GM Operations

• Much loved brand operating for 30 years

• Highly impressive expansion and growth 

• Strong management and team support

Client Details

For three decades, this privately owned and much‑loved business has built its reputation on quality, consistency, and genuine care for its people and customers. As they continue to scale and modernise their high‑volume operations, they’re now seeking a seasoned General Manager of Operations to lead the entire end‑to‑end food manufacturing function and drive the next chapter of growth. This is a rare opportunity to step into a pivotal leadership role within a stable, respected, and proudly Australian organisation where your impact will be felt every day.

Description 

With a team of operations staff and a Head Chef reporting in, the GM drives operational excellence, commercial performance, and continuous improvement across the entire manufacturing lifecycle. This role requires a strong negotiator with deep experience in food manufacturing, regulatory compliance, and cross‑functional leadership.

Operational Leadership & People Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of operations staff and the Head Chef, fostering a culture of accountability, safety, and continuous improvement.
• Build a collaborative, high‑performance culture across production, logistics, QA, and culinary teams.
• Ensure clear communication channels between operations, sales, finance, and executive leadership.
• Oversee daily production activities to ensure efficiency, consistency, and adherence to production schedules.
• Work closely with the Head Chef to translate recipes and product concepts into scalable, commercially viable production processes.
• Ensure optimal utilisation of equipment, labour, and raw materials.
• Monitor production KPIs including yield, throughput, downtime, waste, and labour efficiency.
• Lead root‑cause analysis and corrective actions for production issues.
• Manage end‑to‑end supply chain operations including procurement, supplier management, contract negotiation, and cost control.
• Build strong relationships with suppliers to ensure continuity of supply, competitive pricing, and quality standards.
• Oversee inventory management, stock rotation, and forecasting to minimise waste and prevent stockouts.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and service agreements to support commercial objectives.
• Ensure compliance with cold‑chain requirements, transport regulations, and customer delivery standards.
• Ensure full compliance with HACCP, FSANZ, GMP, and all relevant food safety and regulatory standards.
• Oversee QA systems, audits, documentation, traceability, and corrective actions.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen food safety culture and reduce risk.
• Implement Lean, Six Sigma, or CI methodologies to drive measurable improvements.
• Lead capital projects including equipment upgrades, automation, and facility enhancements.
• Develop and maintain SOPs, work instructions, and process documentation.
• Develop and manage operational budgets, including labour, materials, overheads, and capital expenditure.
• Ensure compliance with all workplace safety regulations, training requirements, and environmental standards.

Profile

• Extensive experiance in food manufacturing, in a senior operational leadership role.
• Strong negotiation skills across procurement, supply chain, and vendor management.
• Proven experience managing production teams in a fast‑paced, high‑volume environment.
• Deep understanding of HACCP, FSANZ, GMP, and food safety compliance.
• Demonstrated success in process optimisation, CI methodologies, and operational transformation.
• Strong financial acumen with experience managing budgets and operational KPIs.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands‑on operational execution.
• Commercially savvy with a strong customer and quality focus.
• Calm, decisive, and solutions‑oriented under pressure.
• Highly organised with strong attention to detail.
• Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence at all levels.
• Passionate about operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trust across teams and suppliers.

It would also be interesting if you have outsourcing and third‑party vendor management experience. if you have had experience managing co‑manufacturers, external production partners, or hybrid in‑house/outsourced models this could be a benefit

Job Offer

On offer is an opportuity to make a real impact in the sucess of the business as they scale. Salary commensurate with experiance.
Please send through your expression of interest and CV through the link in the first instance and longlisted candidates will be contacted Directly. 
Lisa Chesterman 0413 349 854