Operations Manager - Infrastructure & Integration

We're reimagining the way Australians live, work, and play. We own and manage some of the most recognisable and loved retail destinations across Australia.

 
We’re evolving our portfolio into destinations that offer a broad selection of retail, residential, and office spaces. Through our diverse portfolio, data-led decision-making, and nationwide development pipeline, we do things differently.

We are Vicinity.

Role purposeThe primary purpose of the Operations Manager - Infrastructure & Integration is to lead the collaborative planning, coordination, and delivery of Chadstone Shopping Centre’s operational management interfaces for property development and major projects. This role focuses on achieving best-in-class outcomes for customer experience, building integration, operation and reliability, safety in design, sustainability, and compliance with all Vicinity standards. Key responsibilities include conducting construction documentation reviews, actively engaging in pre-construction and operational meetings, and providing feedback to achieve the desired outcomes. Additionally, the Operations Manager ensures the execution of exceptional retailer and customer experiences when interfacing development projects with live centre operations during construction and manages core duties outside of development periods through a strategic approach aligned with Chadstone’s business plan.

Key Accountabilities 
 

People Leadership

• All elements of the annual performance cycle are completed by the due date (including goal setting, mid-year reviews, EOY conversations).
• Regular 1:1’s, team meetings and development conversations conducted - minimum monthly cadence.
• Performance issues are managed in an effective and timely manner.
• Quarterly development conversations conducted with all team members.
• 100% of compliance training is completed on time for team.
• All health and safety, risk and compliance requirements are delivered across the team.
• Effective management of budgets as per forecast with demonstrated focus on managing cost.
• Demonstrated commitment to building own capability as a people leader.

Operational Management & Accountability

• Issue operational and standards documentation to the development project lead and ensure it is incorporated into development design and construction documents.
• Review relevant documentation sets and make recommendations to deliver best in class outcomes in line with the Chadstone business strategy and project goals.
• Perform the role of construction documentation approver on behalf of Centre Management.
• Appropriately consider and escalate to Development and Centre Management concerns where expected outcomes do not align with best-in-class results.
• Represent the Centre Manager at operational project interface meetings.
• Conduct regular site walks to identify deviations from agreed outcomes.
• Submit a monthly operational report on project activity to the Senior Operations and Centre Manager.
• Liaise with Vicinity discipline leads and subject matter experts with a view to exceed industry best practice for all health, safety, risk and security components.
• Ensure that project outcomes are compliant with all current Vicinity National standards.
• Ensure that project interfaces with active centre operations are executed to the highest possible standard every day for retailers, customers, and staff.
• This position is responsible for customer and retailer experience and safety in operational areas.
• During construction periods, plan and liaise with the marketing, retail, customer experience and operations teams as required and perform the role of local resident and tenant liaison.
• Manage the review and acceptance of operational handover documentation.
• Lead the configuration of the document repository to ensure all documentation can be easily accessed for operational, compliance and maintenance purposes.
• Perform the role of operational centre lead on the defects and project close out process post project completion.

Risk, Compliance & Strategy

• Ensure essential life safety systems are operating in accordance with regulations and standards and implement strategies in conjunction with RBS to mitigate transition periods where systems may not be fully functional.
• Administer all risk and compliance activities in line with applicable standards, legislation, guidelines, and schedules.
• Implement performance improvement strategies to address any shortfalls in operating systems to meet compliance obligations.

Administration

• Develop and administer preliminaries budgets and contribute to the development of stabilised operating budgets post development completions.
• Procure goods and services in line with Vicinity operating guidelines and expenditure delegations.
• Complete administrative duties as required including writing performance and management reports.

Key Role Relationships

• Centre Management
• Operations
• Tenancy Delivery
• Development
• National Operations
• Leasing Executives
• Finance
• Retailers
• Customers
• Contractors

Experience & Capabilities
 

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE (what you have done)

• A trade or engineering qualification with a demonstrated track record of successfully operating large complex retail, public infrastructure or commercial assets or alternately experience gained managing projects with a value >$20M.
• Experience managing base building essential life safety systems.
• Willing to complete a formal project management qualification at Vicinity’s cost if not already obtained.

