Operations Manager

Woodlands Enterprises is a long-standing, family-owned poultry business based in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast. For more than 100 years, Woodlands has been growing chickens and eggs locally while maintaining a strong focus on quality, freshness and reliability.

We are seeking an experienced and practical Operations Manager to lead and coordinate Woodlands’ maintenance and operational support functions across our poultry farms and facilities. This is a hands-on leadership role with accountability for safe and efficient work delivery, departmental performance, maintenance planning, job control, operational systems and cost management.

Working closely with Department Managers, farm management, Projects, Purchasing, Finance, Human Resources and senior management, you will ensure maintenance and repair work is properly planned, completed, recorded, costed and closed out. You will also play a key role in ensuring chargeable farmer repair works are accurately captured and invoiced in a timely manner.

Why this role is appealing

This is an opportunity to take ownership of a broad operational function within a stable and established local organisation. You will have the scope to strengthen systems, improve accountability, develop managers and drive practical improvements across maintenance and operational support.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Lead maintenance and operational support across Woodlands’ poultry farms and facilities

• Build clear accountability across Department Managers for work planning, completion and job close-out

• Improve operational controls across TimeTrak, MYOB, WHS, purchasing and job-costing processes

• Manage the process for identifying, costing and invoicing farmer repair works

• Drive improvements in maintenance efficiency, downtime, rework, labour utilisation and cost control

• Work closely with senior management and operational leaders on priorities, projects, resourcing and performance

About the role

The Operations Manager is responsible for leading and coordinating maintenance and operational support functions across the business. You will establish work priorities, monitor delivery and ensure Department Managers maintain strong standards of supervision, safety, documentation, system compliance and financial administration.

A key focus of the role is ensuring that work is not considered complete simply because the physical task has finished. Department Managers will be accountable for ensuring required TimeTrak records, WHS documentation, costing information, MYOB-related administration and any farmer invoicing information are also complete and accurate.

Your key responsibilities will include:

• Planning and overseeing preventative, reactive, project and general maintenance works across poultry farms and sundry facilities

• Setting clear priorities with Department Managers, allocating resources according to operational risk and business need, and monitoring work through to completion

• Holding Department Managers accountable for work allocation, supervision, quality, timeliness, administration and full job close-out

• Ensuring TimeTrak is used accurately and consistently, including labour hours, job descriptions, locations, work status, materials or resources used and completion information

• Reviewing open, overdue and incomplete jobs and requiring missing or inaccurate operational records to be corrected promptly

• Managing the end-to-end process for identifying and invoicing repair works that are chargeable to farmers or other relevant parties

• Providing strong WHS leadership and ensuring Department Managers actively manage hazards, risk controls, safe work requirements, PPE, incident reporting, corrective actions and contractor compliance

• Working with Department Managers and Purchasing to maintain appropriate stock control, critical spare holdings and forward planning of equipment and materials

• Monitoring operational performance including outstanding jobs, completion timeframes, preventative maintenance, labour utilisation, downtime, rework, WHS actions, job-costing completeness and farmer invoicing timeliness

• Coordinating external contractors and operational projects to ensure scope, safety, timing, quality, cost and completion requirements are controlled

About you

You are an experienced operations leader who is comfortable moving between strategic priorities and practical day-to-day delivery. You set clear expectations, follow work through to completion and are confident holding managers accountable for both the physical work and the systems, safety and financial controls that sit behind it.

You will bring:

• A minimum of five years’ experience in an operations, maintenance, facilities, engineering or similar leadership role

• Trade qualifications or substantial practical maintenance experience, preferred

• Demonstrated experience leading managers and operational teams across multiple workstreams or sites

• Strong planning, delegation and organisational skills with the ability to maintain control of competing operational priorities

• Experience with job management, time tracking, purchasing and financial systems; TimeTrak and MYOB experience would be highly regarded

• A sound understanding of WHS responsibilities and the ability to build practical safety accountability into day-to-day operations

• Experience monitoring budgets, labour, materials, contractors and job costs

• Strong problem-solving, negotiation and conflict-management capability

• Clear communication and the confidence to work effectively with managers, employees, farmers, contractors and senior leaders

• A practical, accountable and improvement-focused approach to leadership

Why join Woodlands?

At Woodlands, you will join a proud local business with deep roots in the Sunshine Coast community and a strong future ahead.

We offer:

• A senior operational role with genuine influence over maintenance performance and service delivery

• The opportunity to strengthen systems, accountability and operational processes across the business

• A varied role spanning people leadership, maintenance, projects, WHS, financial controls and continuous improvement

• A stable position within a long-established, family-owned business

• A collaborative working relationship with Department Managers, Finance, Human Resources and senior management

• A workplace based in Beerwah on the Sunshine Coast

Important biosecurity requirement

For biosecurity purposes, the successful applicant cannot have any bird species or pigs at home, including chickens, ducks, budgies or other birds.

How to apply

If you are an experienced operations leader who enjoys building accountable teams, improving systems and ensuring work is delivered safely and efficiently, we would love to hear from you.

Please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your relevant operations, maintenance and leadership experience through SEEK or email: [email protected]

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete a PredictFit online assessment. This assessment assists Woodlands in determining a candidate’s capacity to safely perform the inherent requirements of the role and supports our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace in line with our Work Health and Safety obligations.

Please note: only successful applicants will be contacted. Overseas applicants will not be considered.