Operations Manager

One Harvest Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Impact on site performance

Leadership development

Automation initiatives

Talent pipeline

Cross-functional collaboration

Sustainability focus

Job summary

One Harvest Pty Ltd in Sydney seeks an experienced Operations Manager to lead day-to-day production and drive capability, performance, and growth across the site. You will influence safety, quality, productivity, service and cost while shaping the future of the operation.

Reporting to the Site Manager, you will manage cross-functional teams, champion the One Harvest Production System, and mentor leaders to build a strong internal talent pipeline.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership experience in manufacturing or production.
• Proven track record building high-performing operational teams.
• Experience implementing change and driving CI through people.
• Experience in FMCG or food manufacturing.
• Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of LEAN, CI, Six Sigma or TPM advantageous.
• Experience with automation and automated processes would be highly regarded.
• Strong systems capability with WMS/TMS exposure.

Responsibilities

• Lead production and operational teams to deliver plan safely and within budget.
• Drive OPS and promote consistent best-practice ways of working.
• Champion a Zero Harm safety culture.
• Collaborate with engineering to improve OEE, uptime and first-time-right.
• Develop leaders and build internal talent pipeline.
• Partner with People & Capability on succession planning and capability development.
• Use data and KPIs to identify opportunities and drive measurable improvements.

Skills

Senior management

Team leadership

Change management

Lean / Six Sigma

Stakeholder management

Communication

Problem solving

Education

Degree in Manufacturing/Science/Engineering or Supply Chain

Tools

WMS

TMS

Automation exposure

Job description

At One Harvest, we're passionate about fresh food, great people and doing things better every day. We're looking for an experienced and driven Operations Manager to join our Sydney team and play a key leadership role in the ongoing success and growth of our site.

This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on operational leader who thrives in a fast-paced FMCG environment and is passionate about people, performance, safety, food quality and continuous improvement.

About the Role

Reporting to the Site Manager, the Operations Manager will lead the day-to-day operations of the Sydney site while maintaining a strategic focus on capability, performance and future growth.

You'll be a key member of the Site Steering Team, working collaboratively across Operations, People & Capability, Technical, Engineering, Planning and Logistics to deliver outstanding operational results.

You will have the opportunity to influence how we work, develop our people and drive improvements that make a real difference to safety, quality, productivity, service and cost.

What You'll Be Responsible For

• Lead and manage the site's production and operational teams to deliver the agreed production plan, safely, efficiently and within budget.
• Drive the One Harvest Production System (OPS) and promote consistent best-practice ways of working.
• Champion a strong Zero Harm culture, ensuring the safety of our people is always a priority.
• Maintain high standards of food safety, HACCP and GMP, ensuring risks to our customers, consumers and people are effectively controlled.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on productivity, waste reduction, yield, quality, capacity and cost.
• Work closely with Engineering to improve OEE, equipment uptime and right-first-time performance.
• Develop, coach and mentor leaders and operational teams to build capability and create a strong internal talent pipeline.
• Partner with People & Capability on succession planning, workforce capability and organisational development.
• Work collaboratively across the broader site to deliver customer service, supply and production requirements.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including service providers and unions.
• Identify opportunities to improve capacity and eliminate bottlenecks across the operation.
• Lead and support change initiatives, including automation and new ways of working.
• Use operational data and KPIs to identify opportunities and drive measurable improvements.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a confident and commercially minded operational leader who can balance people, performance and production.

• Senior management experience within a manufacturing or production environment.
• Strong experience leading and developing high-performing operational teams.
• A proven track record of implementing change and driving continuous improvement through people.
• Experience in FMCG, food manufacturing or short shelf-life products.
• Strong commercial acumen and the ability to understand how operational decisions impact business performance.
• Excellent stakeholder management, influencing and negotiation skills.
• A practical, solutions-focused approach and the ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to engage with people at all levels.
• Knowledge of LEAN, CI, Six Sigma or TPM would be advantageous.
• Experience with automation or the implementation of automated processes would be highly regarded.
• Strong systems capability, including exposure to WMS and TMS.

A degree in Manufacturing, Science, Engineering or Supply Chain, or equivalent industry experience, is preferred.

Why Join One Harvest?

This is more than a production leadership role. It's an opportunity to help shape the future of our Sydney operation.

You’ll join a business where Safety, Progressive thinking, Integrity, Resourcefulness, being Invested and Teamwork are at the heart of how we operate.

• Make a genuine impact on site performance and culture.
• Develop and grow operational leaders.
• Drive meaningful continuous improvement and automation initiatives.
• Help build our future talent and succession pipeline.
• Work collaboratively across a dynamic FMCG operation.
• Be part of a business that is committed to creating a safer, smarter and more sustainable future.

Ready to Make Your Mark?

If you're an experienced operations leader who enjoys leading people, solving problems, improving performance and getting things done, we'd love to hear from you.