Company Snapshot: Our client is a globally respected industrial manufacturer with over a century of engineering expertise and a workforce of more than 30,000 employees worldwide. Renowned for high-precision flow and mechanical solutions, the business supports a wide range of critical sectors including automotive, transport, mining, food, and general industry. The North Sydney site operates as a specialist hub for low-volume, high-complexity manufacturing, with a strong focus on tailored solutions. Following 25% year-on-year growth, the business is on track to scale by a further 50% over the next three years. This is a rare opportunity to join a global organisation defined by innovation, customer focus, and sustained growth. What You’ll Be Doing: This is a hands-on, high-impact leadership role with strong visibility across the organisation (internationally). Reporting directly to the General Manager, you’ll lead a team of seven direct reports and a wider group of up to 40 staff across production, planning, procurement, inventory, quality, and engineering. A major focus of the role will be coaching and developing your team to lift performance and build future capability. You’ll also be responsible for improving on-time delivery, increasing production efficiency, and establishing scalable systems and processes to support the business through its next phase of growth. Your Areas of Impact: Production Leadership Take ownership of end-to-end manufacturing operations, including production, quality, engineering, materials, supply chain, and facilities. Drive improvements in CNC performance, reduce waste, and ensure a clean, safe, and efficient work environment. On-Time Delivery Build on recent gains in delivery performance (currently in the 80% range) and lead the charge toward consistently exceeding 90%. Improve coordination, scheduling, and execution across departments to ensure seamless delivery outcomes. Process & System Optimisation Enhance operational systems and planning processes, including make-versus-buy frameworks. Champion LEAN methodologies and continuous improvement to increase efficiency, improve reporting, and support scalable growth. Team Leadership & Capability Building Coach and empower your leadership team, foster a high-performance culture grounded in accountability and continuous learning, and play a key role in attracting and developing operational talent. Cross-Functional Alignment Collaborate closely with sales, product management, customer service, warehousing, and quality teams to ensure operational priorities align with broader business objectives. Support accurate forecasting and elevate customer satisfaction. Financial & Strategic Execution Lead the operational budgeting and reporting process while contributing to long-term planning. Monitor performance against business goals and oversee key initiatives that drive both operational excellence and sustainable growth. What You Bring: A solid background in production or operations management within complex, engineered-to-order or customised manufacturing environments. Proven leadership experience in the manufacturing sector, with a demonstrated ability to improve delivery performance, optimise operational efficiency, and lead cross-functional teams. Known for coaching and mentoring team members to build capability and drive a culture of accountability and continuous improvement. A hands-on, detail-oriented approach and the confidence to engage at all levels of the organisation. Known for earning trust and building accountable, high-performing teams. Strong systems capability, with experience in ERP platforms such as Oracle or SAP, and proficiency in MRP/DRP planning and Excel-based scheduling and reporting. Commercially astute, with a sound grasp of operational cost drivers, asset management, product costing, procurement, and quality assurance systems. A strong foundation in LEAN manufacturing and continuous improvement, with the ability to embed structure and scalability into day-to-day operations. A natural problem solver who thrives in bespoke, low-volume manufacturing environments and enjoys turning informal, tribal processes into robust, systemised solutions. Industry exposure to injection moulding, aluminium, glass, or other customised product manufacturing is highly regarded. Experience with CNC machining will be considered an advantage. What’s In It For You? Competitive base salary car allowance realistic, achievable 20% bonus 17.5% leave loading onsite parking Clear career progression opportunities, with succession pathways locally and across the global group Join an established international organisation with a strong industry reputation and long-term stability Take a lead role in shaping operational improvements, driving performance, and building scalable systems Collaborate with a technically capable, supportive leadership team that values continuous improvement Ongoing access to professional development, mentorship, and career advancement opportunities Interested? Apply now or reach out to me, Olya Sorokina, for a confidential chat. Olya Sorokina Managing Consultant Industrial & Manufacturing Australia & New Zealand BTI Executive Search (by PERSOL) (M) 61 408 939 (E) btiexecutivesearch.com.au SCR-olya-sorokina
