Operations Manager

Operations Manager

Labour Hire & Workforce Solutions

Position Summary

The Operations Manager will lead the establishment and early-stage scaling of a new labour hire business servicing the construction sector. This is a build-from-the-ground-up role: establishing operating systems, compliance frameworks, payroll infrastructure, and workforce mobilisation capability ahead of and through go-live, then rapidly scaling headcount, client base and operational maturity in the first 12–24 months.

The successful candidate will operate hands-on in the early phase — directly involved in setting up systems, securing licensing, building the first client relationships and mobilising the first crews — before transitioning into a more traditional leadership role as the business scales and a team is built out beneath them. Deep expertise in EBAs, Modern Awards, labour hire legislation, and industrial relations is essential, alongside genuine comfort operating without established infrastructure, precedent or a large existing team.

Who is CvL Hire?

Why this role exists

CVL Hire is a Victorian EBA-aligned labour hire business supplying Tier 1 and Tier 2 builders, The business owners have significant experience within the construction sector and are confident in building an order book. What doesn't exist yet is the operational engine; the worker pool, the dispatch discipline, the compliance machinery, and the site relationships that turn committed volume into filled shifts and margin.

Key Responsibilities

Operational Leadership

• Lead all operational functions across the labour hire business.

• Develop and execute operational strategies that support growth, profitability and client retention.

• Drive workforce planning and resource forecasting across multiple project locations.

• Establish scalable processes, systems and reporting frameworks that improve operational efficiency.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across recruitment, mobilisation, payroll and workforce management functions.

Workforce Management

• Oversee the mobilisation and management of large trade and labour workforces.

• Manage workforce availability across:

  • Labourers

  • Traffic Controllers

  • Plant Operators

  • Forklift Operators

  • Skilled Trades

  • Leading Hands

  • Site Supervisors

• Ensure labour resources meet client project requirements, timelines and productivity expectations.

Industrial Relations, Awards & EBA Management

• Maintain expert knowledge of:

  • Building and Construction General On-site Award

  • Clerks Award

  • Labour Hire Authority requirements

  • Enterprise Bargaining Agreements (EBAs)

  • Fair Work legislation

  • Industrial Relations frameworks

• Ensure all employees are paid accurately in accordance with Awards, EBAs, penalty rates, allowances and site-specific agreements.

• Provide leadership on union engagement and industrial relations matters.

• Mitigate industrial and compliance risks across all projects.

Client & Commercial Management

• Develop and maintain executive-level relationships with Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 construction clients.

• Ensure workforce solutions are aligned to project delivery requirements.

• Lead contract negotiations, pricing reviews and commercial discussions.

• Monitor gross margin, labour productivity and operational performance metrics.

• Support business development opportunities and tender submissions.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure full compliance with:

  • Labour Hire Authority requirements

  • WHS legislation

  • Fair Work obligations

  • Right-to-work requirements

  • Licensing and trade qualifications

  • Client onboarding requirements

• Oversee workforce audits and compliance reporting.

• Lead incident management investigations and corrective actions.

• Champion a strong safety-first culture across all client sites.

Leadership & Culture

• Lead and mentor operations managers, coordinators, recruitment teams and payroll personnel.

• Build high-performing teams focused on accountability, service excellence and continuous improvement.

• Drive employee engagement and leadership development programs.

• Promote a culture of safety, teamwork and operational excellence.

Financial Accountability

• Full operational P&L responsibility.

• Manage labour budgets, workforce costs and operational expenditure.

• Monitor revenue, margins and workforce utilisation.

• Deliver operational performance in line with business objectives.

Start-Up Establishment (Phase 1)

• Lead establishment of core operating systems: payroll, timesheeting, compliance tracking, CRM/workforce database.

• Secure and maintain Labour Hire Authority licensing and manage all associated compliance obligations from day one.

• Stand up foundational policies, procedures and templates (onboarding, induction, WHS, IR frameworks) where none currently exist.

• Establish banking, insurance, and vendor relationships required for a new labour hire entity.

• Define initial pay rates, on-costs and margin structure aligned to Award/EBA obligations.

• Build the business's first workforce pool and client pipeline in parallel with system establishment.

• Work closely with the Enterprise Agreement timeline to ensure workforce deployment is compliant from first placement.

Experience Required

Essential

• 5+ years experience within construction labour hire operations, workforce management or construction services. With at least 2 years running dispatch/operations (i.e. not purely sales)

• Proven success managing large blue-collar and trade-based workforces.

• Demonstrated CFMEU-environment credibility — can name the delegates and organisers they've worked with

• Hands-on temperament: answers the phone at 5am, has personally filled a crisis shift

• Extensive knowledge of EBA and Award interpretation.

• Experience servicing major commercial construction projects.

• Strong understanding of industrial relations and workforce compliance.

• Demonstrated P&L and commercial management experience.

• Experience working with Tier 1 and Tier 2 construction contractors.

Highly Desirable

• Has worked in or built a business under ~200 workers on hire (knows what "no back office" feels like)

• Labour Hire Authority compliance expertise.

• Experience leading workforce mobilisation on large data centre, commercial or infrastructure projects.

• Formal tertiary qualifications in Business, Human Resources or Operations Management.

Reporting Structure

Reports To: Managing Director

Direct Reports (in scale up phase):

• Recruitment & Onboarding Managers

• Workforce Coordinators / Allocations Manager

• Administration

This role is ideal for a proven operational leader capable of managing large-scale trade labour workforces while balancing commercial performance, EBA compliance, workforce safety and the successful delivery of labour solutions across major commercial construction projects.

This role is subject to pre-employment and company screening, including a Nationally Coordinated Criminal History Check. Any criminal history information will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will not automatically exclude a person from employment or placement.