Operations Manager

About this role

We're Sale by Design Homes, Melbourne's go-to home staging company that helps properties sell faster and for more money. We've built something special - great clients, solid revenue, and a team that actually cares about the work. Now we need someone to help run the whole operation so our founder can stop wearing 47 different hats. This is our first proper white collar hire, which means you'll have genuine autonomy to shape how this business operates. You'll be managing the styling team, handling marketing, making sure projects run smoothly, and basically being the person who keeps everything moving. If you've ever wanted to be the "everything person" at a growing company without the corporate politics, this might be it.

Skills We Value

• You've managed teams before and people actually liked working for you (not just tolerated you)

• Marketing experience - you understand how to attract clients and tell a compelling story (bonus if you've done this for service businesses)

• Self-starter who doesn't need constant direction - you see what needs doing and just do it

• Enthusiasm that's genuine, not forced - clients and team members respond to your energy

• Strong leadership without the ego - you can make tough calls but people respect the way you do it

• Operational nous - you can juggle multiple projects, deadlines, and personalities without dropping balls

• Comfortable wearing multiple hats - one minute you're solving a client issue, next you're planning a marketing campaign

• Real estate, property, interior design, or service business experience is a bonus but not essential if you've got the right attitude

What Success Looks Like

• First 3 months: You've built trust with the team, understand how our staging projects work, and have taken real operational load off the founder. You're already handling day-to-day client relationships and team coordination.

• 6 months: You're confidently running operations - managing the team, overseeing projects from quote to completion, and have implemented your own ideas for improving how we work. Marketing is humming and new client enquiries are growing.

• 12 months: Love the business you're in, it feels like your own. You've grown the team, established systems that work, and are thinking strategically about where to take the business next. Clients know and trust you as much as they trust the founder.

A Day in the Life

• Morning: Check in with the staging team about today's jobs - what properties are being styled, any issues from yesterday, inventory status. Quick scan of enquiries and social media.

• Mid-morning: Jump on a consultation call with a potential client, then work on a quote. Maybe head to a property to assess staging needs or check on a project in progress.

• Lunch: Plan next week's marketing content - could be Instagram posts, a blog, or partnerships with real estate agents. Respond to client emails and manage scheduling.

• Afternoon: Solve whatever needs solving - could be a team member calling in sick and you need to shuffle resources, a client requesting changes, or planning improvements to how we operate. Maybe interview candidates if we're growing the team.

• Evening: Wind down by reviewing project photos for marketing, checking tomorrow's schedule, or brainstorming ideas for growing the business. Nothing crazy - we value balance.

Benefits & Perks

What we offer our team

• Genuine autonomy to shape how the business operates

• Be the first leadership hire - get in early and help build something

• Work with a founder who's built a successful business and wants to empower you, not micromanage you

• Flexible working arrangements - some days on site, some days you can work from anywhere

• Learning budget for courses or professional development

• Being able to see the direct impact of your work (no corporate bureaucracy)

• Join a business that's profitable and growing, not scrambling to survive

Interview Process

What to expect

We keep it real: (1) Initial chat with the founder over coffee to see if we click and talk through what this role actually involves - no corporate BS, just honest conversation about the business and what's needed. (2) Come see the operation in action - maybe shadow for half a day or join a property staging to see how things actually work. (3) Final conversation about expectations, compensation, and making sure we're both excited about this. Whole process takes 2-3 weeks max. We're looking for the right fit, not just the best resume.

Meet Your Team

Who you'll work with

You'll be working directly with the founder who's built this business from scratch and is now ready to step back from the day-to-day. The styling team is tight-knit, professional, and genuinely cares about making properties look amazing. This is a small business that's doing well - not a startup burning cash or a corporate machine with endless red tape. We're somewhere in between: established enough to be stable, small enough that your decisions actually matter. The culture is straightforward - we work hard, we look after our clients and each other, and we don't take ourselves too seriously. You'll have the freedom to put your stamp on how things work, but also the responsibility that comes with being the first leadership hire. Fair warning: you'll be essential, which means you matter a lot but also can't just coast.