Business Operations Manager

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers; Hawke's Bay; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

FIRST72 in New Zealand is seeking a proactive Business Operations Manager to join our small, fast-moving team. You will sit at the centre of day-to-day operations and work closely with the General Manager.

From customer enquiries and quotes through to invoicing, purchasing, stock control and project fulfilment, you will coordinate across systems and suppliers, helping us grow. If you are organised, commercially minded and keen to own end-to-end processes, this role offers real responsibility and

Qualifications

• Experience in operations, project coordination, supply chain, procurement or a similar commercial role.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with strong organisational skills.
• Comfort with technology and willingness to learn new systems.
• Experience with accounting or ERP systems is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day operations from quotes to delivery and invoicing.
• Manage purchasing, supplier pricing, stock levels and warehousing.
• Oversee projects, timelines, documentation and communications with customers.
• Maintain information across business systems and support the GM and team.
• Assist with pricing, cost analysis and commercial proposals.

Skills

Operations

Project coordination

Supply chain

Procurement

Accounting

Finance

Administration

Sales support

Logistics

Education

Tertiary qualification (useful)

Tools

Xero

Unleashed

ERP systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

FIRST72 is a growing New Zealand emergency preparedness business. We provide emergency equipment, kits, training, communications and preparedness solutions to businesses, councils, government organisations and communities across New Zealand.

www.first72.org.nz

Our work is varied. It can be anything from fulfilling a small customer order through to coordinating equipment and logistics for major projects across New Zealand and offshore. We are a small, fast-moving team with ambitious plans, and we are looking for someone who wants to take real responsibility for helping the business run well as we grow.

The Role

The Business Operations Manager will sit at the centre of FIRST72's day-to-day operations, working closely with the General Manager and management team.

The role covers the full flow of work through the business from customer enquiries and quotes, sales orders, purchasing and suppliers, inventory and warehousing, project coordination, fulfilment, invoicing and delivery. You will also support the commercial side of the business, including pricing, supplier and product costs, proposals, customer opportunities and business development.

You will be expected to understand the business operation end to end, make sound day-to-day decisions, identify issues before they become problems and continuously improve how the business operates.

This is not a traditional administration or management role. We need someone who can keep the detail under control, take ownership of work and make sure things happen. No two days are quite the same, and the right person will be comfortable moving between systems, customers, suppliers, projects and practical operational work.

What you'll be doing

Day-to-day business operations

Coordinate customer orders from initial enquiry and quote through to fulfilment, invoicing and delivery.

Prepare quotes, sales orders, invoices and customer documentation.

Respond to customers and suppliers and keep day-to-day actions moving.

Maintain accurate information across our business systems and follow work through to completion.

Support the General Manager and management team across operational priorities and wider business activity.

Purchasing, supply chain & inventory

Manage purchasing and purchase orders across local and international suppliers.

Coordinate supplier pricing, product availability, lead times, freight and deliveries.

Receive and receipt goods, maintain accurate inventory and manage stock movements in Unleashed.

Help manage stock levels, forward purchasing requirements and product availability.

Coordinate inbound and outbound freight and work with freight and logistics providers.

Manage our Hawke's Bay warehouse, stocktakes and general inventory control.

Projects & fulfilment

Manage and support the delivery of FIRST72 projects, from smaller equipment orders through to large multi-site or containerised EPOD projects.

Coordinate products, suppliers, freight, documentation, timelines and delivery requirements.

Pick, pack and dispatch orders and prepare equipment for larger projects when required.

Support training and other customer programmes with equipment, logistics and project coordination.

Keep track of project actions and make sure commitments to customers are followed through.

Support and increasingly take ownership of B2B sales activity, including quotes, enquiries and customer opportunities.

Manage and support product pricing, supplier costs and the preparation of commercial proposals.

Prepare and coordinate pitches, proposals, tenders and presentations for larger customers and projects.

Lead product sourcing and compare supplier and product options to support sound commercial decisions.

Maintain accurate customer, product and pricing information.

Take increasing ownership of customer relationships, sales opportunities and commercial activity as the role develops.

Systems, finance & administration

Work across Unleashed and Xero for purchasing, inventory, sales, invoicing and operational administration.

Prepare professional Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, reports and customer material.

Use ChatGPT, Claude and other AI tools appropriately for research, drafting, analysis and improving how we work.

Help improve internal systems, processes and workflows as the business grows.

About you

We are deliberately open about where the right person comes from. You might have experience in business operations, project coordination, supply chain, procurement, accounting, finance, administration, sales support, logistics or another commercial role. You may have a tertiary qualification, or you may have built your skills through practical work experience.

What matters is that you are capable, organised, commercially aware, comfortable with technology and ready to take ownership.

Previous experience in an operations, commercial, project, supply chain, business management or similar role.

Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage several priorities at once.

Excellent written and verbal communication and confidence dealing with customers and suppliers.

Strong Microsoft Office capability, particularly Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.

Experience with Xero, Unleashed or similar accounting, inventory or ERP systems would be an advantage.

Confidence working with numbers, product costs, pricing and general commercial information.

Strong general technology skills and the ability to learn new systems quickly.

Practical experience with ChatGPT, Claude or other AI tools, or a genuine interest in using them effectively in business.

A practical, common-sense approach and willingness to get stuck in when required.

The ability to take a task or problem, own it and see it through.

A relevant tertiary qualification would be useful but is not essential. We are equally interested in someone with strong practical experience who is ready for a broader role and more responsibility.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity for someone who wants to play a meaningful role in the running and growth of a business, rather than sit inside one narrow function.

You will work closely with the General Manager and management team across operations, projects, supply chain, customers, sales, systems and commercial decision-making. As FIRST72 grows, there is genuine scope for this role to become a senior position within the business, with greater responsibility across business operations, project management, key customer accounts, sales, business development and broader management.

We are looking for someone who wants to become an important part of the business - someone who is motivated, learns quickly, takes responsibility and wants the opportunity to grow with FIRST72.

We are open to different backgrounds and will consider strong candidates based on capability and potential as well as direct experience.