Company: Mount Zero Olives Location: Sunshine West / Melbourne Employment Type: Full-time Reports to: Owner / CEO
About Mount Zero Olives
Mount Zero Olives is a family-owned business driven by a passion for premium, sustainably farmed Australian produce.
From our roots in the Grampians, we have grown into one of Australia's most respected food brands, supplying top-tier restaurants and home cooks with olives, extra virgin olive oils, pulses, and grains.
With a close-knit team of 35 employees, we pride ourselves on ethical sourcing, uncompromising quality, and a collaborative, hands-on workplace culture.
The Role
As our first executive-level appointment, the Head of Operations & Innovation will serve as a vital strategic partner to the Owner / CEO.
You will oversee our production, warehouse, and quality departments, ensuring that our day-to-day operations run safely, efficiently, and to the highest standard while building the structural foundations for our next phase of growth.
Crucially, as the driver of our innovation pipeline, you will take direct ownership of our New Product Development (NPD) process.
Working collaboratively with the Marketing and Sales Managers, you will bring fresh ideas from concept to commercialisation and continuously refine our existing product range.
If you are a natural problem-solver with a background in food manufacturing and a genuine love for premium produce, this is an chance to make a tangible impact on a celebrated Australian brand.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Operations & Team Leadership
Lead & Mentor: Directly manage and elevate the Warehouse Manager, Production Manager, and QA Manager, empowering them to effectively lead their respective departments.
Culture & Safety: Foster a positive,



safety-first culture across the 35-person operation, ensuring all staff are trained and compliant with OH&S; standards.
Workflow Optimisation: Optimise workflows between production schedules and warehouse dispatch to ensure seamless order fulfillment, minimise bottlenecks, and drive continuous improvement initiatives to increase efficiency and reduce waste.
Quality Assurance
Standard Compliance: Support the QA Manager in ensuring all incoming raw materials and outgoing finished goods meet Mount Zero's strict quality standards.
Audit & Regulation: Ensure ongoing business compliance with food safety regulations, HACCP plans, and relevant organic/biodynamic certifications.
Continuous Improvement: Oversee the prompt and systematic resolution of any quality non-conformances or customer feedback.
Pipeline Management: Directly manage the NPD pipeline from end-to-end, including initial bench trials, ingredient sourcing, packaging design, and full-scale production runs.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work collaboratively with the Marketing and Sales Manager to drive product refinement and new development, ensuring offerings align with market trends and brand ethos.
Commercialisation: Conduct shelf-life testing, costing analysis, and final product validation before market launch.
Sourcing: Manage supplier relationships for new ingredients,



ensuring they align with Mount Zero's ethical and sustainable sourcing criteria.
About You
Experience: 5+ years of operational or production management experience within the food manufacturing, agriculture, or FMCG sectors.
Leadership & Change Management: Demonstrated ability to manage and develop department managers (Warehouse, Production, QA) within a mid-sized business environment, with proven success scaling operations or managing change within a founder-led or family-owned business.
Innovation/NPD Expertise: Experience with refining, improving or driving NPD from concept to shelf, with a strong understanding of formulation, scaling, and commercialisation.
Commercial Acumen: Highly organised, commercially astute, and deeply collaborative.
You are just as comfortable managing P&L;/departmental budgets and analysing a spreadsheet as you are brainstorming product ideas with the marketing team.
Quality Knowledge: Strong working knowledge of food safety standards (HACCP, GMP) and experience managing audits.
Passion: A genuine affinity for sustainable agriculture, premium food, and the culinary industry.
What We Offer
Executive Impact: A pivotal leadership role reporting directly to the CEO of a highly respected, growing Australian food business, offering high levels of autonomy to build and shape the operations department for future growth.
Creative Ownership: The opportunity to directly shape the future product range of Mount Zero.
Development & Culture: Generous training and ongoing professional development opportunities to further your skills and career, within a supportive culture that values sustainability, community, and quality.
Perks: Generous staff discounts on our full range of products.
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📌 Head Of Operations & Innovation (Melbourne)
🏢 Mount Zero Olives
📍 Melbourne