Operations Manager

Who are we? Lyka is an Australian founded pet wellness company that’s shaking up an outdated industry and paving the way for happier, healthier pets. Despite medical advancements, animal lifespans are on the decline. Today, the average pet only reaches 37% of their full potential lifespan and statistics have shown us that many suffer from dental disease, cancer, and obesity. Simply put, the status quo is not enough. As humans, we’ve experienced firsthand the positive impact fresh wholefoods can have on our health and wellbeing, and we believe our furry friends deserve the same. We're on a mission to do just that, starting with nutritionally balanced, wholefood meals delivered direct to doors around Australia. As the world’s most sustainable pet wellness company, we’re putting pets and our planet first - one bowl at a time. Today, we are proud to share we’ve served over 50 million meals to puppers and their parents across Australia, and this is just the beginning. Our vision is to create multiple nutritional products, adding disease prevention meals and supplements, and expand into new markets. Currently, we have a team of 250+ pet-obsessed people, and we're continuing to grow (yes, looking at you!). These carefully selected people are dedicated to building the next generation of technology and products to help empower pet parents to take control over their pet’s wellbeing. Our Mission The time we share with our pets is being cut short. Despite medical advancements, they’re getting sicker earlier. They’re dying prematurely. The industry has it backwards - prioritising treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. That’s where we come in. At Lyka, we take a preventative, holistic and personalised approach to pet care. We look at the full picture, factoring in the diet, lifestyle and environment of each individual animal. We don’t stop at symptoms, instead, we dig for the root cause. We create nutrition plans unique to each pet, because it’s not just about living longer, but living well too. Our mission is to increase the lifespan of dogs and cats. The Role: You’ll work closely with the Manufacturing Director and take full ownership of day-to-day operations. That includes hitting production targets, leading safety and quality practices, managing warehousing and dispatch, and working with suppliers and service providers to keep things running smoothly. You’ll be the one driving root cause analysis when problems crop up, coaching the team through challenges, and embedding consistent, effective processes across all shifts. Think of this as part firefighter, part coach, part strategic operator, all rolled into one. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a desk job. You’ll be running the show across our operations, overseeing manufacturing, warehousing, people, processes, and quality, and playing a key role in shaping how we scale. It’s a big job, but if you’ve led in fast-paced FMCG environments before, you’ll thrive here. You’ll work closely with the Manufacturing Director and take ownership of everything from production targets and supplier relationships to food safety and team performance. You’ll be front and centre when things need fixing, championing root cause analysis, coaching your team through challenges, and driving continuous improvement in real-time. Requirements You’ve done this before, led large teams ideally in food manufacturing environments. You're also well-versed in warehousing, production, food safety and compliance. You’ve embedded HACCP frameworks before and have hands-on experience working under GFSI-accredited standards like SQF, BRC or FSSC. You’ve got the technical chops, but you also care deeply about people, and that balance is what makes you effective. You’re a strong communicator who can work with suppliers, coach frontline staff, and influence internal stakeholders. You’re not afraid of a challenge and know how to turn inefficiencies into opportunities. You’re organised, self-driven, and comfortable balancing detail with big-picture thinking. A degree in a related field (engineering, operations, or leadership) is preferred, and experience in technical or trade-based environments is a plus. Benefits Work in a fast-growing start-up, experiencing what goes behind the scenes to sustain hyper-growth for a start-up with a physical product! Growth and Development – Lyka is growing extremely quickly, which means you will have the opportunity to experience different challenges every day and progressively acquire more responsibilities as our facility and team expand. We provide an annual L&D budget for you to continue your personal development. Work for a sustainability-focused company – we care about the health of our dogs and our planet. We’re proud to be Australia’s only carbon-negative and plastic-negative pet wellness company and we’re always looking at ways for us to improve sustainability practices. Be part of a diverse top-talent team, coming from widely different backgrounds and geographies. Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top-up Wellbeing assistance and tools to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work Pupper parent support to care for your furry friends – flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, discounts, and financial allowance for dog training and care to help them live their best life! We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams Lyka is an equal-opportunity employer devoted to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion. We celebrate diversity, are devoted to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.