Associate Director of IT Operations

<h2><strong>Job Description</strong></h2> <p>Based in our Chippendale head office in Sydney and reporting to our Director of IT, you will lead the evolution of our APAC IT team from a traditional service desk into a high-performing, globally integrated IT operations hub. Covering HelloConnect Philippines (1,600+ staff across three sites), YouFoodz, BeCool Logistics, and HelloFresh ANZ, this is one of the most dynamic and operationally complex IT leadership roles in the HelloFresh Group.</p> <p>In this position, you will connect regional teams with global leadership, turning big-picture strategy into clear local results, preventing operational silos, and building an IT function ready to scale. As Associate Director, you will act as a trusted advisor to senior executives, shape global IT strategy, and champion IT Operations best practices across the APAC region.</p> <p><strong>You will…</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Define & Own Regional Strategy:</strong> Shape and execute the APAC IT strategy across all entities, balancing speed, scope, and quality to seamlessly integrate the region into the global HelloFresh ecosystem.</li> <li><strong>Lead & Master Asynchronous Work:</strong> Guide a distributed team across Australia, New Zealand, and the Philippines while syncing with Berlin and Toronto. You write clear direction and document key decisions, empowering time-zone-agnostic execution where real-time overlap is optimized and asynchronous is the default.</li> <li><strong>Evolve Regional Operations:</strong> Transform a service-desk model into a specialized IT Operations framework, building deep domain expertise so local teams can operate autonomously without constant escalation.</li> <li><strong>Partner with Executive Stakeholders:</strong> Serve as the trusted IT advisor to APAC business leadership, translating complex technical trade-offs into clear, high-level business recommendations.</li> <li><strong>Drive SLAs, Compliance & Audits:</strong> Govern regional performance using Jira Service Management insights, maintaining a robust audit posture and keeping global IT leadership informed on key metrics.</li> <li><strong>Champion AI Innovation:</strong> Lead by example with AI tools, actively embedding AI-driven workflows across the team as a core operational standard.</li> <li><strong>Optimize Finance & Influence Global Strategy:</strong> Maximize regional ROI through smart vendor negotiations, tooling consolidation, and infrastructure streamlining, while representing APAC as a key contributor to global IT strategy.</li> </ul> <p><strong>You have/are…</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Async-First Leadership:</strong> Proven ability to manage across major time-zone gaps (e.g., aligning Manila with different hemispheres) using clear written communication and structure over constant calls.</li> <li><strong>APAC Senior Leadership:</strong> Experience at the Associate Director level (or equivalent), with direct accountability for multi-country IT strategy, portfolio ownership, and service delivery across APAC.</li> <li><strong>Philippines & BPO Expertise:</strong> Hands-on experience leading or partnering with IT operations in a Philippines-based BPO or shared-services environment—navigating regulatory requirements, multi-site logistics, and remote team management.</li> <li><strong>Executive Stakeholder Management:</strong> Track record of advising C-suite stakeholders, balancing competing interests, and simplifying complex IT trade-offs into clear decisions.</li> <li><strong>Distributed Team Building:</strong&gt…