DATE POSTED 02/12/2025
JOB NUMBER JO-2511-1456-1
LOCATION Geelong, Victoria, Australia
GENERAL JOB DESCRIPTION Are you a people-first leader ready to bring fresh thinking to a proud, traditional industry?

Appreciate Tradition, Lead a Progressive Future
Geelong, Victoria | Full-Time Onsite

Are you a people-first leader ready to bring fresh thinking to a proud, traditional industry? Our client is a longstanding industrial operation with deep roots in the Geelong manufacturing landscape, now committed to modernising processes, lifting capability, and fostering a high-performing, inclusive workforce.

We are seeking a progressive, resilient, values-driven leader who is confident in managing a traditional workforce, able to have fair and constructive conversations, and is passionate about and has a track record in building high performing teams.

Why This Role Matters

  • Lead end-to-end processing operations, ensuring safety, quality, and performance
  • Engage and uplift the workforce with inclusive communication and modern work practices
  • Drive a safer, more skilled, and motivated team while improving plant performance and processes

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & People

  • Inspire, motivate, and guide a diverse team
  • Lead performance reviews and development plans for your division
  • Have “tough but fair” conversations with clarity and respect

Operations & Performance

  • Manage and improve production, quality, safety and service measures
  • Own P&L performance

Quality & Continuous Improvement

  • Oversee quality assurance and non-conformance processes
  • Identify and implement opportunities for improvement
  • Support process optimisation using Lean principles (desirable)

What We’re Looking For

Essential

  • Leadership experience of practical, technical, trades, manufacturing or construction teams
  • Ability to motivate and engage a traditional workforce
  • Strong understanding of financial, operational, quality and safety measures
  • Confident communication from shop floor to executive level

Desirable

  • Experience in Lean Manufacturing, process/productivity Improvement principles and building equitable and supportive team cultures

Qualifications
Technical or trade qualifications welcome but not essential — leadership and operational expertise valued equally.

KPIs / Success Measures

  • Team engagement
  • Production and DIFOT performance
  • Attainment of safety and quality metrics
  • Financial performance and operational improvements

Why You’ll Love It

  • Lead a respected team through meaningful cultural and operational change
  • Influence the future of a traditional industry
  • Join a supportive leadership team with strong community values
  • Make a visible impact with hands-on management

We encourage applications from people who bring diverse perspectives, including women, emerging leaders and those from non-traditional manufacturing backgrounds.
 

Harvest Recruitment is proud to be an equal opportunity employer who values the contributions that a diverse workforce can bring to our community. Harvest Recruitment offers reasonable adjustments for applicants with disabilities on request.

Apply now