About the opportunity
We're looking for an experienced Operations Director to own and optimise SEITEC's day-to-day operational execution, ensuring the business runs smoothly, predictably, and compliantly as we scale.
Working closely with the CEO, this role acts as a trusted operational partner and force‐multiplier – progressively taking responsibility for planning, logistics, compliance, coordination, and internal execution so the CEO can focus on strategy, technology, and external relationships. Your goal is to move the organisation from SME, founder‐led operations to structured, predictable execution.
This is a hands‐on, high‐trust role in a Defence‐adjacent scale‐up environment. You'll wear multiple hats and play a critical role in ensuring that customers, partners, and stakeholders experience SEITEC as prepared, reliable, and professional.
At SEITEC, you're ultimately responsible for the success of our operations, through effective engineering delivery, ensuring that each product release meets the highest standards of functionality and performance.
Responsibilities
* Own operational planning (weekly, monthly, quarterly)
* Ensure customer and Defence engagements are supported by effective logistics, approvals, and documentation
* Coordinate operational aspects of DISP compliance, export controls (EAR / ITAR / DEC), and related governance requirements
* Anticipate upcoming deployments, travel, trade shows, and customer activities – ensuring plans are in place well in advance
* Act as an escalation point for operational delivery issues
* Support the CEO with operational cost visibility and planning
* Foster a culture of accountability, preparation, and follow‐through across the organisation
* Over time, the role will evolve to include financial stewardship, organisational and commercial scaling and cross‐functional leadership of diverse teams both locally and internationally
About you
Our people are proudly committed to our mission. We genuinely enjoy what we do, thrive on challenge, and operate comfortably in complex, high‐stakes environments. We're seeking someone with a strong operations mindset, excellent judgement, and the ability to bring structure and calm to ambiguity.
Qualifications
* 10+ years' experience in operations, delivery, or Chief of Staff type roles
* Experience in Defence, intelligence, law enforcement or similar sectors
* Strong operational planning and coordination capability
* Proven ability to work across technical, commercial, and executive stakeholders
* Tertiary qualifications in business, engineering, operations, or a related discipline
* Australian citizenship with the ability to obtain and maintain an NV1 security clearance
Bonus Points
* Experience working with the Defence Industry Security Program (DISP)
* Exposure to export‐controlled environments (EAR / ITAR / DEC)
* Prior COO, Operations Manager, Program Manager, or Chief of Staff experience
* Experience in a scale‐up or SME transitioning to Defence or government customers
Your interpersonal skills
We value the breadth and depth of experience our people bring to their work. This role requires strong interpersonal capability, sound judgement, and the ability to influence without relying on formal authority.
Acting as a de facto Chief of Staff to the CEO, you'll be trusted with sensitive information, expected to manage up and across the organisation, and relied upon to remove operational friction for others. You'll initially work through influence and coordination, but over time you will build and lead SEITEC's operations function.
At this point, we hope you're feeling excited about the job description you're reading. Even if you don't feel that you meet every single requirement, we still encourage you to apply. We always aim to recruit the candidate who is most suited to the job and welcome applications from people of all backgrounds.
For a confidential discussion, please contact Glen from our HR team on 0439 637 427.
To apply, please include an updated resume and a cover letter outlining your interest in the role, and how you could make a difference at SEITEC.
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