Operations Manager (Transport)

Vectura Recruitment Pty Ltd; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Vectura Recruitment Pty Ltd in Sydney CBD NSW is seeking an experienced transport operations manager to lead day-to-day operations across New South Wales and Queensland for a well-established transport, warehousing and logistics business. The role covers bookings, dispatch, fleet and off-hire capacity, subcontractor relationships, customer service, compliance, people leadership and operational reporting.

You will own WHS, NHVR obligations, drive cost control and growth with existing customers,

Qualifications

• Experience in transport, freight or logistics operations management.
• Hands-on with owner-operators, off-hire carriers and subcontractors.
• Background in multi-customer dispatch across metro, regional freight.
• Knowledge of NHVR, WHS, Chain of Responsibility and fatigue management.
• Ability to lead teams and deliver operational reporting.

Responsibilities

• Take accountability for operational performance across the Sydney team and Queensland subcontractor network.
• Oversee booking intake, fleet control, dispatch, job allocation, collections, deliveries, PODs and invoicing data accuracy.
• Maintain capacity across metro taxi trucks, point to point deliveries, regional freight with contingency cover.
• Lead relationships with owner drivers, off hire carriers and subcontractor fleets.
• Ensure licences, insurance, inductions and accreditation are current before work allocation.
• Coach fleet controllers, customer service and administration staff; implement SOPs and handovers.
• Monitor volumes, costs, carrier rates and utilisation for accurate invoicing and reporting.
• Uphold WHS, NHVR and Chain of Responsibility obligations and manage incidents to closure.

Skills

Ops management

People leadership

Fleet dispatch

Subcontractor mgmt

Regulatory compliance

Reporting & analytics

Tools

MS Excel

Job description

Vectura Recruitment Pty Ltd – Sydney CBD NSW

Location: North West Sydney, NSW

Work Type: Permanent, Full Time, On-site Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm

Salary: $120,000 to $150,000 + Super (negotiable based on experience)

Vectura Recruitment is seeking an experienced transport operations manager to lead day to day operations across New South Wales and Queensland for a well established transport, warehousing and logistics business. The role covers bookings, dispatch, fleet and off hire capacity, subcontractor relationships, customer service, compliance, people leadership and operational reporting across both states, with commercial accountability for service quality, cost control and growth through existing customers.

Key Responsibilities

• Take accountability for operational performance, resource coverage and communication across the Sydney team and the Queensland subcontractor network.
• Oversee booking intake, fleet control, dispatch, job allocation, collections, deliveries, exceptions and timely proof of delivery closure.
• Maintain capacity across metro taxi trucks, point to point deliveries, regional freight and applicable interstate services, including contingency cover for demand spikes, absences and after hours requirements.
• Act as the senior operational contact for NSW and QLD customers, holding face to face reviews, resolving service issues and supporting onboarding, pricing inputs, quotations and tenders.
• Build and manage relationships with owner drivers, off hire carriers and subcontractor fleets, monitoring performance, coverage, vehicle suitability, reliability and cost effectiveness.
• Review carrier rates, allocation decisions and additional costs against approved commercial parameters, and verify that licences, insurance, inductions and accreditation are current before work is allocated.
• Lead and coach fleet controllers, customer service and administration staff, implementing documented SOPs, cross training and structured handovers to reduce key person dependency.
• Monitor job volumes, cost to serve, carrier buy rates, utilisation and revenue capture, and make sure driver times, job notes, PODs, waiting time and additional charges are recorded accurately for invoicing.
• Own the accuracy of freight management system data and prepare regular reporting on volumes, on time delivery, SLA performance, carrier capacity, costs and risks.
• Uphold WHS, NHVR and Chain of Responsibility obligations covering fatigue, roadworthiness, mass and dimension, load restraint and dangerous goods, and manage incidents and corrective actions through to closure.

Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated management experience in transport, managed freight or logistics, covering fleet operations, customer service and subcontractor capacity.
• Hands on experience managing owner drivers, off hire carriers and subcontractor fleets, including performance, rates and compliance.
• Strong background in multi customer transport dispatch and fleet control across same day metro, point to point and regional freight.
• Working knowledge of NHVR, WHS, Chain of Responsibility, fatigue management and road transport compliance.
• Competence with transport or freight management system platforms, Microsoft Excel and operational reporting, with a sound understanding of carrier costs, job profitability and capacity planning.
• Proven team leadership, with the ability to coach staff, delegate clearly and hold accountability for operational outcomes.
• Good commercial judgement and strong communication, negotiation and customer relationship skills.
• Ability to support remote Queensland operations while remaining hands on with the Sydney team, and a valid driver licence with willingness to travel as operational needs require.

The Opportunity

This is an operations led management role with real commercial accountability, rather than a sales position. The business is well established and stable, with a long standing customer base and a strong operational track record, and the New South Wales and Queensland side is the part of it now growing, so the role offers the security of a mature operator alongside the scope of a developing operation. You will work from a modern Sydney office with secure on site parking, in a small and capable team where decisions are made quickly. The role has been redesigned to share workload, develop the team and build stronger systems, so there is real scope to shape how the operation runs. The subcontractor model means you manage a small number of established fleet operators rather than a large driver pool.