Chief Operating Officer

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

The Chief Operating Officer will be the operational engine of Advanced Navigation, responsible for translating our strategic vision into scalable, everyday execution. Leading a critical portfolio of internal functions - IT, Security, Business Assurance & Quality Management, and Business Operations - you will drive cross-functional efficiency and operational excellence.

A vital component of this role will be designing and implementing the business processes required to operate seamlessly and compliantly alongside our US Special Security Agreement (SSA) entity. We need a seasoned, agile leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and knows how to build robust systems without stifling the innovation that drives us forward.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Operational Leadership & Scaling

• Lead, mentor and unite the IT, Security, Business Assurance, Quality Management and Business Operations teams.  
• Identify bottlenecks and engineer lean, scalable processes to support our rapid scaling and significant revenue growth.  
• Drive a culture of continuous improvement, establishing clear KPIs across all operational business units.  
• Evaluate and implement enterprise-grade software and infrastructure to automate workflows and improve organisational efficiency. 
• Establish best practice use of AI across the organisation to ensure productivity and meet compliance requirements.

Change Management and Strategy Articulation

• Translate the company's strategic vision into scalable, everyday execution across all operational functions.  
• Lead organizational change management initiatives, ensuring that strategic goals are clearly communicated and adopted across global teams.  
• Operationalise the OKR framework and optimise global knowledge management to dismantle cross-functional silos and accelerate speed of decision making.

Security, Quality, & Business Assurance

• Oversee the physical and cybersecurity posture of the organisation, ensuring robust protection of intellectual property and compliance with global standards.
• Champion Quality Management Systems (QMS), ensuring ISO compliance and maintaining the highest standards of product and operational reliability.
• Direct business assurance initiatives to proactively identify risks and implement robust mitigation strategies across our global operations.
• Partner with supply chain leadership to mitigate risk in supply chain and establish operational infrastructure across APAC, US and EMEA regions.

US SSA Integration & Compliance

• Serve as the primary operational architect for workflows interacting with our US SSA entity.
• Design and enforce clear operational boundaries, data-sharing protocols, and communication channels that comply with FOCI (Foreign Ownership, Control, or Influence) mitigation requirements while maintaining global business alignment.
• Partner closely with US-based leadership and Facility Security Officers (FSOs) to ensure frictionless, compliant collaboration between the Australian parent and the US subsidiary.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

Experience & Qualifications:

• 10+ years of senior operational leadership experience (VP or C-level) within a high-growth deep tech, hardware, robotics, or defense manufacturing company.
• Proven track record of guiding a business through rapid scaling past 200+ employees and building operational infrastructure across international regions.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational change management, including implementing goal-setting frameworks like OKRs across global teams.
• Strong understanding of US defense contracting requirements, ITAR, and operating under an SSA or similar FOCI mitigation agreement.
• Practical exposure to high-tech manufacturing dynamics, yield optimization, capacity planning, and supply chain risk management.
• High EQ leadership with the systems-thinking capability to design IT, security, and knowledge management frameworks that connect global time zones.
• Based at Sydney HQ with willingness to travel domestically up to once per quarter and internationally 1–2 times annually.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Technology or Business Administration.
• MBA or Master’s in Engineering Management is highly desirable.