This is a rare opportunity to take genuine ownership of a multi-branch operation and leave a visible mark on one of Australia’s leading equipment hire businesses. Reporting directly to the Executive General Manager of the South Business Unit, you’ll drive performance across a broad branch and maintenance network with the autonomy to set direction and the expectation to be hands-on in delivery.

Based in Melbourne and embedded in the South BU leadership team, you’ll shape regional strategy while staying close to the day-to-day: leading from the front, supporting teams on the ground and stepping in where it matters most.

Safety leadership: Set the tone through visible, hands-on leadership. You’ll be present in branches and workshops, reinforcing safe behaviours, lifting engagement and building a culture where safety is owned by everyone.

Operational excellence & team engagement: Lead a distributed team — not from behind a desk, but alongside them. You’ll spend time in the field, coaching leaders, unblocking issues and driving performance where it happens. This is a role for someone who rolls up their sleeves and lifts standards in real time.

Customer focus: Champion a consistent, high-quality customer experience across every branch. You’ll work closely with teams on the ground to embed service discipline into daily operations and hold the line on standards.

Financial & asset performance: Drive branch performance against financial targets while optimising fleet utilisation and maintenance outcomes. You’ll partner closely with teams to identify inefficiencies, improve productivity and deliver strong commercial outcomes.

We provide our team with a wide range of perks and benefits, including:

At Coates, we know that people, organisations, and communities thrive when everyone feels valued and included. We're proud to be implementing our second Reconciliation Action Plan, and we're committed to improving gender representation across the business.

We support local and national charities through the Coates Foundation, and we're investing in more sustainable equipment solutions for a greener future. Growth here is real — through our leadership and development programs, we back people who back themselves.