Operations Graduate Jobs

Operations is a multi-disciplinary field, referring to the core function of companies. Operations are focused on planning, organising and supervising the process of production to create high levels of efficiency within business operations in regards to the production of goods and services.

Operations graduate jobs will involve quality control, quality management, managing supply chains, product formulation, facilities management, design, contacting vendors, purchasing external products and ordering goods.

NSW, Victoria and Queensland employ the largest number of workers in operations, hiring graduates from disciplines including business and management, finance, accounting, HR and project management.

Major industries

The major industries employing operations graduates are:

• Transport
• Retail
• Insurance
• Healthcare
• Construction
• Mining

Types of jobs/roles

For those interested in operations, there are a number of different career paths graduates can take, including:

• Operations manager – involves planning, scheduling and budgeting to support the production of high-quality goods or services at an acceptable cost and within timeframes.
• Purchasing manager – focusing on the logistics of buying raw materials and other supplies business needs.
• Materials manager – involves the production and storage of finished products and the logistics involved in transporting these.
• Operations research – responsible for identifying the best allocation of an organisations assets and resources, including time, capital, human resources and hard assets.
• Consultant – works with companies to improve their operations through operational changes regarding logistics and supply chain management.
• Project manager – involves planning, coordinating, budgeting, executing and evaluating projects within budget and timeframes.

The average starting salary for an operations graduate is $55,000 per year.

Major employers

Companies offering operations graduate jobs in Australia include:

• Australian Defence Force
• Coles
• Westpac
• AEMO
• Reece
• Jetstar
• Australian Federal Police
• Cobham Aviation
• GE
• SunRice

These graduate programs are advertised on job boards and company websites, as well as career fairs. Register now to be to notified of new opportunities and application deadlines for operations graduate jobs.