Chief Operating Officer

Location: adelaide
Salary: $200000 - $240000 per annum
Job Type: permanent
Contact: Scott Logan
About the company
A large and established private equity fund with specific expertise in food and agriculture has acquired two successful privately owned, founder-led food companies, with highly complimentary businesses. The two businesses have been around for decades and have long term relationships with all major retailers and independents, as well as direct to consumer through their own ecommerce platforms. This role will be a part of the parent company which will now consolidate the two businesses that are across multiple facilities in different states and have disparate systems, standards, and workforces. Part of the mandate is to take these successful brands into new global markets, which will require adiitional manufacturing and supply capability to achieve certifications. This is an opportunity to benefit from an equity position in an eventual sale.

About the role
In addition to the standard deliverables of a senior manufacturing operations role, as the COO you'll own the consolidation of operations that currently exist over five locations and two states into an existing facility in Adelaide, at which point youll be able to invest in automation of existing and new processes. You'll ensure that there's continuity of operation and supply during a time of disruption and that customer needs are met, build a capable site leadership team and a strong site culture, rationalise the supply chain and procurement strategy, and assess businesses cases for overseas manufacturing whether acquisition or joint venture. You'll be the force behind taking an operation that is disparate and seperated, to a cohesive and functional modern manufacturing operation. You'll have a team of 6-7 direct reports and a broader operation of around 80 people which will expand, and you'll be responsible for COGS and CapEx budgets with an eye on maximising the margin profile.

About you
We're seeking a confident operations leader from a food or adjacent background, who has led physical operational change and has strong commercial acumen.
  • Relevant tertiary degree
  • Background in food and beverage or broader FMCG manufacturing
  • Experience leading signifiicant physical operational change programs - site consolidation, inegrating acquisitions, tech transfer, capacity expansions
  • In addition to manufacturing operations leadership as the core skill, solid understanding of supply chain and procurement
  • Confident financial acumen having either owned large profit/cost centre budget or full P&L - knows the levers to optimise margin profile
  • Familiarity with business cases and ideally export markets and requisite certifications
  • Ideally, diverse experience with different types of businesses - privately owned v public, large v small


Why apply?

This is not your run of the mill head of operations role - you'll be part of a private equity backed venture and be directly rewarded as part of the sale through equity. This is a role where you can really build something with accountability - own a significant business transformation, work directly with a fantastic CEO, and put roots down within a fund that has an appetite to invest in similar businesses. 

How to apply
Click on APPLY or contact Scott Logan on 0431 557 927 for a confidential discussion, or email on scottl@sde.com.au with any questions.

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