Operations Manager

About the role

As Operations Manager at Arkeus, you will ensure the company operates with the discipline, efficiency and scalability needed to deliver on its growth ambitions. You will own the end-to-end operational model in our Melbourne facilities and the operational ecosystem through to process improvement and cross-functional coordination.

This is a senior leadership role with real autonomy — you'll shape how we execute against company and operational strategy, not just follow a playbook. You'll be the connective tissue between teams: the person who makes sure everyone has the structure and process to actually get things done. You'll lead your team, guide your peers, and roll up your sleeves when it counts. We're also looking for genuine enthusiasm for AI as an operational tool — we build AI, and we expect to run on it. You'll actively look for ways to apply AI and automation to reporting, compliance, supply chain and back-office work, so the team spends its time on judgement rather than admin.

About you

You are a senior operations leader with a track record of building scalable operating models in complex, fast-moving environments. You have seen what "too much process too early" looks like, and what "not enough structure" costs. You know where the line is.

You combine strategic thinking with a hands-on execution mindset — comfortable designing systems and rolling up your sleeves when the moment calls for it. You are a natural connector: you bring clarity, accountability and pace to cross-functional work without needing to own everything.

You are experienced in operating in or alongside defence, aerospace, or other regulated industries, and you understand the operational rigour that comes with them. You have an ability to identify where relative investments of time and accuracy are made to align with strategic objectives. Importantly, you are energised by ambiguity — the playbook does not exist yet, and writing it is part of the job.

Key responsibilities

• Structure, Policy and Process: Design and implement the organisational structure, policies and processes  to run a global company — consistent across markets, scalable as the business grows, and practical enough that teams actually use them. You will maintain our ISO 9001 certification and propose other certifications if needed.

• Operational Ecosystem Scale: Own, build, and continuously improve Arkeus's global operational model, systems, and processes to support 5x scaling without building standard bureaucracy.

• Defence Framework Governance: Implement and maintain robust compliance ecosystems aligned with the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) and ISO 9001.

• Cross-Functional Alignment: Drive synergy across engineering, manufacturing, finance, and commercial teams—identifying operational bottlenecks early and resolving them fast.

• Workplace experience: you'll shape our Melbourne workplace so the team has the environment and resources to perform at their best.

• Build and lead a high-performing operations function that puts our customers first, with a culture of leadership, ownership, disruption and audacity.

What success looks like

In your first 90 days:

• You have mapped the current operating model, understood where it works and where it breaks, and shared a clear view with the executive team.

• You have built strong relationships with the engineering, program delivery, and growth leads.

• You have audited our processes, identified gaps and proposed improvements to our standard operating procedures.

• You have reviewed our existing operational compliance against ISO 9001 and DISP requirements, identifying where we fall short.

In your first year:

• Arkeus has a scalable operational model that works at 5x current revenue — built without over-engineering.

• Arkeus operates within a scalable operational ecosystem recognised internally for supporting, enabling, and enhancing cross-functional engineering and commercial teams, and a reputation internally for making things happen.

• Arkeus holds mature, audit-ready compliance frameworks across ISO 9001 and DISP.

• You are recognised as the conductor of all operations at our Melbourne headquarters.

Your experience and skills

• Operations Leadership: Experience at Operations Manager, Head of Operations, or equivalent level leading scaling functions in a complex, fast-moving organisation.

• Ecosystem Engineering: Proven track record in program delivery, business transformation, and process engineering within Defence, aerospace, or deep-tech industries.

• Defence Quality & Security Fluency: Strong working knowledge of the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP) and ISO 9001.

• AI-Enabled Efficiency: Keen interest in applying AI and automation to operational workflows — reporting, compliance, supply chain and back-office processes — to remove manual effort and gain efficiency.

• Stakeholder Fluency: Exceptional interpersonal skills with a clear capacity to communicate cleanly across software engineers, machinist teams, and corporate board members.

• Comfort with ambiguity: you can make good decisions with incomplete information and adjust quickly when the picture changes.

Why join Arkeus

• You will work on the hardest problems in deep-tech — optics, autonomy, real-time AI and hardware-software integration in a single product. The gap between what you build and where it ends up is almost nonexistent.

• You will collaborate with exceptional leaders who have decades of combined experience in AI, optics and defence. You will be learning from — and contributing to — the best in the field.

• You will become part of a close-knit, ego-free team where ideas compete on merit, not seniority. Low politics, high trust. The kind of team you will still be talking about in ten years.

• You will work hard and be expected to bring your best — and in return you will grow faster than you ever would at a large organisation.

• You will work on technology that is already deployed in real environments — protecting lives and strengthening security across defence and national security applications.

• You will receive a competitive, market-benchmarked salary, structured career pathways built to grow with you, and the opportunity to participate in our Employee Share Option Plan (ESOP).

• You will have the opportunity to mentor bright emerging talent through our highly sought-after intern program and strong connections with leading universities.