Operations Manager — Electrical & Panel Manufacturing

Heavy Duty Controls & Electrical | Yatala QLD | Full-time

Up to $150,000 base + super + quarterly performance bonus + company vehicle

Lead the people and production behind equipment supporting Australia’s gas industry.

Heavy Duty Controls & Electrical is an electrical contracting and custom manufacturing business based in Yatala. We manufacture control panels, industrial switchboards and electrical harness assemblies for gas, mining and heavy industrial applications.

We are looking for an experienced Operations Manager who is ready to manage staff, take ownership of production and uphold workshop standards from day one.

There’s a good team here, approachable owners and established relationships with excellent customers. We need someone who can bring clear direction, consistent management and strong operational performance.

A current Queensland Electrical Contractor Licence and QTP eligibility are essential. Previous ownership or management of an electrical contracting business will be viewed favourably, particularly where you have successfully managed employees, job delivery and profitability.

You will report directly to the owners, with responsibility and authority for day-to-day operations across people, safety, quality, delivery and cost.

Your primary responsibility is to deliver results through the team. You will be actively involved on the workshop floor, with your time focused on managing people, planning work, resolving bottlenecks and improving performance.

HDC has an established ERP/MRP platform, bills of materials, WHS and quality systems. Your role is to make these systems work consistently in daily operations and strengthen production discipline and workshop organisation.

What you will own

- People management: Set clear expectations, allocate responsibilities, coach staff,



address underperformance and manage recruitment, onboarding and development.
- Production planning: Maintain realistic daily and weekly schedules, allocate labour effectively and manage competing jobs and deadlines.
- Job readiness and flow: Ensure drawings, documentation, materials and labour are ready before production starts. Identify shortages and bottlenecks early and resolve them.
- Workshop standards: Implement and sustain practical 5S standards—Sort, Set in Order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain. Establish designated storage, organised workstations, explicit walkways and accountable housekeeping routines.
- Quality and delivery: Monitor job progress, reduce defects and rework, and ensure products meet specification and leave when promised.
- Commercial performance: Track labour and material costs against estimates, investigate overruns and protect job profitability.
- Safety and electrical compliance: Fulfil HDC’s nominated QTP responsibilities, maintain effective electrical supervision, lead toolbox talks and ensure hazards and corrective actions are followed through.

What you will bring

- A current Queensland Electrical Contractor Licence.
- Current qualifications and eligibility to act as one of HDC’s nominated Qualified Technical Person (QTP) alongside the owner, and willingness to take on that responsibility from commencement.
- A current electrical work licence appropriate to HDC’s scope of work.




- Proven experience managing staff, including setting expectations, developing employees and addressing performance issues.
- A practical understanding of manufacturing and production processes, including scheduling, materials flow, work in progress and quality control.
- Experience using ERP/MRP or job-management systems to plan work and monitor performance.
- Evidence of sustained improvements in workshop organisation, productivity, quality or delivery.
- Commercial judgement, clear communication and the confidence to make decisions and follow them through.

Experience in control panel, switchboard or harness manufacturing will be highly regarded. Previous business ownership is valuable where you can demonstrate successful management of people and operations.

The package

- Base salary up to $150,000, depending on experience and demonstrated management capability.
- 12% superannuation in addition to base salary.
- Quarterly performance bonus against agreed operational targets.
- Company vehicle for business use and fuel card.
- Direct access to the owners and genuine authority to improve the operation.

The upper end of the salary range is available to an experienced manager who can demonstrate strong results in staff leadership, production management and commercial performance.

The hours

Monday to Thursday: 6:00am–2:30pm

Friday: 6:00am–12:30pm A 38-hour week with an early Friday finish and no out-of-hours calls.

How to apply

Send your resume and a brief cover letter to [email protected].

Tell us your contractor licence and QTP status, what teams or businesses you have managed, and give a specific example of how you improved staff performance, production delivery or workshop standards.

Applications must include a cover letter.

📌 Operations Manager — Electrical & Panel Manufacturing (Yatala)
🏢 Heavy Duty Controls u0026 Electrical
📍 Yatala