Head of Precast Operations

Akura; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Vehicle allowance

Relocation assistance

Growth opportunity

Employee wellbeing program

Job summary

Akura is seeking an experienced Head of Precast Operations to lead the Bathurst precast facility and optimise production across sites. You will drive capacity growth, manage a high-performing team and expand capability for multi-storey building components, including columns, beams and façades.

Authority to shape production planning, quality, safety, and commercial performance, with relocation support for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• The successful candidate will be an experienced manufacturing leader with strong precast, technical and commercial capability.
• A track record of running a manufacturing plant, leading teams and scaling operations.
• Experience building or transforming a precast plant or production line with measurable improvements.
• Experience manufacturing above-ground structural precast for building projects.
• Strong commercial and cost understanding including costing and plant utilisation.

Responsibilities

• Own the operating performance of the Bathurst precast facility and manage production flow.
• Establish production planning, scheduling and drive improvements in cycle time and productivity.
• Lead procurement, supplier performance and ensure reliable supply across sites.

Skills

Leadership

Precast operations

Manufacturing leadership

Cost management

Production planning

Quality improvement

Safety leadership

Stakeholder management

Team development

Education

Trade, engineering or manufacturing qualification

Job description

At Akura, people come first. We’re a hands-on, values-driven team where initiative is encouraged, accountability matters and great work is recognised.

With over 50 years of experience, Akura specialises in industrial design and construction, delivering high-quality industrial units, warehouses and self-storage facilities. Our in-house steel and precast manufacturing capabilities support projects from design through to construction.

Join a growing Australian business with a strong pipeline, long-term vision and the opportunity to contribute to projects shaping Australia’s industrial landscape.

About the Role

Akura is a long-standing Australian business investing significantly in the growth and expansion of its precast manufacturing capability. We’re looking for an experienced, technically strong leader to play a pivotal role in this next phase of growth — someone who wants to build capability, drive innovation and help shape the future of our operations.

AsHead of Precast Operations, you will lead Akura's factory growth, optimising production and expanding capacity at our existing Bathurst facility, working alongside a high-performing team!

You’ll play a key role in expanding our product offering, developing the capability to manufacture complex structural precast for multi-storey buildings and supporting Akura’s broader growth ambitions, with plans for expansion for another facility.

We’re looking for someone who has earned their stripes in precast manufacturing. You’ll have worked your way up, got your hands dirty and developed deep technical expertise in precast design and manufacturing. You understand the realities of the factory floor and can combine that practical experience with the leadership capability to build high-performing teams, improve production and scale operations.

With significant investment underway and an expanding pipeline of opportunities, this role offers the chance to make a genuine impact — establishing new manufacturing capability, increasing production capacity and helping shape the next chapter of Akura’s growth.

Success will be measured through safety, quality, production output, cost efficiency and the successful delivery of new manufacturing capabilities.

This is a full-time, permanent position, based at either Akura’s Rhodes office in Sydney or Bathurst manufacturing facility, with regular travel between locations and to project sites. Relocation assistance will be considered for the right candidate.

Be part of Akura’s growth journey and help build the next generation of precast manufacturing capability.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the operating performance of the Bathurst precast facility, including production flow, moulds, casting, batching, curing, reinforcement and despatch.
• Establish production planning and scheduling, and drive improvements in cycle time, utilisation, yield, rework and overall productivity.
• Identify bottlenecks and implement measurable operational improvements.

Market & Product Expansion

• Build the capability to manufacture above-ground structural and architectural precast for multi-storey and complex buildings, including columns, beams, walls, stairs, spandrels and façade.
• Work with estimating, design and sales to ensure work is technically deliverable and commercially viable.
• Build strong relationships with clients and key stakeholders including structural engineers, builders, precast erectors and provide operational expertise to support project and business strategy.

Capacity Growth

• Increase output and capacity through productivity improvements, bottleneck removal, capital investment and workforce planning.
• Develop and deliver the business case for additional capacity, including a potential second plant from site selection through to commissioning and ramp-up.

Quality, Compliance & Certification

• Own the plant’s quality management system, testing, traceability and compliance with relevant Australian Standards, including AS 3600, AS 3850 and AS 1379.
• Establish a culture of quality built into the manufacturing process.
• Recruit, lead and develop the precast workforce in conjunction with the current Precast Operations Manager
• Build strong supervision and skills capability to support growth and potential expansion.
• Manage workforce planning, performance, engagement and industrial relations.

Safety

• Own WHS across the manufacturing operation and transport and erection interfaces.
• Set and maintain a high standard of safety performance and accountability.

Commercial Ownership

• Own the cost of production and maintain an element-level cost model.
• Control material, labour, mould, plant and overhead costs, using clear operational and commercial metrics to drive performance.
• Contribute to pricing, forecasting, capital planning and divisional reporting.

Supply Chain

• Lead procurement and supplier performance across materials, reinforcement, cast-in items, moulds, consumables and transport.
• Ensure reliable supply and effective coordination between manufacturing, transport, site delivery and erection.

About You

The successful candidate will be an experienced manufacturing leader with strong precast, technical and commercial capability, with a proven track record of running a manufacturing plant, leading teams, improving performance and scaling operations.

Hands-on when required, commercially focused and strategic, they will build strong relationships across production, engineering, customers and senior stakeholders. This is a manufacturing and operations leadership role, not a site or project management position. You can demonstrate:

• Experience leading aprecast manufacturing operation, with accountability for output, cost and quality.
• A track record of establishing or transforming a precast plant or production line, with measurable improvements in output, cost and quality.
• Experience manufacturingabove-ground structural precast for building projects, with exposure to products such as columns, beams, walls, stairs and architectural façade. Experience solely in civil or infrastructure precast is less relevant.
• Strong commercial and cost understanding, including element-level costing, labour productivity, mould economics and plant utilisation.
• Ability to read structural and shop drawings and understand reinforcement, cast-ins, connections, lifting, propping and tolerances.
• Experience managing quality, compliance, testing, documentation and traceability.
• Experience transitioning from commodity to structural or architectural precast.
• Experience with prestressed, post-tensioned or hollowcore production.
• Experience with automation, carousel or pallet-circulation systems.
• Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement.
• Trade, engineering or manufacturing qualification.

What we offer you

• Competitive Package - Attractive base salary + super + vehicle allowance
• Bonus - Be part of our company wide Bonus scheme
• Relocation allowance - Relocation assistance may be considered for the right candidate, particularly those relocating from interstate.
• Growth -A senior leadership opportunity to lead the next stage of Akura’s precast manufacturing capability.
• Positive Workplace Culture– Regular culture initiatives, including monthly birthday celebrations, strategy day activities and various team events
• Employee Wellbeing Support– Access to our Employee Assistance Program (EAP), providing confidential mental health and wellbeing support.

Interested?

This is a fantastic opportunity to join the Akura team.

Alignment with our core values is key so if you’ve got the right skills and you’re reliable, a team player with a can-do attitude, driven to deliver quality outputs and willing to innovate/challenge the status quo, we’d love to hear from you.

* As part of our recruitment process, we conduct background checks, which include police and medical assessments, to ensure suitability for the role.