Engineering Manager

Two sites have come together. There are big plans ahead. Now OCD needs an Engineering Manager who can bring the people, equipment and maintenance practices together to support the next chapter of the operation.

Open Country Dairy’s Ice Cream facility produces the kind of products most people are delighted to find in their freezer. Behind every scoop, however, is a complex manufacturing operation that depends on reliable equipment, strong maintenance practices and an engineering team that knows how to keep production moving. This is where you come in.

The Opportunity
Reporting directly to the Site Manager, you will lead a small maintenance team and take ownership of the electrical and mechanical reliability of the East Tamaki site.
With two sites recently amalgamated, this is an exciting time to join. There is an opportunity to review how things are currently done, bring greater structure and consistency to maintenance, and help create an engineering function that is ready to support the site’s future plans.
This is not a role for someone who wants to manage engineering from behind a desk. You will be visible on the floor, close to the equipment and available to your team. You will understand what needs attention today while steadily improving the preventative maintenance practices that will reduce tomorrow’s problems.

What You Will Be Responsible For

• Leading, supporting and developing a small maintenance team
• Taking ownership of electrical and mechanical maintenance across the site
• Building a strong and practical preventative maintenance programme
• Coordinating corrective maintenance and breakdown response
• Improving plant reliability, equipment availability and maintenance performance
• Helping bring the engineering practices of two amalgamated sites together
• Working closely with production to plan maintenance and reduce disruption
• Supporting equipment upgrades, site projects and future capital plans
• Managing contractors, critical spares and engineering resources
• Maintaining high standards of safety, compliance and food manufacturing hygiene
• Identifying practical opportunities to improve equipment, systems and ways of working

What We Are Looking For
The ideal person will be dual qualified across the electrical and mechanical trades. You will have the technical range to understand the complete production environment, guide your team through complex problems and make sound decisions when production is under pressure.
You will ideally bring:

• Recognised electrical and mechanical trade qualifications
• Previous experience leading a maintenance or engineering team
• Strong knowledge of preventative and corrective maintenance
• Practical fault-finding and problem-solving capability
• Experience within dairy, food or FMCG manufacturing
• An understanding of food safety, hygiene and production requirements
• Experience improving plant reliability and maintenance systems
• The ability to build structure while remaining practical and responsive
• A calm, approachable and accountable leadership style
• Strong working relationships with production and site leadership

Experience in dairy manufacturing would be a real advantage, particularly if you understand the demands of hygienic processing, refrigeration, filling and packaging equipment. However, it is not essential. Strong engineering leadership from another fast-paced food or FMCG environment will also be valued.

Why This Role?
Because this is about more than keeping the maintenance schedule up to date.
You will be joining OCD at a point of change and opportunity. Two sites have become one operation, and the business has ambitious plans for what comes next. You will have the backing of the larger group, direct access to the Site Manager and the opportunity to influence how engineering supports the site into the future.

You will inherit a small team that needs a leader who can provide technical direction, clear priorities and genuine support. You will also have the chance to strengthen maintenance systems, improve plant reliability and help build an engineering culture that everyone on site can depend on.

If you understand both electrical and mechanical engineering, enjoy developing people and would like to put your stamp on an evolving ice cream manufacturing operation, we would love to speak with you.