Head of Operations

Sonder Executive; Queensland; Presencial; AUD 180.000 - 240.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

Sonder Executive seeks an experienced Head of Operations to lead two fresh produce processing and packing facilities in Bundaberg, QLD, guiding capacity expansion, automation and operational improvement. Reporting to the senior operations leadership team, you will oversee production, maintenance, safety, budget accountability and people leadership, driving performance and cost efficiency across sites.

You will develop teams, embed Lean practices and collaborate across functions to deliver

Formación

• Proven senior operations leadership experience in food manufacturing or fresh produce processing.
• Experience overseeing complex manufacturing operations across multiple facilities is ideal.
• Strong financial acumen with budget ownership and cost management.
• Track record of improving throughput, yield, labour productivity and efficiency.
• Experience delivering capital projects, facility expansions or automation initiatives.
• Developing operational teams, building capability and driving accountability.
• Knowledge of food safety, quality systems, GMP/HACCP and regulatory requirements.
• Experience applying Lean and continuous improvement methodologies.

Responsabilidades

• Lead day-to-day operations across two processing and packing facilities to ensure safe, efficient production.
• Drive improvements in throughput, yield, labour productivity, and costs.
• Oversee production planning and scheduling to optimise capacity and delivery.
• Manage capital expansion, automation projects and adherence to budget and timelines.
• Own operational budgets and maintenance expenditure across sites.
• Foster a proactive safety culture with WHS and food safety compliance.
• Develop and empower teams, strengthening leadership and accountability.
• Collaborate with quality, procurement and supply chain to optimise performance.

Conocimientos

Senior ops leadership

Food manufacturing

Lean manufacturing

Capital projects delivery

People leadership

Budget ownership

WHS & food safety

Cross-functional collaboration

Educación

Engineering or manufacturing qualification

Descripción del empleo

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.