*Manufacturing Excellence Lead – Digital Operations Transformation*
THE WORK: As a Manufacturing Excellence Lead, you will help leading organisations reinvent their operations by combining deep manufacturing expertise with digital innovation. You will advise and deliver end-to-end transformation programs that optimise plant performance, embed world-class operational practices, and enable intelligent factories powered by data, automation and advanced analytics.
You will work directly with client executives and plant leadership teams to turn operational strategy into measurable business outcomes, improving throughput, cost, service, and resilience, whilst building the foundations for the future autonomous factory. This role sits at the intersection of manufacturing operations, performance management and Industry 4.0.
What You Will Do
Drive Operational Transformation
Lead manufacturing excellence workstreams within large transformation programs
Diagnose operational performance gaps across production, maintenance and quality
Design target operating models for plants and manufacturing networks
Implement lean, TPM and reliability best-practice ways of working
Stabilise operations before digitalisation (“fix the process before digitising it”)
Enable Digital Manufacturing & Industry 4.0
Define digital manufacturing roadmaps and investment cases
Implement connected factory capabilities (MES, IIoT, real-time performance monitoring)
Enable predictive maintenance and advanced analytics use cases
Design digitally enabled workflows and operator experiences
Bridge OT and IT stakeholders to operationalise technology on the shopfloor
Embed Data-Driven Performance Management
Design tiered performance management systems (TPM / Daily Management)
Implement KPI hierarchies linking shopfloor metrics to EBITDA outcomes
Establish operational control towers and visual management systems
Move clients from reactive reporting to predictive decision-making
Build sustainable performance governance routines
Deliver Measurable Client Value
Quantify improvement opportunities and track benefits realisation
Translate operational improvements into financial impact
Support business case creation and executive storytelling
Ensure adoption and behaviour change across frontline teams
Lead & Grow People
Coach client supervisors, engineers and operational leaders
Lead consulting teams across multiple sites and workstreams
Develop reusable methods, assets and accelerators
Contribute to thought leadership in smart manufacturing
Typical Client Outcomes
10–25% OEE improvement
15–30% downtime reduction
Improved schedule adherence and service levels
Reduced cost-to-serve
Real-time operational visibility
Sustainable continuous improvement capability
HERE'S WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Significant experience in manufacturing operations, engineering, operational excellence or consulting
Demonstrated delivery of plant performance improvement programs
Deep understanding of production, maintenance and quality interactions
Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, TPM or reliability methodologies
Exposure to digital manufacturing technologies (MES, IoT, analytics, automation)
Experience engaging senior stakeholders and frontline operators
BONUS POINTS IF YOU HAVE:
Consulting or advisory experience
Multi-site or global transformation programs
Industry 4.0 or smart factory deployments
Value case development and benefits tracking
Change management in operational environments
Professional Skills
Structured problem solving
Executive communication & storytelling
Influencing without authority
Data-driven decision making
Commercial mindset
Ability to operate from boardroom to shopfloor
Sydney
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