CRITICAL KNOWLEDGE (what you need to know)

• Clear understanding of contractor management through the issue of permits and general compliance.
• Develop and administer an operating and capital budget including associated planning and execution within allocated timeframes.
• How to build a short and long-term capital expenditure plan that considers; risk, lifecycle and customer experience needs in conjunction with the asset’s development activities. Where savings are identified, consider unbudgeted capital and operating expenditure budgets opportunities or quarantine savings.
• How to develop a robust planned and ad-hoc maintenance program which is in place on plant and equipment to maximise reliability and lifespan.
• Manage the centres lifecycle plan and asset register.
• Create and maintain positive relationships with internal and external key stakeholders (including contractors, emergency services, local council and internal staff) that impact the performance of the department.
• Completion of administrative duties as required including writing performance and management reports. Including assistance with creating and administering the Vision, Strategy & Action Plans, forecasts and budgets.
• Strategic in approach and able to identify and deliver initiatives that achieve best in industry outcomes.
• A leader that can motivate, develop, and recognise people to ensure they achieve the best results in their current role as well as providing learning opportunities to progress their career.
• Deliver projects on time, within budget and in compliance with key handover dates.
• Strive to maintain industry-based knowledge to stay abreast of technical and operational information and opportunities.
• Have an eye for detail and don’t accept standards less than best in class.
• Seek out and encourage diverse views to challenge all perspectives.
• Understand and show respect for the diversity of the Vicinity community.
• A catalyst in creating an environment where people feel confident and supported to be themselves.
• Strive to build robust, effective and mutually beneficial relationships that better outcomes and culture.
• Understand the needs of others and support the delivery of these outcomes wherever possible.
• Understand the cross functional needs of teams and consider these when making decisions with a view to achieve balanced and mutually beneficial results.
• Excellent communicator that can leverage relationships to deliver best in class outcomes in a challenging environment.
• Ensure successful initiatives are shared across the portfolio.
• Encourage and promote technology integration initiatives to optimise operations, enhance security, and increase overall efficiency within the centre.

CAPABILITIES (what you can do)

• Collaborate as an Asset Team - Collaborate for best outcomes for asset and team versus best outcome for individual – Intermediate.
• Planning & Prioritisation - Identify the tasks required to achieve the desired outcomes and prioritise tasks in the right order – Intermediate.
• Customer Focused - Understand various customer stakeholders and always consider their needs when making decisions – Intermediate.
• Develop Strong Stakeholder Relationships - Identify, nurture and strengthen diverse stakeholder relationships – Intermediate.
• Problem Solving - Use logic and methods to solve problems with effective solutions – Intermediate.
• Health, Safety, Environment & Wellbeing - Integrate health, safety, environment and wellbeing into ways of work at asset level to ensure the safety of everyone – Advanced.
• Regulatory Framework & Environment - Undertake business activity and decision making with prudent understanding and interpretation of relevant regulatory frameworks – Intermediate.
• Demonstrate Financial Acumen - Understand how the business operates, the market dynamics and what must be done to be a successful business, both for the short term and longer term – Intermediate.
• Understands Asset Vision & Strategy - Know the ‘why’ behind decisions and actions, think bigger than today, and plan for the future – Foundational.

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES (who you are)

You consistently demonstrate and role model the behaviours that bring the Vicinity values to life: 

Respect: 

• We listen to and acknowledge each other's views 
• We have difficult conversations with care 

Integrity: 

• We back our words with the right actions
• We do the right thing, no matter the situation 

Customer Focus: 

• We nurture a genuine connection with our customers 
• We consider customer needs when making decisions 

Collaboration: 

• We invite the right people to the table 
• We balance consensus with decisive actions 

Excellence: 

• We always strive to improve
• We share our challenges and celebrate the wins

Why Vicinity?

Our benefits program focuses on creating an awesome place to work in which our people are rewarded and recognised. This includes:

• Flexible working options

• Birthday leave & purchased additional leave

• $1,000 worth of VCX securities rewarded for eligible team members

• Generous Parental Leave

We live and work by our values of Respect, Integrity, Customer Focus, Collaboration and Excellence. They are the foundation to everything we do and provide us a north star with which we can shape meaningful places where communities connect.

At Vicinity we embrace and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive work environment where we attract, retain and develop our people regardless of gender identity, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and age. Applications are encouraged from all sectors of the community and we strongly encourage applications from the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander community.

We are aware of current limitations with our website accessibility and are working towards improving this. Should you experience any issues accessing information in this job advertisement or the application form, and require this in an alternate format, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team. Similarly, if you would like to discuss workplace accessibility, any reasonable adjustments we can make to better support you during the recruitment process, or your potential future role please reach out to our Talent Acquisition team:

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +61 3 7001 4000 (request to speak to our Talent Acquisition team)

Note: To be eligible to apply for this position, you must have existing, relevant Australian work rights. At the later stages of the recruitment process the shortlisted candidate/candidates will be required to undergo a Criminal History Background/Police Check as a mandatory part of the process. Additional qualification checks may also be required dependant on role and level.