Operations Manager

Veolia; Lithgow City Council; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working arrangements (hybrid)

Parental leave: 14 weeks primary, 4-6?

Comprehensive superannuation

Health & wellbeing program

Professional development

Volunteer day

Employee referral program

Job summary

Veolia is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead the Springvale Mt Piper Power Station Water Treatment Plant in Lithgow, NSW. You will oversee all operations, maintenance and control of a state-of-the-art reverse osmosis facility.

This strategic leadership role includes full P&L accountability, driving continuous improvement, and partnering with stakeholders to deliver environmental and commercial value while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in operations management, preferably in water treatment, utilities or mining.
• Proven track record leading technical teams in regulated, complex environments.
• Strong understanding of statutory compliance, safety management and quality assurance.

Responsibilities

• Provide operational leadership to ensure contract requirements are met while upholding safety and environmental standards across the facility.
• Lead and develop a diverse team of supervisors, engineers and technical staff delivering award-winning results.
• Manage contract P&L and drive cost-saving initiatives.
• Champion environmental stewardship and innovation within the plant.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Springvale Joint Venture, EnergyAustralia and key stakeholders.
• Promote a safety culture through the Always Safe Charter in a complex operating environment.
• Identify and implement operational optimisations delivering measurable environmental and commercial value.

Skills

Operations leadership

P&L management

Safety culture

Stakeholder engagement

Team leadership

Job description

Veolia is seeking an experienced Operations Manager to lead the award winning Springvale Mt Piper Power Station Water Treatment Plant in Lithgow—a critical facility treating 42ML of mine water daily for one of Australia's largest power stations.

This is a strategic leadership role where you'll oversee all operations, maintenance, and control of a state of the art reverse osmosis facility while building strong partnerships with key stakeholders. You'll lead a skilled team delivering operational excellence and measurable environmental outcomes

In this role, you'll have full P&L accountability, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and champion a strong safety culture across a complex, regulated environment. This is your opportunity to make a real impact—leading a facility that's already delivering award winning results and positioning it for future growth

What's on offer

• Lead an award winning water treatment facility with state of the art reverse osmosis technology treating 42ML daily


• Strategic P&L leadership role with competitive salary, performance bonus, and comprehensive benefits package


• Exceptional opportunity to drive measurable environmental outcomes while supporting one of Australia's largest power stations


• Long-term contract stability with growth and expansion potential


• Join Veolia's global leader in environmental sustainability and innovation

What you'll be responsible for

• Operational Leadership: Ensure all contract requirements are met while maintaining the highest safety and environmental standards across the treatment facility


• Team Management: Lead and develop a diverse team of supervisors, engineers, and technical staff who are already delivering award-winning results


• Financial Accountability: Manage contract P&L and drive cost saving initiatives


• Environmental Stewardship: Continue the facility's legacy of innovation


• Customer Relationships: Build and maintain strong partnerships with Springvale Joint Venture, EnergyAustralia, and key stakeholders


• Safety Culture: Champion our Always Safe Charter in a complex operational environment


• Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement operational optimisations that deliver measurable environmental and commercial value


• You'll also lead interface meetings, prepare comprehensive reports, manage budgets, oversee compliance, and lead the implementation of operational excellence initiatives.

What you'll need to be successful

• Relevant experience in operations management, preferably in water treatment, utilities, or mining


• Proven track record leading technical teams in regulated, complex environments


• Strong understanding of statutory compliance, safety management, and quality assurance


• Demonstrated financial acumen and P&L management experience

Why Veolia?

Competitive Benefits & Support

• Flexible working arrangements including hybrid options to balance work and life


• Generous parental leave: 14 weeks paid for primary carers, 4 weeks for secondary carers, plus superannuation contributions on unpaid leave and up to 10 paid keeping-in-touch days


• Comprehensive superannuation support: Salary sacrifice options, and employee shareplan with discounts


• Health & wellbeing: Fitness Passport access, discounted BUPA health insurance, and free counselling through our Employee Assistance Program (Thrive)


• Professional development: LinkedIn learning, internal and external programs, and clear career progression pathways


• Paid volunteer day annually to support causes aligned with our values


• Employee referral program: Earn up to $1,500 when you recommend someone who gets hired


• Service recognition rewards for every five years of service Veolia is committed to conducting recruitment in a fair, ethical and transparent manner based solely on merit. Candidates with direct or indirect personal/professional ties to Veolia and/or any third party related to Veolia business (including but not limited to Veolia's suppliers, customers, partners and competitors) must disclose this information.

Fairness, Diversity & Inclusion

At Veolia we value diversity, equality and inclusion, we are committed to providing working environments where everyone is included and treated fairly and with respect. We welcome applications from Maori and Pasifika, Veterans, people with disability, mature age and early careers, members of the LGBTI+ community and people from all cultural backgrounds.