Coates Career Opportunities Regional Manager - Metro Melbourne

Regional Operations Manager — South Business Unit | Melbourne, VIC

The next step in your career starts here… 

This is a rare opportunity to take genuine ownership of a multi-branch operation and leave a visible mark on one of Australia’s leading equipment hire businesses. Reporting directly to the Executive General Manager of the South Business Unit, you’ll drive performance across a broad branch and maintenance network  with the autonomy to set direction and the expectation to be hands-on in delivery.

Based in Melbourne and embedded in the South BU leadership team, you’ll shape regional strategy while staying close to the day-to-day:  leading from the front, supporting teams on the ground and stepping in where it matters most.

What you will own

Safety leadership: Set the tone through visible, hands-on leadership. You’ll be present in branches and workshops, reinforcing safe behaviours, lifting engagement and building a culture where safety is owned by everyone.

Operational excellence & team engagement: Lead a distributed team — not from behind a desk, but alongside them. You’ll spend time in the field, coaching leaders, unblocking issues and driving performance where it happens. This is a role for someone who rolls up their sleeves and lifts standards in real time.

Customer focus: Champion a consistent, high-quality customer experience across every branch. You’ll work closely with teams on the ground to embed service discipline into daily operations and hold the line on standards.

Financial & asset performance: Drive branch performance against financial targets while optimising fleet utilisation and maintenance outcomes. You’ll partner closely with teams to identify inefficiencies, improve productivity and deliver strong commercial outcomes.

What you will bring

• Proven experience leading from the front in operational environments — comfortable being in branches, workshops and with frontline teams


• A strong track record of lifting performance through hands-on leadership and team engagement


•  Experience building and sustaining high-performing safety cultures


• A customer-first mindset, with the ability to translate strategy into day-to-day execution


• Strong communication and influencing skills across all levels of the business


• Authentic, grounded leadership that earns trust and drives accountability


• Commercial acumen and the ability to connect operational decisions to financial outcomes

What you’ll get in return

We provide our team with a wide range of perks and benefits, including:

• Development and career progression pathways


• Access to our employee discounts, benefits and wellbeing program


• Purchased additional leave program


• Novated leasing and salary sacrifice


• 12 weeks Paid Parental Leave in addition to government parental leave scheme


• Volunteering opportunities through the Coates Foundation

Why Coates?

At Coates, we know that people, organisations, and communities thrive when everyone feels valued and included. We're proud to be implementing our second Reconciliation Action Plan, and we're committed to improving gender representation across the business.

We support local and national charities through the Coates Foundation, and we're investing in more sustainable equipment solutions for a greener future. Growth here is real — through our leadership and development programs, we back people who back themselves.

Diversity and inclusion are at the heart of our culture. Coates welcomes candidates from all backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.