- Based in Mildura, VIC
- Executive role reporting to the General Manager, Manassen Foods Group
- Lead a multi-year strategy and transformation roadmap for iconic brands

About Sunbeam Foods
Sunbeam started in Mildura in 1926, and this year it turned 100. In that time it has put a little Mildura sunshine into Australian kitchens, with sultanas, currants, apricots, almonds and sunflower kernels sold in everything from retail packs to bulk ingredients for food manufacturers. To mark the centenary, Mildura unveiled a Big Sultana, a sculpture more than five metres tall, as a thank you to the growers, families and community behind the brand.

Sunbeam and Angas Park are part of Manassen Foods Group. The Mildura and Loxton operations bring together fruit procurement, food processing, manufacturing, engineering, quality, warehousing and supply to domestic and international customers, with deep connections to the Sunraysia grower community. As Sunbeam begins its next hundred years, we are looking for an Operations Director to lead a significant operational transformation.

The Role
Reporting to the General Manager, Manassen Foods Group, the Operations Director will be based in Mildura and sets and delivers the operational strategy for Sunbeam and Angas Park and is accountable for performance across Mildura and Loxton, including safety, quality, service, cost and capital investment.

You will lead eight leaders, a mix of direct and matrix reports, across fruit supply, processing, manufacturing, engineering, quality and warehousing, within a team of more than 150 employees. The operations pack more than 10,000 tonnes of fruit a year, and you own the operational budgets and the capital program. Working with your leadership team , your responsibilities include:

- Setting and delivering a multi-year operational strategy and transformation roadmap for Sunbeam and Angas Park, with explicit governance and measurable benefits;
- Building a proactive safety culture, with strong critical controls,



risk assessments and incident investigations, and holding food safety, quality and product compliance from receival to dispatch with the sites audit ready;
- Embedding a site wide operating system built on daily management, KPI ownership, production control, standard work and structured problem solving, and using data to lift throughput, yield and labour productivity while reducing waste, downtime and cost;
- Leading S&OP; so fruit availability, quality constraints, inventory, labour and capacity come together in seasonal, monthly and weekly plans that can be delivered, backed by a flexible seasonal labour model
- Strengthening inventory accuracy, ageing, stock rotation and specification visibility, and releasing working capital by acting on slow moving or obsolete stock;
- Developing an asset reliability strategy that lifts equipment availability and plant performance, with preventive maintenance, shutdown planning, critical spares control and root cause analysis, plus a prioritised lifecycle capital plan;
- Owning the operational budgets and P&L; across labour, manufacturing, maintenance, inventory, overheads and capital, and explaining cost drivers in clear financial terms;
- Building leadership depth, frontline capability and succession, with clear decision rights and regular communication so employees understand priorities and changes;
- Overseeing local and imported fruit supply with growers and the fruit teams, and partnering with Supply Chain, Commercial, Finance, Quality and Technical leaders across Manassen so Operations is a strategic business partner.

What you bring:





- Senior operations leadership in food, FMCG, agricultural processing or another seasonal manufacturing business;
- A record of leading sustained operational transformation, with results across safety, service, throughput, yield, waste or cost;
- Hands on knowledge of manufacturing, engineering, maintenance, quality and warehousing, including raw materials that vary in quality and supply;
- Commercial strength: P&L; ownership, budgeting, forecasting and capital prioritisation;
- Experience leading a large, wide-ranging and seasonal workforce, including in a unionised environment and through enterprise agreement negotiations;
- A sound understanding of food safety, quality and regulatory requirements, and confidence using ERP and maintenance systems;
- A collaborative style, with drive, sound judgement and resilience;
- A tertiary qualification in engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, operations or business, or equivalent senior experience. Lean or Six Sigma training is well regarded

Why this role
One role that covers the growers, the plant, engineering, inventory, people and investment, as a member of Mannasen Foods Group Executive Leadership Team , It is a chance to shape an iconic Australian food operation, lead meaningful transformation and make an impact that lasts.

For a confidential conversation, contact Ramtin Parvar via ******@millerleith.com.au or Stephen Borg via *******@millerleith.com.au or click apply now to submit your application.

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Reference number: 7881

Profession:

Manufacturing

Head of Operations

Company: Miller Leith

Date posted: 3rd Nov, 2026

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🏢 Miller Leith
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