Operational Excellence Management Stream Lead

Harrison McMillan Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 260,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

Harrison McMillan Pty Ltd in Sydney, NSW seeks an Operational Excellence Management Stream Lead for a 12-month engagement. The role operates at senior leadership level within a large, regulated scientific and technical organisation, guiding an enterprise transformation program and ensuring sustained improvements.

You will partner with executives and subject matter experts to align priorities, manage complex issues, and drive practical, lasting change across operations, governance and regulatory

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience within large, complex organisations.
• Proven ability to deliver enterprise transformation and operational excellence programs.
• Strong stakeholder management and executive engagement skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead a significant management stream within a major Operational Excellence Program.
• Provide clear leadership, direction and structure across transformation initiatives.
• Work with senior executives to establish priorities and maintain alignment with program objectives.
• Drive delivery of large-scale transformation, remediation and operational improvements.
• Build relationships across executive, operational, technical, assurance and regulatory stakeholders.

Skills

Executive leadership

Stakeholder management

Facilitation

Negotiation

Communication

Job description

Operational Excellence Management Stream Lead - Sydney, NSW

• Lead a major enterprise-wide Operational Excellence transformation program
• High-impact 12-month senior leadership contract working with executive stakeholders
• Seeking an accomplished transformation, remediation or business improvement leader

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly experienced Operational Excellence Management Stream Lead to undertake a significant 12-month engagement within a large, highly regulated scientific and technical organisation.

This is a senior enterprise transformation role that will play an important part in the delivery of a broader Operational Excellence Program, working across executive, operational, technical, assurance and regulatory stakeholder groups.

We are looking for an accomplished senior leader who can step into a complex environment, quickly establish credibility and bring the leadership presence, judgement and stakeholder capability required to drive meaningful organisational change.

You will work closely with senior executives and subject matter experts, helping navigate complex and sometimes sensitive issues, create alignment across different stakeholder groups and maintain momentum across a significant program of work.

Success will require someone who is equally comfortable discussing strategy with executives, working through complex issues with technical specialists and engaging operational stakeholders to ensure improvements can be successfully implemented and sustained.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Lead a significant management stream within a major Operational Excellence Program
• Provide clear leadership, direction and structure across complex transformation and business improvement initiatives
• Work closely with senior executives and operational leaders to establish priorities and maintain alignment around program objectives
• Drive the delivery of large-scale transformation, remediation and operational improvement activities
• Build strong relationships across executive, operational, technical, assurance and regulatory stakeholder groups
• Navigate complex, sensitive and potentially contested issues while maintaining focus on broader organisational outcomes
• Influence senior stakeholders and achieve outcomes where direct authority may be limited
• Facilitate and moderate senior-level discussions to build alignment, resolve issues and support effective decision-making
• Identify emerging risks, roadblocks and organisational challenges and develop practical strategies to address them
• Maintain delivery momentum while balancing competing organisational, operational, technical and regulatory priorities
• Work collaboratively with subject matter experts to ensure proposed solutions are practical, sustainable and appropriate for the operating environment
• Provide clear and credible communication to senior stakeholders regarding progress, priorities, risks and outcomes
• Support the organisation to embed sustainable improvements and strengthen operational performance beyond the immediate program

About You

We are looking for an established senior or executive-level leader who has successfully operated within large and complex organisations.

You will bring a strong track record leading significant enterprise transformation, operational excellence, remediation, organisational change or large-scale business improvement programs.

You understand that major transformation is not simply about delivering a project plan. It requires the ability to understand people, organisational dynamics, competing priorities and resistance to change while continuing to move the program forward.

You will be comfortable entering an environment where not every answer is immediately clear. You can quickly assess the organisational landscape, identify what matters and bring structure and direction without creating unnecessary complexity.

Importantly, you will know how to influence at senior levels, challenge constructively and bring together stakeholders who may have very different priorities and perspectives.

Your Experience Will Include:

• Demonstrated executive or senior leadership experience within large and complex organisations
• A strong track record delivering enterprise transformation, operational excellence, remediation or large-scale business improvement programs
• Significant program leadership and stakeholder management experience
• Experience working across complex operational, technical and corporate environments
• Proven ability to manage complex, sensitive or contested issues
• Demonstrated success influencing outcomes without relying on direct reporting authority
• Experience engaging confidently with senior executives, subject matter experts, assurance functions and external stakeholders
• Strong organisational awareness and the ability to understand complex stakeholder environments
• Excellent judgement and the ability to make sound decisions when operating with ambiguity
• Experience managing competing priorities while maintaining delivery momentum and accountability
• Highly developed facilitation, moderation, negotiation and relationship management skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication capability

Previous experience within a highly regulated, scientific, technical, engineering, infrastructure, government, defence, energy or similarly complex operating environment will be highly regarded.

Beyond your technical and transformation experience, your leadership presence will be critical to success in this engagement.

You will bring the maturity, resilience and personal gravitas required to operate effectively with senior executives while remaining collaborative and approachable when working with operational teams and subject matter experts.

You will know when to listen, when to challenge and when to make a decision.

You will be comfortable facilitating difficult conversations and working through situations where stakeholders may have competing views or priorities.

Major transformation rarely follows a perfectly straight path. When priorities change, ambiguity exists or resistance emerges, you remain calm, pragmatic and focused on achieving the broader outcome.

Above all, you will have the ability to establish credibility quickly, bring people together and create confidence that complex pieces of work are being appropriately led and progressed.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is an opportunity to take on a high-impact senior leadership role within a significant enterprise-wide transformation program.

You will work alongside senior executives, operational leaders and highly experienced technical specialists within a complex and highly regulated environment.

The role provides the opportunity to directly influence how operational excellence is delivered and embedded across the organisation, with the potential to create meaningful and sustainable improvements.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to bring together your experience across transformation, leadership, stakeholder management, operational excellence and organisational improvement and apply it to a genuinely challenging and important program of work.

Engagement:

12-month contract

Industry:

Government / Scientific & Technical

Focus:

Operational Excellence | Enterprise Transformation | Business Improvement | Remediation | Stakeholder Leadership