Operations Manager

Job Description

Job Description:

• Lead and develop a high-performing production team
• Mars Birdcare, home to loved brands such as TRILL, HARMONY & Trill Expert
• Onsite | Permanent Full Time - Wacol, Brisbane

At Mars Birdcare, we’re passionate about creating quality nutrition for birds while building a safe, high-performing and collaborative workplace for our Associates.

We’re looking for an Operations Manager to join our team at our Wacol manufacturing site.

In this critical leadership role, you will manage production operations and resources to ensure the efficient and timely conversion of raw materials into high-quality finished products — delivered safely, on time, and within forecast costs.

This role is ideal for a people-focused operations leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and is passionate about operational excellence, safety and continuous improvement.

What will you do?

Reporting to the Supply & Commercial Manager, you will lead and develop a high-performing production team to deliver strong results across safety, quality, productivity and people engagement.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead day-to-day production operations to ensure safe, efficient and high-quality manufacturing outcomes
• Build and develop a high-performing, engaged team, fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration
• Champion food safety, quality and human safety, ensuring compliance with standards and best practices
• Drive operational excellence through Lean and continuous improvement initiatives
• Manage resources to deliver planned production volumes on time and within agreed costs
• Lead incident management and root cause analysis to drive sustainable improvements
• Manage operational budgets and support delivery of improvement and capital projects
• Partner with cross-functional teams to improve performance across the supply chain
• Contribute to the Site Operations Group (SOG) and Safety Steering Group (SSG) to drive site strategy and performance

What are we looking for?

• Tertiary qualification (degree or diploma) or equivalent industry experience
• 3+ years’ experience managing supply or manufacturing operations
• Demonstrated success leading large teams and driving cultural change
• Strong knowledge of food safety, quality and OH&S principles within manufacturing environments
• Proven operational excellence mindset, with experience using continuous improvement or Lean methodologies
• Experience managing budgets, operational projects and performance metrics
• Experience with incident management and root cause analysis
• Familiarity with production scheduling systems such as SAP or Microsoft Business Central 365

Why join Mars Birdcare?

At Mars, we believe our Associates are the key to creating a better world for pets, people and the planet. When you join Mars, you become part of a family-owned business guided by our Five Principles: Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency and Freedom.

You’ll have the opportunity to:

• Lead a critical manufacturing operation within the Mars network
• Develop and grow a high-performing team
• Contribute to continuous improvement and site transformation initiatives
• Work within a supportive, values-driven culture focused on safety, development and collaboration

Internal applicants: This role has been graded as a B5 opportunity, please ensure that you discuss your application with your line manager prior to applying including obtaining their endorsement.

Applications close: Wednesday 25th of March, 2026