Operations Team Lead

Boeing; Port Stephens Council; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Boeing Defence Australia is seeking an Operations Team Lead to coordinate the Wakulda Operations Support Team embedded with the Royal Australian Air Force, ensuring maintenance schedules align with 24/7 mission needs. You will manage the workflow of technicians, liaise with RAAF units, Defence customer, and Boeing Engineering to keep the system mission-ready, and ensure performance is tracked with KPIs.

This role requires strong scheduling, stakeholder management, and documentation discipline,

Qualifications

• Proven experience coordinating teams or workflows in high-tempo, mission-critical environments.
• Ability to manage complex, changing schedules and prioritise tasks based on real-time demand.
• Effective communication with military personnel, government customers and internal teams.
• Meticulous documentation, reporting (KPIs) and administrative workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operational planning for Wakulda Service Technicians to meet mission requirements.
• Manage a highly fluid 24/7 schedule and adapt in real-time to RAAF operations.
• Coordinate routine and deeper-level maintenance with correct resource deployment.
• Act as liaison between RAAF units, Defence customer, and Boeing Engineering for issue escalation.
• Track Trouble Reports and drive KPI-based performance reporting.

Skills

Operational leadership

Advanced scheduling

Stakeholder management

Process discipline

Resilience

AGSVA clearance

On-site work (Williamtown)

Job description

Are you a highly organised leader who excels at managing complex schedules and high-stakes stakeholder relationships?

Boeing Defence Australia is seeking an Operations Team Lead to lead the Wakulda Operations Support Team. Wakulda is the cornerstone of the Royal Australian Air Force's Air Battle Management System. As the Team Lead, you will be the operational engine of the program—embedded within the RAAF to coordinate the daily activities that keep this critical command and control system mission-ready.

The Role

This is a high-tempo operational orchestration role. You will not be responsible for the technical "how" of the maintenance, but rather the "when, where, and who.".

Your mission is to manage the workflow of the Wakulda Service Technicians, ensuring that maintenance execution is synchronised with the RAAF's operational requirements. You will act as the vital link between the RAAF operational units, the Boeing technical teams, and the Defence customer, ensuring that the maintenance schedule is dynamic, responsive, and transparent.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Coordination & Scheduling:

• Workflow Management: Lead the day-to-day operational planning for the Wakulda Service Technicians, ensuring tasks are scheduled and executed to meet mission requirements.
• Dynamic Resourcing: Manage a highly fluid work schedule that must adapt in real-time to the changing needs of 24/7 RAAF operations.
• Execution Oversight: Coordinate the scheduling of both routine operational maintenance and deeper-level technical maintenance, ensuring the right resources are deployed at the right time.
• Operational Liaison: Serve as the primary point of contact for RAAF operational units and the Defence customer, managing expectations and providing real-time updates on maintenance status.
• Engineering Interface: Act as the operational bridge to the Boeing Engineering team, escalating technical issues and ensuring that engineering support is seamlessly integrated into the maintenance workflow.

Reporting & Governance

• Issue Tracking: Manage the operational lifecycle of Trouble Reports, ensuring they are correctly logged, tracked, and escalated to the appropriate technical leads.
• Performance Reporting: Drive operational accountability through the management of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), providing clear reporting on maintenance execution, scheduling efficiency, and system availability.

About You

You are a disciplined, highly organised leader who thrives on complexity. You excel at managing moving parts and can maintain a calm, professional presence in a high-pressure, 24/7 operational environment.

To be successful, you will bring:

• Operational Leadership: Proven experience in coordinating teams or workflows in a high-tempo, mission-critical, or industrial environment.
• Advanced Scheduling Capability: Exceptional ability to manage complex, changing schedules and prioritise tasks based on real-time operational demand.
• Stakeholder Management: The ability to communicate effectively and professionally with military personnel, government customers, and internal engineering teams.
• Process Discipline: A meticulous approach to documentation, reporting (KPIs), and the management of administrative workflows like Trouble Reports.
• Resilience: The ability to remain focused and effective while embedded within a fast-paced, 24/7 military operational unit.
• Eligibility for (or current possession of) an AGSVA Defence Security Clearance.
• Ability to work from the Williamtown office 4 days per week.

Why Join Boeing?

• Mission Impact: Your coordination ensures the RAAF has the capability it needs, when it needs it.
• Unrivalled Environment: Work at the heart of Australian air defence, embedded with our most critical customers.
• Career Growth: Join a global leader in aerospace and defence, offering pathways for professional development in operational management and project coordination.