Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Howlong do you wait before the career opportunity perfect for you comes along? Well it’s here now….

Cool Off are award winning leaders in the collection, processing, and manufacturing of ingredients for pet foods as well as in the development of world leading food processing equipment and processes. Cool Off was established in 1982 and has grown to be Australia's leading supplier of pet food ingredients to the domestic and international markets. Working with major pet food manufacturers, we have developed unique solutions for our customers. Our primary capabilities are bare block plate frozen, MDM and meat powders from a wide variety of protein sources.

In March 2024, Cool Off announced the sale of Cool Off Pty Ltd to BHJ in Partnership with the Staughton Family. Cool Off has grown rapidly over the past decade to a scale whereby the global connectivity with BHJ will be fundamental in continuing to service our supply partners as efficiently as possible.

BHJ has a long history as an international supplier of meat and fish raw materials for the food and pet food industries. BHJ is headquartered in Denmark and is a subsidiary of The Lauridsen Group, Inc. (LGI), a US company. BHJ have processing facilities and offices in Asia, Europe, North America, South America, and Australasia where we employ a total of more than 1200 employees.

Cool Off offers a professional, friendly, can-do culture and excellent career prospects exist thanks to the rapid growth of our businesses.

To find out more visit:

The role

This is a business-critical role within the organisation. This position assumes the overall responsibility and accountability for production performance.

As a member of the company’s Management Team the Operations Manager must lead by example, by championing the company’s strategic direction, goals and objectives, whilst ensuring professionalism, integrity, superior customer relations and positive communication to all stakeholders.

This critical position is responsible for:

• Cool Off’s site management including production planning, production inputs (labour, raw materials, packaging), mechanical uptime and efficiency, output, logistics, safety, quality and environment and
• Leading and championing operational excellence via a strong continuous improvement culture, focusing on individual team alignment, accountability and delivery.
• Meeting people, safety, quality, operational, customer and commercial targets/ goals aligned to Cool Off’s Business Strategic Direction, Goals and Objectives.

Who we are looking for:

• Ideally an individual with experience in in the Meat, Game Meat (such as abattoir) and/or allied industries.
• A genuine passion for continuous improvement, developing people and driving a high performance and collaborative culture to deliver our Business Strategic Direction, Goals and Objectives
• People and change leadership, project management, continuous improvement, team engagement
• Exhibit and live leadership values and obligations by delivering:

* High energy levels to motivate others with the ability to make tough decisions and execute capably.

* Quality Culture – lead our people to consider the customer always and assure we deliver right first time (RFT).

* Protect the environment – lead community standards.

* Deliver our commercial promise and challenge our cost base to delivery valued conversion.

* Deliver our operation excellence commitment and lead own and sponsor improvement in cost, capacity and innovation to ensure the lowest cost and highest performance.

* Ensure the training and development of personnel around continuous improvement initiatives to help drive a culture of best practice that focusses on cost reduction / capacity improvement initiatives and enhanced customer satisfaction.

• Takes pride in their work and works collaborative in their approach to make the right decisions
• Experience in FMCG industry, leadership, HACCP, extensive production management and project management
• Demonstrated high level organisational skills including time management, prioritising tasks to meet competing deadlines and the capacity to achieve objectives

What we offer:

• A competitive salary offered commensurate with experience
• Excellent career growth and development

For further information or a confidentially discussion contact the Sally Bartholomew, People and Culture Manager on or email

Cool Off is an equal opportunity employer.

All applications will be treated in strict confidence.

Applications close 17 May 2024

Please note that this position is based in Howlong, New South Wales 2643.