Operations Manager

Kinexus; Yamba; On-site; AUD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Kinexus in Yamba, NSW, seeks an experienced Operations Manager to lead day-to-day manufacturing operations across vessel builds. You will manage production schedules, labour, materials and workflow while ensuring safety, quality and delivery targets are met.

The role is hands-on, delivery-focused and requires close collaboration with Finance and Commercial teams to drive project outcomes. Relocation support is available for the right candidate.

Qualifications

• Significant experience leading manufacturing operations and delivery.
• Experience managing day-to-day operation of a plant or shipyard environment.
• Demonstrated ability to meet schedule, cost and quality targets.

Responsibilities

• Take ownership of day-to-day operations of the manufacturing facility.
• Drive on-time, on-budget delivery across multiple vessel builds.
• Lead and coordinate production and project teams.
• Develop and maintain achievable production and resource schedules.
• Manage labour, skills, materials and workshop capacity.
• Identify bottlenecks early and mitigate delivery risks.
• Ensure milestones and delivery commitments are actively managed.
• Drive productivity, throughput and efficiency.
• Implement Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Reduce rework and waste while maintaining safety and quality.
• Collaborate with Finance and Commercial to support project performance.

Skills

Manufacturing operations leadership

Delivery against schedule

Leading production teams

Production scheduling

Lean manufacturing

Labor utilization

Issue identification and decisioning

Commercial awareness

Safety and quality leadership

Education

Engineering, manufacturing or related qualification

Job description

ABOUT THE ROLE

We are recruiting an experienced Operations Manager to lead the day-to-day operations of an established and growing maritime manufacturing business based in Yamba, NSW.

This is a highly delivery-focused leadership role. Reporting directly to the General Manager, you will take responsibility for ensuring a concurrent portfolio of vessel builds is delivered safely, on time, on budget and to the required quality standard.

You will lead the production and project teams and take ownership of operational execution across the site. This includes managing production schedules, labour, resources, materials, workflow and competing project priorities.

The General Manager will remain focused on customers, pipeline, strategic initiatives and growth, while the Operations Manager will be responsible for ensuring the day-to-day operation performs and delivery commitments are achieved.

This role would suit an experienced manufacturing leader who enjoys being close to the operation, solving problems and keeping multiple projects moving.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Take ownership of the day-to-day operations of the manufacturing facility.
• Drive safe, on-time and on-budget delivery across multiple concurrent vessel builds.
• Lead and coordinate production and project teams.
• Develop and maintain achievable production and resource schedules.
• Manage competing priorities across labour, skills, materials and workshop capacity.
• Identify production constraints, delivery risks and bottlenecks early.
• Ensure project milestones and delivery commitments remain visible and actively managed.
• Drive productivity, throughput and manufacturing efficiency.
• Implement practical Lean manufacturing and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Reduce rework, waste and unnecessary build hours.
• Maintain strong safety and quality performance.
• Work closely with Finance and Commercial teams to support project performance and delivery outcomes.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE NEEDED

• Significant experience in manufacturing operations leadership.
• Previous responsibility for the day-to-day operation of a plant, production facility, workshop, shipyard or comparable manufacturing environment.
• Strong track record of delivering against schedule, cost and quality targets.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent production or project priorities.
• Experience leading production teams, supervisors and project personnel.
• Strong production scheduling, resource planning and capacity management capability.
• Practical experience implementing Lean manufacturing or continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong understanding of labour utilisation, productivity, workflow and manufacturing constraints.
• Ability to identify delivery issues early and make clear operational decisions.
• Good commercial awareness across project costs and margins.
• Strong safety and quality leadership.
• An engineering, manufacturing, business or related qualification, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience within shipbuilding, boatbuilding, fabrication, heavy engineering, Defence manufacturing or another complex manufacturing environment would be highly regarded.

Relocation assistance to Yamba is available for the right candidate.

For more information, visit our website, www.kinexus.com.au or contact Adrian Perini on 02 9492 7526.