Operating Executive

About the job

We are looking for an Operating Executive based in Melbourne, Australia to help lead a manufacturing business recently carved out from its corporate parent. This senior executive position drives a comprehensive program of commercial, operational, and organizational improvement – working closely with the Executive Director of the Board and the current leadership team and employee base at a single manufacturing site. The Operating Partner reports directly to the Executive Director of the Board, a senior business leader who partners with the role on strategy, capital decisions, and board reporting.

Key Responsibilities

• Transformation Leadership: Drive the value creation plan end-to-end – operations, pricing, and cost efficiency – and report progress against a board-set cash flow plan.

• Commercial & Pricing: Work with current leadership to help guide pricing and contract terms across the customer portfolio, from anchor accounts to long-tail purchase-order customers, while protecting key relationships.

• Operational Efficiency: Execute an operational plan alongside current leadership to lift machine uptime and line efficiency, reduce overtime, and align the labor model with the needs of the business.

• Standalone Setup: Stand up lean back-office functions (finance, HR, IT) as the business exits parent-company shared services and transition agreements.

• Cash & Liquidity Management: Manage working capital through seasonal cycles with disciplined weekly cash reporting.

• Execution & Hands-On Leadership: In-person role, on the floor, working directly alongside the team to execute initiatives.

Who You Are

• An experienced transformation and business operations leader with a track record of delivering measurable EBITDA and cash flow improvement under time pressure. Consulting (value creation or performance improvement), P&L ownership, and PE-backed operating experience is a plus.

• A hands-on operator who thrives in detail-oriented execution and change management in a manufacturing environment.

• A decisive but empathetic leader able to carry a workforce through change while keeping the team engaged.

• Comfortable with ambiguity – able to operate the business well across multiple potential strategic outcomes.