Operations Manager, Autonomy

Job ID
932093
Job Type
Permanent Full Time
Location
Australia - Brisbane
Categories
Engineering - Other
Applications close
E. Australia Standard Time

Make your mark with Thiess  

Everyday, all around the world, Thiess supports and celebrates our people. We recognise talent and reward transparency. We champion diversity and embrace change.

Join us. Hone your skills and develop new ones. Take on big challenges and grow, through mentorship, collaboration and empowerment.  

Thiess is the place to make things happen.

What you’ll do

Reporting to the Head of Autonomy and Operations Technology, this role is responsible for leading the operational discipline of autonomy initiatives through strong change management, project delivery, and stakeholder engagement.

You will work across the business to mobilise people, technology, and processes to successfully implement and embed autonomous mining solutions that are safe, sustainable, scalable and commercially sound.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead the delivery and integration of autonomous mining initiatives, ensuring projects are mobilised and embedded into daily production safely, on time and within budget.
  • Champion safety, functional safety and legislative compliance across all autonomy technologies, including oversight of HSE performance, risk mitigation and incident investigations.
  • Drive change management and capability uplift, supporting sites and teams to sustainably adopt autonomous operating models and new ways of working.
  • Build and maintain strong cross-functional and stakeholder relationships, collaborating with project teams, OEMs, dealers, communications network suppliers, clients and regulators to achieve autonomy outcomes.
  • Provide operational leadership and performance direction, reinforcing Thiess’ Group Principles and setting clear expectations that enable high performance and accountability.
  • Lead the development and continuous improvement of autonomy governance, systems and training, ensuring learnings are captured, scalable and transferable across the business.
  • Demonstrate strong commercial and project discipline, managing project and overhead costs, supporting business case delivery and ensuring compliance with Levels of Authority.
  • Influence, communicate and inspire trust at all levels, clearly articulating autonomy objectives, progress and outcomes while recognising and celebrating team success.

What you’ll bring

You are a collaborative and influential leader with deep experience in autonomy and large-scale operational change. You bring a systems-thinking mindset, strong project discipline and the ability to integrate technology into complex operational environments.

You will have:

  • Engineering degree or equivalent qualifications and experience
  • 5+ years’ experience in a principal-level engineering role
  • Strong experience in Autonomous Haulage Systems (Command preferred)
  • Proven delivery of autonomy or technology-led operational projects
  • Experience working with OEMs, mine planning and asset-intensive environments
  • Sound commercial acumen and governance discipline
  • Strong stakeholder management, negotiation and communication skills

What we offer

  • Flexible, hybrid work model
  • Supportive, inclusive culture that values innovation and continuous improvement
  • Opportunity to work with an amazing team on a high impact project 
  • Collaborative, values-led culture with a global reach.
  • Access to leading-edge technology and systems.
  • Competitive salary and employee benefits package

About us 

Thiess works with clients in Australia, Asia and the Americas in the dynamic field of open-cut and underground mining. 

The pioneering spirit of our founders – the legendary Thiess brothers – is our legacy, and inspires our vision to harness the power of people and technology to drive sustainable change. 

At Thiess, you will have the opportunity to play a part in the global energy transition. We are growing our commodities portfolio to include metals and minerals critical to the energy transition, and developing services to enable sustainable mining. 

We’re creating a culture of curiosity, knowledge-sharing, and continuous learning – supporting our people to contribute to Thiess’ success and continued growth in sustainable mining. 

We’ll support you to hone your skills and develop new ones, take on challenges and grow, through mentorship, collaboration and empowerment. We offer our people ongoing technical training and development opportunities so they can reach their full potential. We also invest in the workforce of the future, with a range of programs for people starting their careers. 

We recognise the value of an inclusive and diverse workplace through our vision of better together. We’re focused on creating an inclusive environment to enable our people to bring their best self to work because they feel safe, included and empowered. 

Learn more http://thiess.com/makeyourmark

Should you require assistance applying for this opportunity, please contact us at hiring@thiess.com

How to Apply

This role is an opportunity to take the next step in your career. With our culture of recognition, development, and a stimulating and satisfying work environment, there is no better time to join Thiess.

Thiess follows a Pre-Employment Process for all successful applicants, which includes two employment references, a National Police Check and a medical assessment. These checks are essential to your application, and your recruiter will support you through the process.

Please click the “apply” button to apply for this role.

Applications close: Monday 23 February 2026

How to apply

Apply now
Applications close
E. Australia Standard Time

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