Senior Asset, Reliability & Automation Manager

Chobani; Greater Dandenong; On-site; AUD 170,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Chobani Australia is seeking a Senior Asset, Reliability & Automation Manager to lead Maintenance, Reliability Engineering, Automation and Asset Management at the Dandenong South site. This pivotal role reports to the Head of Factory and guides the next phase of reliability capability to support rapid growth.

You will balance long-term asset performance with immediate operational priorities, shaping strategy, and coaching leaders across engineering, maintenance and operations in a highly

Qualifications

• Formal engineering degree and a track record leading maintenance, reliability, automation or engineering teams.
• Experience in complex manufacturing environments with high automation.
• Food, dairy, beverage or FMCG experience is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead Maintenance, Reliability, Automation, Planning and Purchasing across the site
• Develop and execute the site reliability and asset management strategy
• Drive improvements in OEE, uptime and asset performance
• Coach technical leaders and embed preventive maintenance practices across the site
• Ensure newly commissioned assets are handed over and integrated into long-term maintenance strategies

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Reliability engineering

Automation

Asset management

Strategic planning

Education

Engineering degree

Tools

PLC/SCADA systems

Asset management software

Job description

Senior Asset, Reliability & Automation Manager

• Location453 Hammond Rd,Dandenong South, VIC, 3175,Australia
• Employee TypePermanent - Full Time

Description

Every fridge tells a story. This one is ours - and it's getting bigger.

Chobani Australia was formed in 2011 following the acquisition of Gippsland Dairy, alongside the Chobani brand. Guided by our belief that food can be a force for good - and our purpose, Good Food For All - we make Chobani and Gippsland Dairy yoghurt in Dandenong South, focusing on food that's delicious, nutritious, natural and accessible.

We're building the next chapter of growth - investing in major site upgrades and new capability to meet demand and deliver on our aspiration: in every fridge, everywhere, every day.

Chobani is a place for people who like pace and ownership. We keep standards high, back people to stretch, and hire for attitude. If you set goals, deliver, learn fast and keep raising the bar, you'll feel right at home here.

Requirements

The Opportunity

Over the past few years, Chobani has invested significantly in new production capacity, automation and manufacturing capability.

The challenge now is turning that investment into sustainable operational performance.

As Senior Asset, Reliability & Automation Manager, you'll lead the functions responsible for Maintenance, Reliability Engineering, Automation and Asset Management across our Dandenong South manufacturing site. Reporting to the Head of Factory, you'll play a critical role in shaping the next phase of our reliability capability while supporting an increasingly complex operation.

This is a role that will define the reliability strategy supporting the site for years to come.

With new production lines, increasing automation and a rapidly expanding asset base, this role will help define how reliability evolves to support Chobani's next stage of growth.

You'll balance long-term asset performance with immediate operational priorities, ensuring the business has the systems, capability and discipline required to support future growth. One day you may be reviewing an asset lifecycle roadmap; the next, coaching technical leaders, reviewing reliability performance or ensuring newly commissioned assets successfully transition into business-as-usual operations.

The site has made significant progress, but there remains a meaningful opportunity to increase preventive and predictive maintenance while reducing reliance on reactive intervention.

• Lead Maintenance, Reliability Engineering, Automation, Planning and Purchasing functions across the site
• Develop and execute the site reliability and asset management strategy
• Create long-term asset lifecycle, renewal and criticality plans
• Drive improvements in OEE, uptime, maintenance effectiveness and asset performance
• Embed preventive and predictive maintenance practices across the site
• Ensure new assets are effectively commissioned, handed over and integrated into long-term maintenance strategies

You'll inherit capable leaders, experienced tradespeople and a site with strong foundations. Your focus will be building the capability, accountability and operating rhythm required to support a larger and increasingly complex manufacturing operation.

This is a highly visible role where reliability performance directly impacts production outcomes. You'll be equally comfortable shaping long-term strategy, reviewing performance metrics and partnering with operational teams to solve critical challenges on the factory floor.

Success in this role won't be measured by how many issues you solve, but by the capability you build, the discipline you embed and the improvements your team delivers in reliability, asset performance and operational outcomes.

The strategy is yours to influence, the function is yours to lead and the outcomes will be visible across the entire site.

Your Experience

This role requires more than technical expertise.

We're looking for a leader who can balance long-term strategy with day-to-day operational realities. Someone who understands that reliability is built through people, systems, processes and discipline, not just engineering solutions.

You'll bring a formal engineering background together with experience leading maintenance, reliability, automation or engineering functions within a complex manufacturing environment.

While experience within food, dairy, beverage or FMCG manufacturing is beneficial, we're equally interested in leaders from highly automated operations where asset performance, automation and operational reliability are central to business success.

• Build credibility across engineering, maintenance, automation and operational teams
• Drive a proactive reliability culture supported by strong systems and disciplines
• Develop capability and accountability within technical leadership teams
• Translate reliability strategy into measurable operational outcomes
• Balance long-term asset planning with immediate operational priorities
• Lead confidently in a high-performance manufacturing environment