance.
• Develop and empower operational teams and leadership capabilities.
• Collaborate with quality, procurement and supply chain to boost performance.

Skills

Senior operations leadership

Lean manufacturing

Budget ownership

Safety culture

People development

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Education

Engineering/Manufacturing qualification

Tools

ERP systems

Capital project management tools

Job description

The Company

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced Head of Operations to lead two established food processing and packing facilities in Bundaberg, QLD, as the business embarks on a significant phase of capacity expansion, automation and operational improvement.

With a strong national presence and continued investment in its processing capabilities, the business is focused on expanding production capacity, improving operational efficiency and supporting future growth.

With significant expansion and automation initiatives planned, this is an opportunity to lead the next phase of operational development across two key processing facilities.

The Role

Reporting to the senior operations leadership team, you'll take responsibility for the overall performance of two fresh produce processing and packing facilities, overseeing production, maintenance, safety, people leadership and operational budgets.

You'll play a key role in driving operational performance, strengthening leadership capability and delivering capacity expansion and automation projects to support future growth.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead day-to-day operations across two processing and packing facilities, ensuring safe, efficient and cost-effective production.
• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, labour productivity, equipment effectiveness and operational costs.
• Oversee production planning and scheduling to optimise capacity, resource utilisation and customer delivery.
• Lead facility expansion, capital investment and automation projects, ensuring delivery against budget, timelines and quality requirements.
• Manage operational budgets, maintenance expenditure and overall site performance.
• Champion a proactive safety culture, ensuring compliance with WHS, food safety and regulatory requirements.
• Develop and empower operational teams, strengthening leadership capability, engagement and accountability.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, embedding Lean manufacturing principles and operational best practices.
• Collaborate with quality, procurement, supply chain and broader business functions to optimise operational performance.

Your Background

You'll be an experienced manufacturing or processing leader who combines strong operational expertise with a hands-on, people-centric leadership style. Comfortable operating in a growing and evolving environment, you'll bring a proven ability to improve performance, develop teams and deliver operational improvement projects.

You'll bring:

• Proven senior operations leadership experience within food manufacturing, fresh produce processing or a similar environment.
• Experience overseeing complex manufacturing operations, ideally across multiple facilities.
• Strong financial acumen, including operational budget ownership and cost management.
• Demonstrated success improving throughput, yield, labour productivity and manufacturing efficiency.
• Experience delivering capital projects, facility expansions or manufacturing automation initiatives.
• A strong track record of developing operational teams, building capability and driving accountability.
• Sound knowledge of food safety, quality systems and regulatory requirements, including HACCP and GMP.
• Experience implementing Lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong planning, problem-solving and stakeholder management capabilities.
• A qualification or trade background in Engineering, Manufacturing or a related discipline would be advantageous.

What's On Offer

An opportunity to lead two established processing facilities within a growing Australian agricultural and food processing business. With significant expansion and automation initiatives ahead, you'll have the autonomy to influence operational strategy, strengthen leadership capability and deliver meaningful improvements in capacity, efficiency and overall performance.