We are looking for an Operating Executive based in Melbourne, Australia to help lead a manufacturing business recently carved out from its corporate parent. This senior executive position drives a comprehensive program of commercial, operational, and organizational improvement – working closely with the board, the current leadership team, and employee base at a single manufacturing site. The Operating Partner reports directly to the existing business leader and the Executive Director, both senior business leaders who partner with this role on strategy, capital decisions, and board reporting.

About the job

We are looking for an Operating Executive based in Melbourne, Australia to help lead a manufacturing business recently carved out from its corporate parent. This senior executive position drives a comprehensive program of commercial, operational, and organizational improvement – working closely with the board, the current leadership team, and employee base at a single manufacturing site. The Operating Partner reports directly to the existing business leader and the Executive Director, both senior business leaders who partner with this role on strategy, capital decisions, and board reporting.

Key Responsibilities

- Transformation Leadership: Drive the value creation plan end-to-end – operations, pricing, and cost efficiency – and report progress against a board-set cash flow plan.

- Commercial & Pricing: Work with current leadership to help guide pricing and contract terms across the customer portfolio,



from anchor accounts to long-tail purchase-order customers, while protecting key relationships.

- Operational Efficiency: Execute an operational plan alongside current leadership to lift machine uptime and line efficiency, reduce overtime, and align the labor model with the needs of the business.

- Standalone Setup: Stand up lean back-office functions (finance, HR, IT) as the business exits parent-company shared services and transition agreements.

- Cash & Liquidity Management: Manage working capital through seasonal cycles with disciplined weekly cash reporting.

- Execution & Hands-On Leadership: In-person role, on the floor, working directly alongside the team to execute initiatives.

Who You Are

- An experienced transformation and business operations leader with a track record of delivering measurable EBITDA and cash flow improvement under time pressure. Consulting (value creation or performance improvement), P&L; ownership, and PE-backed operating experience is a plus.

- A hands-on operator who thrives in detail-oriented execution and change management in a manufacturing setting.

- A decisive but empathetic leader able to carry a workforce through change while keeping the team engaged.

- Comfortable with ambiguity – able to operate the business well across multiple potential strategic outcomes.

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📌 Operating Executive (Whittlesea)
🏢 seek.com.au
📍 Whittlesea