A08 Operations Manager (Owners Representative)

This QLD State Government department is seeking an experienced Operations Manager (Owner’s Representative) to provide operational leadership, governance and assurance for a first-of-its-kind critical minerals processing facility.

Acting as the Queensland Government’s on-site representative, you will play a key role in building strong relationships, aligning multiple stakeholders and creating a high-performing operational environment as the facility progresses through commissioning and into early operations.

This is a highly collaborative role requiring an experienced leader who can work effectively with operators, contractors, technical specialists, government stakeholders and customers. The ability to influence, communicate clearly and build trust across diverse groups will be critical to success.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as the Owner’s Representative, building strong relationships and translating owner, contractor and customer requirements into clear operational expectations.
• Provide visible operational leadership and establish a positive culture of accountability, collaboration and performance.
• Establish and maintain the operational governance and assurance framework for early operations.
• Build effective working relationships across operators, contractors, suppliers, advisors, government stakeholders and customers.
• Drive performance through structured governance, reporting, communication and decision-making processes.
• Influence outcomes across multiple organisations and stakeholder groups, including where there is no direct line authority.
• Lead operational and campaign readiness reviews and provide recommendations for go/no-go decisions.
• Foster strong operating discipline, performance routines and timely close-out of actions and commitments.
• Provide on-site oversight of high-risk activities and ensure critical controls are effectively implemented.
• Monitor operational performance and work collaboratively with stakeholders to identify and implement continuous improvement opportunities.
• Chair performance, defect and improvement forums to drive accountability, collaboration and operational availability.
• Provide high-quality advice, briefings and recommendations to senior stakeholders and government representatives.
• Support commercial activities including contract development, procurement and broader stakeholder engagement.
• Maintain robust Management of Change (MOC) processes and support sound asset management and reliability practices.

Successful Candidate
Leadership & People Management

• Significant experience in operations leadership, operational management, Owner’s Representative or operational assurance roles within complex industrial, resources, minerals processing or similarly high-risk environments.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, influence and engage people across multiple teams, organisations and professional disciplines.
• Proven ability to establish a culture of accountability, collaboration, safety and high performance.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trust and credibility with operators, contractors, technical specialists, senior executives and government stakeholders.
• Experience managing competing priorities and bringing diverse stakeholders together to achieve common operational outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to influence outcomes without relying solely on direct line authority.

Operational & Industry Experience

• Experience supporting commissioning, start-up or early operations of processing, resources, infrastructure or other complex industrial facilities.
• Strong understanding of operational governance, risk management, Management of Change and operational assurance principles.
• Experience in minerals, resources, processing or related heavy industry environments is highly desirable, but not essential for the right operational leader.
• Practical experience verifying critical controls and making sound, risk-based operational decisions.
• A strong understanding of operational performance, reliability and continuous improvement.

Stakeholder & Commercial Skills

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to engage confidently with a broad range of stakeholders and prepare clear reports, advice and briefings for senior decision-makers.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain productive relationships across multiple organisations and stakeholder groups.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve issues and maintain alignment in a complex environment.
• Commercial acumen and experience with contract management, procurement and supplier relationships.
• Strong project management and operational planning capability.
• Ability to analyse information, identify opportunities and drive improvements in an evolving operational environment.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Current open C Class Driver Licence.
• Construction White Card.
• Australian citizenship, permanent residency or valid work rights in Australia.
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Ability to successfully complete criminal history and conflict of interest checks.

This role offers a unique opportunity for an experienced operations and people leader to play a key role in establishing and governing operations for a strategically important critical minerals facility.

You will have the opportunity to work across government, industry and technical stakeholders while helping establish the culture, relationships and operating framework for a new facility that will contribute to Queensland’s growing advanced manufacturing, resources and critical minerals sector.

Send your resume through to daniel@publicsectorpeople.com.au and give me a call on 0466 265 446 today to discuss this role in further detail.