Head of People and Operations

Hands-on leadership role | Established and growing finance business | Southport, Gold Coast

Help us bring great people, strong performance and growing operations together

We are looking for an energetic and commercially minded Head of People and Operations to join our leadership team and help guide the next stage of our growth.

This is not a role for someone who wants to lead from a distance. We need a confident, hands-on leader who enjoys being close to the action—working alongside team leaders, understanding what is happening on the floor, digging into results and coaching people to perform at their best.

You will have the experience and judgement to make sound decisions independently, together with the confidence to address issues directly, hold people accountable and maintain high standards. Just as importantly, you will know how to build trust, bring people together and create an environment where employees feel supported, motivated and clear about what is expected of them.

About us

We are a long-established Gold Coast finance business with more than 20 years of experience and an exciting growth journey ahead of us. Our team consists of approximately 30 people based in our Southport office, supported by a small offshore technology team.

Our business operations span technology, marketing, loan assessment, collections and debt management. We operate in highly regulated and legally sensitive markets, while continuing to invest in innovation, automation and AI to improve how we work and serve our customers.

Our values are

- One Team, One Goal
- Passion
- Efficiency
- Transparency

We work hard to maintain a positive, productive and high-performing workplace—and we are looking for the right person to help us strengthen it as we grow.

The role

Working closely with the Managing Director and leaders across technology, marketing, operations, assessing, collections and debt management, you will connect our people, performance and day-to-day operations.

You will spend your time understanding results, identifying what is and is not working, coaching leaders and team members, resolving operational issues and ensuring commitments turn into action.

Your responsibilities will include





- Leading and supporting team leaders to improve performance, consistency, accountability and compliance
- Building strong relationships across the business and ensuring teams work together towards shared goals
- Reviewing individual, team and business results to identify trends, performance gaps and opportunities
- Spending time with frontline teams, including listening to customer calls, observing workflows and providing practical coaching
- Establishing clear expectations, following up on commitments and addressing underperformance promptly
- Leading recruitment, onboarding, development and retention
- Managing performance, conduct and workplace matters fairly, confidently and in line with legal requirements
- Making difficult people decisions when required, including formal performance management and termination
- Developing the capability and confidence of team leaders so they can lead their teams effectively
- Improving communication between departments and ensuring important information, decisions and priorities are understood
- Working with leaders to improve workflows, remove bottlenecks and lift productivity and service standards
- Supporting workforce planning and organisational structure as the business grows
- Helping embed new systems, automation, AI tools and operational changes across the business
- Promoting a positive workplace where high performance, responsibility, collaboration and continuous improvement are part of everyday behaviour

About you You are a decisive, outgoing and influential leader who communicates clearly and is comfortable having honest conversations. You bring energy to a room, connect well with people at every level and naturally create momentum.

You will also have

- Substantial experience leading people and operations in a hands-on environment
- Experience in consumer finance, financial services, fintech, insurance, collections,



professional services or another regulated and compliance-sensitive industry
- Robust knowledge of Australian employment practices and experience managing complex workplace matters
- Demonstrated success coaching leaders and frontline employees to improve performance
- The confidence to make sound commercial and people decisions without needing constant direction
- Strong analytical skills and a willingness to investigate the detail behind results
- A practical approach—you are as comfortable reviewing a customer call or workflow as you are discussing broader business priorities
- The ability to balance empathy and support with clear expectations and accountability
- Experience recruiting, performance managing and, where necessary, exiting employees
- A genuine interest in technology, AI and using current tools to improve performance and efficiency
- The resilience, adaptability and good judgement needed in a challenging, growing and rapidly changing business

This role will not suit someone seeking a highly corporate, strategy-only executive position. It will suit an experienced and capable leader who wants genuine influence, enjoys solving real operational and people challenges, and takes satisfaction from helping a business and its people perform at their best. Why join us?

- Take ownership of a broad and influential leadership role
- Work directly with the Managing Director and functional leaders
- Join an established business experiencing an exciting period of growth and change
- Help shape our culture, leadership capability and future ways of working
- Work with a diverse range of teams in one Southport office
- Be part of a business actively embracing technology, automation and AI
- See the direct impact of your decisions and leadership

This is an opportunity to bring together people, performance and operations in a business where your contribution will be visible, valued and important. If you are a confident, hands-on leader who knows how to bring out the best in people, lift standards and turn plans into results, we would like to hear from you.

Please apply with your resume and a cover letter explaining why this role and our type of business appeal to you.

📌 Head of People and Operations (Southport)
🏢 Safe Financial Group
📍 Southport