Initiative Lead

Optus; Council of the City of Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A telecommunications company based in Australia is looking for an Initiative Lead for Automation & Process to drive operational standards. This role requires strong experience in automation strategy and telecommunications, offering flexible working arrangements and competitive benefits. Ideal candidates will have a background in DevOps, excellent communication skills, and a degree in IT or related fields.

Benefits

Competitive remuneration and employee discounts

Flexible working arrangements

Vibrant office campus facilities

Additional 'Connected' leave days

Inclusive paid Parental Leave

Training and development opportunities

Wellbeing support services

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in telecommunications, DevOps, software development, or related technical fields.
• Proven experience in automation strategy, governance, and development.
• Strong knowledge of business drivers, use cases, and CI/CD practices.

Responsibilities

• Set measurable automation objectives for Network Operations.
• Identify process improvement opportunities and define automation requirements.
• Monitor emerging technologies and lead innovation initiatives.

Skills

Telecommunications experience

Automation strategy

DevOps tools

Problem analysis

Excellent communication

Education

Degree in Telecommunications, IT, or equivalent

Tools

GitLab

Kubernetes

Docker

Ansible

SonarQube

Job description

Optus is an Australian telecommunications company, delivering more than 11 million services to our customers every day across mobile, broadband and digital solutions.

The Initiative Lead, Automation & Process plays a pivotal role in driving operational standards across Network Operations. Reporting to the Director, Governance & Business Improvement, this role provides strategic leadership to identify, prioritise, and deliver high-impact automation and process improvement initiatives. By enhancing operational capability and reducing Total Cost of Operations (TCO), the position ensures that automation becomes a core enabler of efficiency, resilience, and long-term value.

Working closely with internal teams and external partners, the Lead is responsible for developing business cases, defining user requirements, and implementing solutions that align with both operational goals and future technology roadmaps. This includes driving automation across legacy and emerging infrastructure, ensuring seamless integration, and supporting continuous improvement.

What You'll Do

• Set measurable automation objectives for Network Operations and serve as the key contact for automation initiatives across teams.
• Identify process improvement opportunities, define automation requirements with business units, and manage vendor engagement.
• Monitor emerging technologies, lead innovation initiatives from scoping to delivery, and build expertise in new standards.
• Integrate automation with resilience strategies to ensure adaptability, continuity, and robust system performance.
• Oversee automation program delivery, ensuring reliability, accessibility, CI/CD adoption, and effective governance.
• Present strategic updates to senior leaders, prepare materials for executive forums, and manage business cases, budgets, and CAPEX planning.

What You Bring

• 5+ years' experience in telecommunications, DevOps, software development, or related technical fields, with knowledge of system/network architecture.
• Proven experience in automation strategy, governance, and development, with strong knowledge of business drivers, use cases, and CI/CD practices.
• Skilled in automation technologies (RPA, AI/ML, orchestration), DevOps tools (GitLab, Kubernetes, Docker, Ansible, SonarQube), and system integration.
• Familiar with lifecycle management tools, reporting frameworks, and software delivery processes; experience in product development and customer design.
• Strong capability in problem analysis, solution design, and applying insights to improve operational efficiency.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder influence skills, with a degree in Telecommunications, IT, or equivalent qualification.

The good stuff….

• Competitive remuneration and employee discounts. Make life easier (and more affordable) with $80 monthly credit and 25% off Optus products and unique shopping discounts with our retail partners.
• Flexible working arrangements with opportunities to work three days in the office, two days remote or home.
• Vibrant and collaborative office campus that includes cafes, convenience store, chill out zones, GP, post office, gym and on-site childcare centre.
• Competitive leave policies, including additional 'Connected' days to focus on culture, family, health, community, or whatever's important to you.
• We support growing families with inclusive, carer-neutral paid Parental Leave of up to 16 weeks.
• Direct your own development and build future-ready skills with Optus U's industry-focused micro-credentials, developed with La Trobe and Macquarie Universities.
• Build meaningful connections through employee-led networks and diversity initiatives including Culture Connect, Elevate Women, Disability Network and Express Yourself (LGBTQIA+).
• Put your wellbeing first with free access to counselling and support services, 24/7 — in-person, by phone, SMS, or video.

At Optus, we are strengthened by others and that means valuing diversity and saying 'yes' to embracing individual differences. We are committed to ensuring that our application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, individuals with a disability, individuals identifying as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals who may have served in the armed forces or who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. We also want to do our best to make our recruitment process inclusive. If you require any adjustments or accessibility support to participate fairly and equitably in the recruitment process, please email [e-mail] or call 1800 309 170. We're here to help. When you contact us, please advise your preferred method of contact, and we will be in touch within 48 hours.

For more information on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Optus, please visit https://www.optus.com.au/about/inclusion-diversity