General Manager - Operations

About the role

Cockington Green Gardens is an iconic, family-owned and operated Canberra tourist attraction that has welcomed visitors for almost 47 years. This is a pivotal, hands-on leadership role reporting directly to the business directors. You will combine operational oversight with practical delivery across workforce management, payroll, finance administration, compliance, safety, technology, ticketing, marketing and events. The successful candidate will benefit from a handover alongside the highly regarded outgoing General Manager – Operations.

Key responsibilities

• Recruitment, performance management, rostering (including managing leave and absences), and staff communications

• Processing weekly and monthly payroll and implementing annual award changes

• Oversee daily financial administration including EFT reconciliations, income and cash records, admission statistics, accounts payable and receivable, and ticket revenue distributions and related reporting

• Oversee business systems that support payroll, ticketing, retail, café operations, bookings and tourism listings

• Maintain phones, security, website domains, point-of-sale hardware and the computer network

• Liaise with external service providers and troubleshoot operational issues

• Maintain business registrations, licences and statutory obligations

• Conduct WHS Committee meetings, coordinate risk assessments, manage electrical testing and tagging compliance and fire safety

• Manage incident reporting and workers' compensation matters; maintain key policies including the staff manual and the safety management system

• Administer ticket pricing, reporting, billing and settlements across collaborative ticketing arrangements and attraction partnerships

• Coordinate selected school and consumer marketing activity, assess and place advertising as required, and plan and deliver seasonal promotions and events

About you

• Proven experience in a senior operations, general management or comparable business leadership role

• Strong people leadership skills and practical experience across recruitment, rostering, performance management and employee administration

• Demonstrated payroll and finance administration capability, with a high level of accuracy and discretion

• Sound working knowledge of WHS, risk management, workplace compliance and policy administration

• Confidence learning, managing and improving multiple business systems, including point-of-sale and payroll platforms

• Excellent judgement, communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to prioritise in a busy visitor-focused environment

• A practical, service-oriented approach and the resilience to respond to changing staffing, weather and business demands

• Familiarity with Access-Attaché would be advantageous

• Availability to work at least one weekend per month and must be available during key trading periods including school holidays, Easter, Christmas, selected long weekends, and Floriade (mid-September to mid-October)

About us

Cockington Green Gardens is an iconic, family-owned and operated Canberra tourist attraction that has welcomed visitors for almost 47 years. We are an established, family-owned business with a strong history and community profile.

Benefits

• Take ownership of a business-critical leadership role at a much-loved Canberra attraction

• Work directly with the business owners and influence operations across the whole organisation

• Join an established, family-owned business with a strong history and community profile

• Benefit from a handover with the outgoing General Manager – Operations

Applications

Applications close by 5.00 pm on Friday, 18th September 2026.