Head of Optimisation - Business Operations

Location: Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney

Contract Type: Permanent

MinterEllison is one of Australia’s largest independent law and consulting firms. With a heritage of almost 200 years, we are known for our excellence, and our authentic and enduring relationships with our clients, our people and our communities. Clients seek out MinterEllison to help them solve complex problems every day. We do this by our full-service legal offering and complementary consulting offering.

We offer opportunities to work on industry-leading mandates for top-tier clients, while being part of a high-performing and collaborative team that values excellence, diversity of thought, curiosity, and inclusion. We value our people and empower them to achieve their ambitions - with the support, trust and autonomy to grow their careers in meaningful ways.

At MinterEllison, we're leading the way with AI and other emerging technologies, powering innovation right across our firm. You will have the opportunity to engage with AI tools we've built, and other external AI tools, to enhance efficiencies and excellence internally and with our clients.

We support sustainable ways of working regarding how, when and where you work and offer a wide range of social, financial and health benefits (see https://www.minterellison.com/-/media/Minter-Ellison/Files/Careers/MinterEllison-Employee-Benefits-Dec_2025.pdf)

The Team

MinterEllison is one of Australia's largest law firms, operating at the forefront of legal and consulting service delivery innovation. Our Legal Operations and Digital team sits at the centre of our digital transformation journey, partnering with business operations leaders across the firm to deliver meaningful, practical change. We work alongside business operations leaders to translate digital strategy into practical solutions that enhance operational efficiency, enable data-driven decision making, and improve the experience of our people and leaders across business operations.

We are a collaborative and forward-thinking team that values agility, innovation, and delivering outcomes that make a real difference. This is a team that operates at the intersection of strategy and execution — and we are proud of the impact we have.

Your Role

The Head of Optimisation - Business Operations role is responsible for optimising the operational performance and strategic delivery capability of the firm's enabling business functions nationally, translating firm-wide digital and AI strategy into practical solutions that enhance operational efficiency, decision-making quality, and stakeholder experience across critical business areas and lines of business.

This is a working leadership role where you will personally lead and deliver complex operational projects, facilitate stakeholder workshops, build frameworks and tools, and work hands-on with technology implementations. Success requires moving fluidly between strategic leadership and detailed execution.

Key responsibilities of the role include:

• Building and maintaining strategic relationships with leaders of enabling business functions as a trusted advisor and transformation partner, navigating complex, cross-functional stakeholder environments to drive alignment and secure buy-in for operational improvements
• Designing and implementing operational frameworks that improve efficiency, accuracy and service delivery quality across talent, finance, markets, risk and other business operations functions
• Leading transformation initiatives that streamline workflows, eliminate duplication and enhance user experience through effective change management
• Establishing metrics, dashboards and reporting frameworks that provide business operations leadership with actionable insights and support data-informed decision making
• Leading transformation initiatives to drive adoption of the firm's AI and other digital tools within business operations, leveraging AI, workflow automation, data analytics and document automation solutions
• Partnering with Digital, Automation and AI teams to prioritise and deliver technology solutions for business operations.

For the right candidate, this role offers a genuine opportunity to shape the future of operational excellence at one of Australia's largest law firms.

More About You

We are looking for a dynamic and experienced transformation leader who brings:

• Proven experience in business operations, professional services operations, or similar transformation roles with a demonstrated track record of delivering process improvements and digital implementations
• Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building skills with demonstrated ability to influence senior functional leaders, navigate complex cross-functional environments, and build trusted partnerships
• Strong change management and transformation expertise with a track record of successfully leading organisational change initiatives across multiple enabling functions
• Understanding of technology enablement including AI, automation, data analytics and systems application
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a data-driven approach to decision making
• Proven project delivery capability with the ability to manage projects within time, cost and benefit parameters while identifying and mitigating risks.

You will also be:

• A strategic thinker who can translate vision into practical execution and connect strategy with operational delivery
• A change agent who thrives in transformation environments and can navigate resistance with empathy and determination
• Highly adaptable and agile, with comfort in ambiguity and the ability to pivot quickly in response to changing circumstances
• A strong communicator who can engage effectively across all levels and tailor messaging to diverse audiences.

How to apply

We encourage applications from people of all ages, abilities, cultural backgrounds, genders (including trans or gender diverse), LGBTQ+ people and those with carer responsibilities. We particularly encourage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to apply.

We prefer to connect with people directly, so please submit your CV by clicking on the 'Apply' button. We encourage all applications, including if you do not meet all the criteria listed for the role. Your application will also enable us to consider you for other opportunities that may be available at MinterEllison.

If you are currently a MinterEllison employee, please apply through the internal careers page.

If you would like further information, require any adjustments throughout the recruitment process or for a confidential discussion, please contact lisa.fleming@minterellison.com.