Experienced Mine Systems & Data Engineer

GENERAL MANAGER – OPERATIONS

• GM/COO Elect - full Manufacturing/ Supply Chain accountability
• Delightful NSW regional centre – equidistant Melbourne/Sydney
• $240-260,000 total package + relocation assistance

As I write this advertisement I am picturing you sitting in Melbourne, Sydney, or some other Capital City traffic, grinding your teeth at the time you waste on the road each day. Sure, you can make some calls but you know you’ll be home late again tonight, missing out on family time, the opportunity to keep that fitness program going, catching up with friends and maybe just having some time to have fun. Your weekends just become recharge time and, while you may well enjoy the challenges of your current role, you’re starting to wonder if it’s all worthwhile. This newly created role might just be the circuit breaker you and your family are looking for (and needing!)

You’ll be joining a well resourced and managed SME with strong growth plans that should see it reach $25m in the not too distant future. You’re going to be integral to those growth plans, supporting a very strategic and people-oriented MD, but you’ll be the senior person on site. The business itself manufactures and sells a range of quality engineered products (ISO 9001 is being implemented) – some standard, some specified and some targeting the lucrative Oil & Gas industry. The culture is settled and positive. The drive is one of looking for ways to be even more efficient and market responsive, building high performing teams and ensuring that systems, processes, and business disciplines support what is an ongoing growth trajectory.

You’re already working at this level so you just get that you’re it when it comes to ensuring business operational objectives are achieved safely, in full, on time and within budget whilst ensuring business continuity and risk management plans are in place. You’ll have two key managers reporting in to you across Planning, Procurement, Production, Inventory, and Product. Your role is to plan and budget for the future and to ensure the whole team is equipped to play their part in achieving growth targets. You’ll also need to work in closely with the Finance, Marketing, Sales and Customer Service teams to help you come to grips with the business, its markets and customers, all incredibly important to your own career development within the company.

And you? Well, certainly an Engineering qualification would be useful, but it’s not essential if you’ve got a strong knowledge of, and track record in Operations. You’ll certainly have managed teams of at least 15 to 20, have effectively utilised an ERP/MRP system, and ideally have had customer contact. Importantly, you can’t be a status quo manager – we want someone who is inspirational, who leads from the front and acts as a positive role model around change. You’ll have been part of a Senior or Executive Management Team, an active participant who can think about, and contribute at a “whole of business” level rather than just on operational matters.

A metals manufacturing background, preferably in a jobbing shop environment could be an advantage BUT…..my client was adamant in repeating that he is less focused on specific industry background. Indeed, he will look at a much broader range of industry, process or product backgrounds as long as what he describes as his “unnegotiables” are in place. They come down to personal style and leadership combined with true, proven manufacturing and supply chain experience and track record. I know the MD loves to see inquisitiveness and intelligence when it comes to change, true business savvy and an understanding of what the numbers mean and tell us, a customer focus and a desire to achieve through people. He has no appetite for politics or grandstanding.

Finally, in this role you will be a right hand to the MD. He is very keen to hire a talented senior manager who can certainly contribute at this level but who, down the track, would like to do more. This business has already proven its ability to grown consistently and profitably, and that is going to be the pattern for the future. In an ideal world we would like you to have the ability to ultimately contribute as the Business GM, or even as the COO as the business grows both organically and through acquisition. In other words, this is a fantastic entry point, but prove yourself and even greater challenges will await you!

Your obvious question will be around the “where” of the role. OK, it’s a nice sized regional centre, maybe 30,000 people, about 4 to 5 hours outside each of Melbourne and Sydney. It’s not a role for which you can commute – we need you to become part of the community. It has a good range of schooling available, modern/contemporary medical and community facilities…….oh, and the commute time is probably measured in minutes rather than hours. Housing prices are less than Capital cities. Leisure pursuits abound and there is a sense of family in both the organisation and the wider community. You’ll feel as though you belong in no time at all.