Operations Manager

MAYDAY Recruitment Group; Gold Coast City; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

MAYDAY Recruitment Group is partnering with a leading funeral and memorial services provider to recruit an experienced Operations Manager to oversee daily operations of a memorial park on the Gold Coast. You will lead a dedicated team, ensure a respectful, well-presented environment, and coordinate with internal teams to deliver exceptional care to families.

This hands-on leadership role emphasizes presentation, grounds maintenance, financial performance, compliance, and continuous improvement

Qualifications

• Must have proven experience leading teams and daily operations.
• Background in hospitality, retail, facilities, parks or similar service-based environments.
• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of operations and grounds staff.
• Oversee presentation, maintenance, and development of the memorial park and gardens.
• Manage budgets, performance and financial targets.
• Ensure WHS compliance and risk management across site operations.
• Collaborate with sales, funeral and customer-facing teams to deliver seamless outcomes.
• Drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency.

Skills

People leadership

Operational management

Customer service

Budget management

Communication

WHS compliance

Job description

MAYDAY Recruitment is proud to partner with a leading funeral and memorial services provider to recruit an experienced Operations Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of a beautiful memorial park and support a dedicated team.

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced operational leader from hospitality, retail, facilities, landscaping, horticulture, property, community services or another customer-focused environment who is ready to take their leadership skills into a role with genuine purpose.

Importantly, this is a Monday-Friday position with no evening or weekend work.

You’ll play a key role in ensuring the memorial park is beautifully presented, operationally efficient and provides a respectful and welcoming environment for families and the local community.

The Role

Reporting to the ParkManager, you’ll take ownership of the day-to-day operations, people, facilities and presentation of the site, while working closely with internal teams to ensure families receive an exceptional level of care and service.

This is a varied, hands-on leadership role where no two days will be the same. You’ll balance people leadership, customer service, grounds and facilities, financial performance, compliance and continuous improvement.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop a team of operational and grounds staff
• Oversee the presentation, maintenance and development of the memorial park and gardens
• Ensure the site is maintained to a high standard and remains a beautiful, peaceful environment for families
• Manage day-to-day operations, budgets, performance and financial targets
• Work closely with sales, funeral and customer-facing teams to deliver seamless outcomes for families
• Drive continuous improvement, process optimisation and operational efficiencies
• Ensure compliance across WHS, risk management and company policies
• Build strong relationships with the local community, families and key stakeholders
• Respond to customer feedback with empathy and professionalism
• Be a visible, hands-on leader who is happy to get involved and support the team
• Develop an understanding of the cremation process and associated operational requirements

About You

We’re looking for a people-focused operational leader who enjoys being hands-on, takes pride in presentation and has a genuine passion for delivering a great customer experience.

Your background could be in hospitality, retail, hotels, restaurants, facilities, property, parks and gardens, landscaping, horticulture, community services, aged care, funeral services or another service-based environment.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Proven experience leading teams and managing day-to-day operations
• Strong people leadership, coaching and team development skills
• A background in hospitality or retail management would be highly regarded
• Experience managing gardens, grounds, landscaping, horticulture, facilities or property would be advantageous
• Strong customer service and stakeholder management skills
• Commercial and financial acumen, including experience managing budgets and targets
• A proactive approach to process improvement and operational efficiency
• Strong communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships
• Empathy, emotional resilience and maturity
• Comfort working within a funeral and memorial environment, including around the deceased
• A willingness to learn and understand the cremation process
• A hands‑on, practical approach and genuine “can‑do” attitude

You don’t need to have worked in the funeral industry before. If you have strong leadership experience in hospitality, retail or another fast-paced customer-focused environment, and are comfortable working in a sensitive setting, we’d love to hear from you.

Why This Opportunity?

This is more than an Operations Manager role. The environment you oversee has real meaning for the families and community who use it.

You’ll have the opportunity to lead a team, care for a beautiful environment and ensure families feel supported and respected when they visit.

And unlike many operational leadership roles, you’ll enjoy predictable Monday-Friday hours with no evening or weekend work, giving you the opportunity to use your leadership skills in a meaningful environment while maintaining a strong work-life balance.

If you’re an experienced Hospitality, Retail or Operations Manager who takes pride in people, presentation and service, and you’re ready for a role where your work genuinely matters, we’d love to hear from you.