Senior Operations Lead

Transition and Growth Team | Geelong or National Location | Travel Required

This is not a traditional operations role. You'll help organisations navigate critical periods of growth and change, creating stability, building trusted relationships and preserving the culture and strengths that make each business successful.

This is a rare opportunity to join a growing national care and community services organisation as a Senior Operations Lead, supporting newly acquired businesses through periods of transition, growth and change. Working within the Transition & Growth Team, you will play a critical role in ensuring services remain safe, teams remain engaged and local cultures are preserved while organisations are integrated into a broader group structure.

This role is ideal for a calm, experienced operator who thrives in complex environments, builds exceptional relationships and can lead confidently through ambiguity while maintaining a strong focus on people, culture and service continuity.

While Geelong is the preferred location, exceptional candidates from across Australia will be considered, with flexible remote working arrangements available.

The Opportunity

Reporting to the Head of Transition and Growth, you will support the successful transition and integration of acquired businesses across Australia.

You will partner closely with local leaders, frontline teams and corporate stakeholders to stabilise operations, strengthen workforce capability and embed governance frameworks while respecting and preserving the identity, culture and strengths of each organisation.

Success in this role is not measured by taking control. It is measured by your ability to build confidence, create alignment, support leaders through change and leave organisations stronger than when you arrived.

With a strong acquisition pipeline and multiple integrations planned, this role will have significant variety, visibility and impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead operational stabilisation and integration activities across newly acquired businesses.
• Act as a trusted partner to local leadership teams during periods of uncertainty and change.
• Support workforce continuity, service delivery and participant outcomes during transition periods.
• Identify operational risks and implement practical, people-focused solutions.
• Facilitate difficult conversations, navigate competing priorities and influence positive outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with frontline teams, management and executive stakeholders.
• Support the implementation of new processes, systems and governance requirements.
• Maintain momentum across multiple projects while balancing operational priorities.
• Foster strong cultural alignment between acquired organisations and the broader group, ensuring local values, relationships and community connections are respected and maintained.
• Provide intensive on-site support during acquisitions, followed by ongoing coaching and remote support.

About You

You are a highly credible and relationship-driven leader who remains calm when challenges arise and can quickly establish trust with people at all levels.

You will bring:

• Demonstrated senior operational leadership experience within disability services, out-of-home care, aged care or another regulated human services environment.
• Proven experience leading organisational change, acquisitions, integrations, transformation or transition projects.
• Strong understanding of NDIS operations and/or out-of-home care service delivery.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills and the ability to build genuine relationships quickly.
• Experience working closely with both frontline teams and senior leaders.
• Outstanding communication, documentation and conflict-resolution skills.
• A collaborative leadership style that influences through trust rather than authority.
• Strong judgement and the ability to use operational, workforce and financial data to make sound decisions in complex and evolving environments.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining a positive and inclusive culture.
• A calm, measured and solutions-focused approach when things do not go to plan.
• Flexibility to travel nationally for acquisition and mobilisation activities, including periods of intensive on-site support.

What's on Offer?

• Senior leadership opportunity with significant influence and visibility.
• Exposure to acquisitions, integration and strategic growth initiatives.
• Opportunity to shape culture, capability and operational success across multiple organisations.
• Diverse and meaningful work with no two projects the same.
• Flexible location options, with Geelong preferred and national candidates encouraged to apply.
• Competitive salary package.
• Opportunity to be part of a growing organisation making a genuine difference in the community.

What you need to do now

If you're an experienced operational leader who thrives on building relationships, leading through change and creating stability in complex environments, we'd love to hear from you.

Click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or contact Summa [email protected] | (03) 5226 8007 5226 8007).

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please reach out for a confidential discussion on your career.