Associate Director, Operational Transformation

Every day, millions of Australians connect, work, stream, and stay in touch on the Optus network. When it works seamlessly, it's easy to take for granted. But behind it is a team making thousands of decisions every day - decisions that keep people, businesses and communities connected.

Right now, Optus is passionate about getting the fundamentals right - simplifying how we work, lifting standards, and building a more reliable, resilient experience for our customers. It's not about surface-level change. It's about how we make decisions, how we work together, and how we deliver.

The Associate Director, Operational Transformation leads the planning and delivery of operational transformation initiatives across Optus Networks. The role is responsible for managing the transformation roadmap, coordinating complex cross-functional programs, and ensuring new operational capabilities are successfully implemented. Working closely with Network Operations, Engineering, OSS, Architecture, and strategic partners, the position drives operational resilience, automation, intelligence, and improved customer outcomes while managing dependencies, aligning initiatives to business priorities, and ensuring operational readiness for sustainable change.

What You’ll Do 

• Lead the development and execution of the Network Operations transformation roadmap, ensuring alignment to strategic priorities, business objectives, and the target operating model.
• Drive end-to-end delivery of complex, cross-functional transformation initiatives spanning Network Operations, Engineering, OSS, Automation, Intelligence, Security, and AI-enabled capabilities.
• Implement and embed new operating models, capabilities, processes, and ways of working to enhance operational efficiency, resilience, and customer outcomes.
• Establish robust governance, delivery frameworks, and dependency management practices to manage risks, ensure accountability, and achieve successful transformation outcomes.
• Champion operational readiness by ensuring appropriate controls, support models, training, and transition plans are in place to enable sustainable change.
• Monitor performance, benefits realisation, and value delivery, driving continuous improvement and corrective action to maximise transformation investment outcomes.
• Build strong relationships with senior leaders, business stakeholders, strategic partners, and vendors while leading and developing a high-performing transformation team.

What You’ll Bring 

• Extensive leadership experience within telecommunications, Network Operations, large-scale technology transformation, or complex operational environments.
• Proven track record delivering enterprise-wide transformation programs involving technology, operating model, process, and organisational change.
• Strong knowledge of modern Network Operations, including AIOps, automation, observability, service assurance, and operational engineering practices.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute integrated transformation roadmaps, manage complex dependencies, and mitigate operational risks in live environments.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with experience engaging senior leaders across Operations, Engineering, Architecture, Security, Commercial, and Technology functions.
• Strong commercial and strategic capability, supported by relevant tertiary qualifications in Engineering, Telecommunications, Technology, Business, or equivalent industry experience

The good stuff … 

• Competitive remuneration and employee discounts. Make life easier (and more affordable) with $80 monthly credit and 25% off Optus products and unique shopping discounts with our retail partners. 

• Flexible working arrangements with opportunities to work three days in the office, two days remote or home. 

• Competitive leave policies, including additional 'Connected’ days to focus on culture, family, health, community, or whatever’s important to you. 

• We support growing families with inclusive, carer-neutral paid Parental Leave of up to 16 weeks. 

• Direct your own development and build future-ready skills with Optus U’s industry-focused micro-credentials, developed with La Trobe and Macquarie Universities. 

• Build meaningful connections through employee-led networks and diversity initiatives including Culture Connect, Elevate Women, Disability Network and Express Yourself (LGBTQIA+). 

• Put your wellbeing first with free access to counselling and support services, 24/7 — in-person, by phone, SMS, or video. 

At Optus, we are strengthened by others and that means valuing diversity and saying ‘yes’ to embracing individual differences. We are committed to ensuring that our application process provides an equal employment opportunity to all job seekers, including individuals from diverse gender, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, individuals with a disability, individuals identifying as being part of the LGBTQIA+ community, individuals who may have served in the armed forces or who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. 

We also want to do our best to make our recruitment process inclusive. If you require any adjustments or accessibility support, please email AccessibleRecruitment@optus.com.au or call 1800 309 170. We’re here to help. When you contact us, please advise your preferred method of contact and we will be in touch within 48 hours. For more information on Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging at Optus, please visit https://www.optus.com.au/about/inclusion-diversity.