Are you an experienced senior leader with a passion for operational excellence, people development, and service delivery at scale? Compass Group is seeking a dynamic Zone Manager to lead all operations within a designated geographic zone across the Defence Living and Working Services (LWS) contract. 

About the Role 

The Zone Manager holds overall responsibility for service delivery and operational performance across every base within their zone. You will oversee multiple sites, lead a team of Area Managers, and drive the achievement of contractual, financial, and strategic goals. Working closely with functional support teams, you’ll ensure that services are delivered safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Lead operational delivery across all bases within the designated area, ensuring quality, safety, cost, and performance standards are consistently achieved. 

• Drive commercial performance in line with growth, retention, and profitability targets. 

• Provide strong leadership to Area Managers and site teams, ensuring operational consistency, policy adherence, and continuous improvement. 

• Monitor site financial and operational performance through business systems and reporting tools (VOC, Go Spot Check, etc.). 

• Develop leadership capability and build high-performing teams focused on service excellence and client satisfaction. 

• Prepare and deliver monthly contract reporting, including operational performance indicators and non-conformance updates. 

• Build and maintain productive relationships with Defence stakeholders, internal support teams, and service partners. 

• Champion safety leadership and compliance with food safety and WHS programs, driving a proactive culture of accountability. 

• Manage talent acquisition, succession planning, and performance management across your portfolio. 

• Promote inclusion and diversity initiatives aligned to Compass Group’s Five Diversity & Inclusion Pillars. 

About You 

• Extensive senior management experience in service delivery, ideally within Defence, government, or large-scale facilities management. 

• Proven ability to lead multi-site operations with strong commercial, financial, and analytical acumen. 

• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage confidently at all organisational levels. 

• Demonstrated success in building and developing high-performing, safety-focused teams. 

• Experience balancing strategic priorities with practical, on-the-ground implementation. 

• Strong project and change management skills, with the ability to deliver outcomes under competing deadlines. 

• Knowledge of technology and systems that enhance operational performance. 

• Must be an Australian Citizen and eligible to obtain and maintain a Defence Security Clearance (includes a satisfactory Australian Federal Police check). 

Why Join Compass Group? 

At Compass, we deliver essential services that support the Australian Defence community. You’ll join a business that values safety, integrity, teamwork, and growth. We offer the opportunity to make a measurable impact, lead diverse teams, and help shape the future of our Defence service delivery. 

We are committed to providing a recruitment process that is fair, equitable and accessible for all. If you require adjustments or alternative methods of communication in the recruitment process, please reach out to us on either 1300TALENT or?careers@compass-group.com.au. 

Our people’s unique backgrounds, experience, and abilities are at the heart of our vibrant workforce. We strive to create workplaces that reflect the diverse communities that we serve, where everyone feels empowered and valued. By building diverse teams means we are creating inclusive environments for all our people and those we connect with through our day-to-day operation. We welcome & encourage applications from Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander peoples, people of all backgrounds, ages, sexual orientation, gender expressions, gender identity and people with disability.