Subsurface - Operations Lead

4020 Consult Pty Ltd; Sunshine Coast Regional; On-site; AUD 126,000 - 161,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Superannuation

Company vehicle

Phone

Annual bonus (15% KPIs)

Job summary

4020 Consult Pty Ltd on the Sunshine Coast is seeking an Operations Lead to build the operation from the ground up. This field-based role offers ownership from day one, a defined pathway to General Manager after the first year, and a competitive package.

You will lead subsurface investigations, develop standards and client relationships, and drive the field-to-office workflow with modern tools.

Qualifications

• Certified locating capability (CERTLOC) or certification in progress with theory passed.
• Proven GPR and electromagnetic locating across AS 5488 quality levels.
• Current driver’s licence, construction white card and clean safety record; any post-employment restraints must be confirmed.

Responsibilities

• Lead premium field delivery: locating, GPR investigation and survey pickup to AS 5488 quality levels.
• Design the operating system: QA, safety, reporting and data-management processes for scalable delivery.
• Produce engineering-grade outputs: oversee asset location reports, GIS data and 3D strings for client use.
• Grow capability around you: recruit, train and quality-assure field locators and progressively shift to leadership.
• Shape client growth: collaborate with the Managing Director on scopes and pricing, and represent technical capability in client meetings.

Skills

Certified locating capability

Strong technical delivery

Practical leadership

Site readiness

Tools

GPR equipment

EM locating

Job description

Operations Lead

$140,000 + Super + Vehicle + Phone + 15% Annual Bonus against KPIs

Sunshine Coast / SEQ (field-based)

Build the operation. Shape the standard. Step up to General Manager.

Lead premium subsurface investigations across South East Queensland while developing the systems, team and client relationships that will underpin a growing engineering-grade operation. This field-based role gives you genuine ownership from day one, with a defined pathway to General Manager after the first year.

“Great manager who’s inspiring and supports their team. A great culture and team to be a part of.”

What Sets This Role Apart

This is a rare opportunity to do more than manage an established operation: you will create the technical foundation, prove the model in the field and grow into the leader of the business you helped build.

• Build: the technical standards, QA framework, deliverable templates and field culture from the ground up.
• Learn: how to scale a premium, design-phase subsurface engineering service with direct exposure to commercial decisions.
• Own: flagship field delivery and the complete field-to-office workflow, rather than inheriting legacy systems.
• Influence: hiring, training, client relationships, service packaging and the operation’s growth priorities.
• Become: the General Manager of an operation you can credibly say you helped create, with a defined transition after the first year.

Why You’ll Love It

• Create something that carries your signature: Set up the standards, systems and team properly from day one, without inherited baggage or outdated processes.
• Work at the premium end of the market: Focus on bundled, engineering-grade investigations where your judgement and technical capability are valued.
• Use modern tools and a clean digital workflow: Move efficiently from field capture to client-ready deliverables with contemporary locating, GPR and survey equipment.
• Be rewarded for measurable impact: Earn a salary of $140,000 plus super, vehicle and phone, with an annual performance bonus of up to 15% against agreed KPIs.
• Move into broader leadership: Progress through a defined pathway to General Manager after the first year as the team and operation grow.

“Our technical and practical civil construction project experience, coupled with our solution-focused approach, is the foundation of our success.”

What You’ll Do

You will initially balance senior field delivery with building the operating foundation, then shift progressively into leadership as new team members become independently productive.

• Lead premium field delivery: Conduct combined EM locating, GPR investigation and survey-grade pickup to AS 5488 quality levels, giving clients greater certainty at the design stage.
• Design the operating system: Develop QA, safety, reporting and data-management processes that make high-quality delivery repeatable as the business grows.
• Produce engineering-grade outputs: Oversee asset location reports, attributed GIS data and 12d-ready 3D strings that clients can use with confidence.
• Grow capability around you: Recruit, train and quality-assure field locators, releasing more of your time for operational leadership as each person becomes productive.
• Shape client growth: Collaborate with the Managing Director on scopes and pricing, while representing the technical capability in client meetings, site walkovers and scoping sessions.

About You

• Certified locating capability: CERTLOC certification, or certification in progress with theory passed.
• Strong technical delivery: Proven GPR and electromagnetic locating capability across AS 5488 quality levels.
• Practical leadership: The confidence to set standards, train others and manage stakeholders while remaining hands-on during the build phase.
• Site readiness: A current driver’s licence, construction white card and clean safety record; any post-employment restraints must be confirmed before commencement.

About the Company

Our client is a new, well-capitalised subsurface utility engineering business on the Sunshine Coast, created to deliver premium AS 5488 services across South East Queensland. With modern equipment, a clean digital operating model and no legacy systems, the business offers the freedom to establish best practice from the outset. Its focus on bundled, design-phase investigations means you can work with engineering clients who value certainty, quality and commercially useful deliverables.

“They demonstrated professionalism, efficiency and great attention to detail. Highly satisfied with their services.”