Automation Manager

Silver Fern Farms Limited; Christchurch, Dunedin; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff meat sales

Health insurance

Life insurance

Learning & development opportunities

Job summary

Silver Fern Farms Limited is seeking a seasoned Automation Manager to provide strategic leadership for automation, control systems, and OT across our national manufacturing network. You will lead Automation Engineers, set roadmaps, and act as the technical authority for PLCs, SCADA, robotics, instrumentation and process control.

Based in Christchurch, you will collaborate with site engineers and stakeholders to drive reliability, safety and continuous improvement, developing automation roadmaps

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering or related discipline.
• Significant experience in industrial automation, controls and electrical engineering, ideally within a multi-site manufacturing or processing environment.
• Strong technical knowledge of PLCs, SCADA, control architecture, instrumentation, commissioning, fault finding and asset lifecycle management.
• Experience developing engineering standards, supporting capital projects and leading reliability or continuous improvement programmes.
• Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams while influencing stakeholders across a diverse organisation.
• Practical, risk-based decision-making with a strong focus on safety, reliability and future technology adoption.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of automation, control systems and OT strategies, standards and roadmaps across the business.
• Provide technical leadership and design authority for automation systems, PLCs, SCADA platforms, process control and critical engineering decisions.
• Support and provide assurance for major capital projects, from concept and design through to commissioning and handover.
• Partner with site engineering teams to improve asset reliability, manage automation risks, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across multiple locations.
• Lead, coach and develop a team of Automation Engineers while building technical capability and best practice throughout the organisation.

Skills

Automation leadership

Industrial automation

PLCs/SCADA

Team leadership

Safety & reliability

Education

Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering

Tools

PLC

SCADA

Job description

We're looking for an experienced Automation Manager to provide strategic leadership and technical direction for automation, control systems and operational technology across our national manufacturing network.

Reporting to the Asset and Risk Manager, you'll lead a team of specialist Automation Engineers while acting as the organisation's technical authority for automation systems, PLCs, SCADA, robotics, instrumentation and process control. Working closely with site engineering teams, Electrical Design Engineers and key business stakeholders, you'll drive standardisation, reliability, innovation and continuous improvement across our operations.

This is a national role that combines technical expertise, people leadership and strategic thinking. You'll develop automation roadmaps, provide technical assurance for capital projects, support complex operational challenges and help ensure our sites remain safe, reliable and future-ready.

Please note the internal title for the role is: Automation Manager and the successful candidate will need to be located in Christchurch.

• Lead the development and implementation of automation, control systems and operational technology strategies, standards and roadmaps across the business.


• Provide technical leadership and design authority for automation systems, PLCs, SCADA platforms, process control and critical engineering decisions.


• Support and provide assurance for major capital projects, from concept and design through to commissioning and handover.


• Partner with site engineering teams to improve asset reliability, manage automation risks, and drive continuous improvement initiatives across multiple locations.


• Lead, coach and develop a team of Automation Engineers while building technical capability and best practice throughout the organisation.

You are a highly capable automation professional with strong leadership credentials and a passion for improving manufacturing performance through technology and innovation. You have experience operating in complex industrial environments and are comfortable influencing stakeholders at all levels, from senior leaders to site-based technical teams. Equally strategic and hands‑on, you can develop long‑term automation roadmaps while providing practical support and guidance on critical operational and project challenges.

To be successful in this role, you'll bring:

• A Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering or a related engineering discipline.


• Significant experience in industrial automation, controls and electrical engineering, ideally within a multi‑site manufacturing or processing environment.


• Strong technical knowledge of PLCs, SCADA systems, control architecture, instrumentation, commissioning, fault finding and asset lifecycle management.


• Experience developing engineering standards, supporting capital projects and leading reliability or continuous improvement programmes.


• Proven ability to lead and develop technical teams while influencing stakeholders and driving outcomes across a diverse organisation.


• A practical, risk‑based approach to decision‑making, with a strong focus on safety, reliability, operational performance and future technology adoption.

Te Ahurea /Why work at Silver Fern Farms?

Silver Fern Farms are all about Creating Goodness from the Farms the World Needs. Creating goodness is about taking a broader view of what goodness means and how we can create it and the impact it can have. That Goodness is created through the work of our People, the skill & expertise of our Farmers and our customers around the globe. 'Goodness' is also about being good to people and communities, animal welfare, and showing care and respect for the environment.

For you, we offer heavily discounted staff meat sales through our on site Butcher's Block, subsidised health and life insurance, the opportunity to continuously learn and develop from an internationally renowned organisation.

Applications close on 9 October 2026.

Silver Fern Farms welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life. We are proud to have a diverse and inclusive environment and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all team members and applicants. Come and create goodness together with us. You can see more about our commitments to our people and their work by visiting our Belong Here webpage: https://careers.silverfernfarms.com/nz/en/belong-here