Regional Operations Manager

Te Kōwhiringa | The Opportunity

Downer holds a long-term Asset Management and Facilities Management contract with the Department of Corrections and the Ministry of Justice that proactively manages and delivers to the national portfolio of facilities including 15 prisons, 98 courts and 141 community correctional sites.

The Regional Operations Manager is responsible for the overall business performance and people leadership of Downer's Corrections sites in their Region. To be successful in this role, you will bring us strong people leaderships skills, great relationship management skills, good commercial acumen, proven facilities management experience and a collaborative working style.

What You'll Do

A highly experienced and capable senior manager, the Operations Manager will be responsible for:

• Embedding a strong Zero Harm culture across all sites, ensuring active engagement from every team member.
• Providing leadership and direction to Site and Senior Site Managers within the Region.
• Managing regional business performance, including financial targets, KPIs, and cost-control strategies.
• Building and maintaining positive, collaborative relationships with Customers across the Region.
• Ensuring all sites deliver work safely, cost-effectively, with quality, and in line with KPIs and legal/statutory compliance.
• Modelling and reinforcing organisational values to create consistent behaviours that build Customer confidence and trust.

Prisons are sometimes challenging work environments, so you must be confident and able to conduct yourself professionally at all times. You will also understand the 24/7 nature of a prison site and be prepared to sometimes manage jobs and situations after hours.

Nga pūkenga matua | Important Skills

• Significant facilities management experience (5+ years) with strong leadership, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Proven commercial, fiscal, analytical, and data-driven decision-making abilities, including managing costs and improving productivity.
• Operational excellence experience, ensuring quality delivery, adherence to schedules, and minimal rework.
• Strong organisational, time-management, and accountability skills, with the ability to work autonomously and meet deadlines.
• Knowledge and compliance capability regarding the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, along with intermediate computer literacy.
• Practical requirements including willingness to travel and holding a current full driver's licence.

More than anything, you'll bring a strong work ethic, a positive attitude, and a commitment to delivering high-quality outcomes for our clients.

Ko wai mātou | Our Organisation

At Downer, we plan, create, and sustain essential public services across Australia and New Zealand. From hospitals to data centres and defence partnerships, we manage critical infrastructure that keeps communities thriving.

Ko te take ka parekareka e koe ki te mahi ki kōnei | Why you will enjoy working here

We're proud of our high-performance culture and commitment to diversity, offering:

• Training and development to support and diversify your career.
• With 30% of vacancies filled internally you'll find real opportunities to advance your career.
• : healthcare discounts, great savings on retail purchases, car purchases and much more.
• Employee Assistance Program: professional support for you and your family when you need it most.
• A company car is provided as part of this role.

You want your work to matter and so do we. With over 26,000 people across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific, our team is made up of individuals with unique perspectives, backgrounds, and ideas.

We know that diversity makes us stronger and we actively celebrate it through our commitment to inclusion and belonging.

We're committed to building a team that reflects the diverse communities we serve and we welcome people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, cultures, abilities, and lived experiences. We especially encourage applications from those whose voices have traditionally been underrepresented in our industry, including women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, Māori and Pasifika Peoples, veterans, people with disability, and neurodivergent individuals. Even if your experience doesn't align perfectly with this role, we'd still like to hear from you. If it feels like the right fit, apply - potential counts, and so do you.

If you need support or adjustments through the recruitment process, just let us know, we're here to help you put your best foot forward.

Me pēhea ki te tono | How to apply

Click "APPLY" and please include your CV and copies of relevant licenses/qualification. The reference number for this role is 727319

We are committed to a safe working environment for everyone - all successful applicants will be required to undertake a pre-employment drug test, medical and a Ministry of Justice check prior to starting employment. If you need support with this requirement, please talk to our team.

*Please note that this position is currently open as an Expression of Interest.