The Engineering & Operations Service Manager is responsible for planning, organising, directing, and coordinating all engineering service operations at Michael Weinig Australia, encompassing field engineering, systems commissioning, technical team management, and client-facing engineering support across the company's full product range.
The Engineering & Operations Service Manager is also in charge of developing and maintaining relationships with key clients and managing the workflow throughout the team.
The role requires a combination of deep technical knowledge of industrial machinery and engineering systems paired with a strong customer service focus, strong capability to manage a multidisciplinary technical and service team, and the ability to interface directly with industrial clients to deliver engineering solutions that ensure optimal performance of complex woodworking and solid wood processing machinery in production environments.
The Engineering & Operations Service Manager acts as the principal liaison between Michael Weinig Australia and the engineering and product development functions of the Michael Weinig Group in Germany, ensuring that all local engineering operations align with global technical standards, product updates, and engineering protocols.
The role requires a hands-on leader with strong analytical skills, meticulous attention to detail, sound problem-solving capability, and a solutions-focused approach — someone who grows others to achieve high performance while maintaining direct involvement in the technical work.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Engineering Operations Management
- Plan, organise, direct, and coordinate all engineering service operations, including field service deployment, systems commissioning, technical fault resolution, and preventative maintenance programmes across the Weinig product range.
- Implement engineering service workflows with maximum performance, ensuring efficient allocation of technical resources and timely resolution of client engineering requests.
- Oversee the day-to-day operations of the engineering team and establish operational standards that support the team in their daily activities.
- Establish, maintain, and continuously improve engineering service standards, quality benchmarks, and technical KPIs aligned with the Michael Weinig Group's global engineering requirements.
- Manage the full engineering lifecycle for client installations, from initial site assessment and systems commissioning through to ongoing maintenance, fault diagnosis, and performance optimisation.
- Manage and delegate engineering workflow throughout the team, ensuring clear accountability, efficient task distribution, and consistent delivery of technical outcomes.
Technical Team Leadership & Development
- Lead, coach, and develop a team of field service engineers and technical staff, growing others to achieve high performance and fostering a collaborative and empowering team environment.
- Define engineering roles, responsibilities, and individual performance objectives; conduct structured performance reviews and implement development plans to grow technical capability across the team.
- Train and develop team members to reach their full potential, acting as the coordinating link between the sales function and the engineering service team.
- Act as the primary technical authority within the Australian operation, providing engineering guidance and expertise to support the team in resolving complex field and application engineering challenges.
- Design and deliver technical training programmes for engineering staff on new product lines, systems updates, and engineering procedures as they are introduced to the Australian and New Zealand markets.
- Engage with the team to promote effective and ongoing communication across engineering operations, ensuring all technical staff are aligned with current priorities, client requirements, and Weinig Group standards.
Product Engineering Knowledge & Technical Demonstrations
- Acquire and maintain in-depth knowledge of the entire organisation's product range, including CNC machining centres, moulding machines, optimising saws, finger-jointing lines, and integrated solid wood processing systems.
- Responsible for showrooms and support the team in preparing for product demonstrations; lead and deliver technical product demonstrations for prospective and existing industrial clients, translating complex engineering capabilities into commercially relevant presentations.
- Manage the technical readiness of the company's showroom and demonstration facilities, ensuring all engineering equipment is maintained to the highest operational and safety standards.
International Engineering Liaison
- Maintain active liaison with the Michael Weinig Group's product engineering, R&D, and technical support teams in Germany, ensuring the Australian operation remains current with product developments, engineering updates, and technical service protocols.
- Coordinate the transfer of technical knowledge, engineering documentation, and product updates from the Weinig Group to the Australian engineering team.
- Represent Michael Weinig Australia in technical discussions with the Weinig Group's international engineering and product management functions, providing local market feedback and engineering insights.
- Leverage bilingual capability in English and German to facilitate direct and accurate technical communication between the Australian operation and the Weinig Group's engineering teams in Germany.
Client Relationship Management & Engineering Support
- Develop relationships with key clients, managing engineering escalations, reviewing service performance, and identifying long-term technical partnership opportunities.
- Champion the voice of customers to create meaningful, transformational change in engineering service delivery — translating client feedback into operational improvements and elevated levels of service and engagement.
- Develop and implement client-facing engineering support strategies that align with Weinig's global technical service standards while addressing the specific needs of the Australian and New Zealand industrial market.
- Provide senior-level engineering support for complex client escalations, ensuring swift and effective resolution of technical issues that impact client production continuity.
Process Improvement & Analytical Responsibility
- Analyse and evaluate functional and cross-business work processes with proven problem-solving skills, generating a high level of employee commitment and improved levels of engineering service and client engagement.
- Design and implement systematic engineering process improvements that reduce service cycle times, increase technical team efficiency, and deliver measurable gains in operational performance.
- Apply meticulous attention to detail and strong analytical capability to identify root causes of recurring technical issues, implementing corrective engineering actions and preventative measures.
Reporting, Systems & Compliance
- Maintain accurate engineering records, service documentation, and client technical histories using CRM platforms (Salesforce preferred) and internal engineering management systems.
- Report to the Managing Director on engineering operations performance, technical team development, client satisfaction, and key engineering metrics.
- Prepare engineering performance reports, operational analyses, and strategic recommendations for the Managing Director and the Weinig Group's international management.
- Ensure compliance with all relevant Australian workplace health, safety, and electrical standards in all field engineering, commissioning, and demonstration activities.
REQUIRED SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
- Tertiary qualification in engineering
- Outstanding team leadership abilities, with a focus on coaching, guiding, and mentoring, fostering a collaborative and empowering team environment.
- Extensive experience reinventing the engineering service model and transforming service operations to new levels of technical and commercial performance.
- Experience with German company culture and the ability to operate effectively within a German-headquartered international engineering organisation (essential).
- Service experience with woodworking machines and the ability to conduct product demonstrations; product management experience.
- Proven problem-solving skills with demonstrated ability to analyse and evaluate functional and cross-business work processes, generate a high level of employee commitment, and improve levels of engineering service and engagement.
- Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing engineering service strategies.
- Experience with CRM systems (preferably Salesforce) and excellent skills with Microsoft Office.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and German (essential).
- Demonstrated experience in a senior engineering management or technical operations role overseeing field service for industrial machinery or capital equipment.
- Proven ability to plan, organise, and coordinate multidisciplinary engineering teams across multiple concurrent technical projects and client engagements.
Pay: Up to $160,500.00 per year
Work Location: In person
