Deployment Manager - Base Automation

Fonterra Co-operative Group; New Zealand; Hybrid; NZD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and well-being programs

Flexible/hybrid working where possible

Employee recognition

Support for community involvement and

Cultural connection

Job summary

Fonterra Co-operative Group seeks an experienced Delivery Leader to drive Base Automation deployments across multiple manufacturing sites in New Zealand. You will partner with site leadership, manage a team of Deployment Leads and ensure safe, consistent, high-quality delivery that realises business benefits.

You will report to the General Manager of Automation and Operational Technology, shaping how automation is delivered at scale across sites while navigating ambiguity and driving change

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale multi-site projects in manufacturing or OT.
• Proven ability to lead delivery teams under pressure.
• Strong stakeholder management across senior groups.
• Experience delivering operational technology, automation or digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Ability to balance technical delivery with operational realities.

Responsibilities

• Partner with site leadership to ensure operational readiness and adoption of new automation capabilities.
• Lead the delivery of OT automation deployments across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Coach and manage a team of Deployment Leads to achieve outcomes.
• Drive consistency, pace and quality across the deployment programme.
• Build partnerships with Site Managers, Operational Leaders and OT specialists.
• Manage complex delivery risks, dependencies and competing priorities.
• Support sites through organisational and workforce change related to adoption of new automation capabilities.
• Provide visibility, governance and performance reporting across the programme.
• Embed lessons learned to enhance future deployments.
• Ensure deployments achieve operational outcomes and benefits.

Skills

Leading multi-site projects

Stakeholder management

Delivery leadership

Risk management

OT/automation delivery

Job description

At Fonterra Te Mātāpuna, we want everyone to feel they can be themselves.

Whether you're early in your career or ready for your next step, Fonterra offers a unique opportunity to grow with a global dairy co-operative that values care, collaboration, and contribution.

Owned by New Zealand dairy farmers and supported by a dedicated team, we are all working together to create a better future. Imagine tomorrow with us, where your career can grow, and you can create positive change.

Our manufacturing network is among the most complex and asset intensive in the country, transforming milk into high value products that are exported to over 130 markets.

Automation and control systems are fundamental to how we operate safely, efficiently and reliably. Across our manufacturing sites, control systems enable continuous, high volume production while meeting strict quality, food safety, and regulatory requirements.

As we continue to modernise our manufacturing network, we are focused on lifting reliability, reducing risk, strengthening cyber resilience, and ensuring our technology investments deliver long term value.

About the Opportunity |Mō tēnei tūranga

At Fonterra, we're investing in Base Automation, a major operational technology transformation programme that is standardising and modernising automation capabilities across our manufacturing network. Spanning multiple sites, Base Automation will reshape how manufacturing operations are supported, maintained and improved for years to come. We're seeking an experienced delivery leader to drive deployment outcomes at scale.

Base Automation is delivering a common set of automation capabilities across our manufacturing network, helping sites operate more consistently through the deployment of proven solutions such as recipe management, alarm management and Silo and CIP automation.

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Fonterra's largest operational technology transformation programmes, influencing how automation is delivered across multiple manufacturing sites for years to come.

Reporting to the General Manager of Automation and Operational Technology, you'll lead a team of Deployment Leads, partner with senior operational and programme stakeholders, and play a pivotal role in ensuring automation deployments are delivered safely, consistently, and successfully across our network. You will act as the critical link between programme delivery teams and site operations, ensuring sites are prepared, engaged and positioned to embed the changes and realise the benefits of Base Automation.

As Deployment Manager, you'll take ownership of the end-to-end delivery of Base Automation deployments across multiple manufacturing sites balancing pace, quality, operational requirements, and stakeholder expectations.

This is a hands-on leadership role for someone who can confidently navigate ambiguity, influence at all levels, and bring clarity to complex delivery environments. You'll be responsible for driving consistency across deployments while supporting sites through significant operational and workforce change.

Success in this role will require strong programme delivery capability, sound judgement and the ability to build trusted relationships across operational, technical and executive stakeholders.

What you'll be doing:

• Partnering with site leadership teams to ensure operational readiness, adoption and successful transition to new automation capabilities.
• Leading the delivery of OT automation deployments across multiple manufacturing sites
• Managing and coaching a team of Deployment Leads to achieve successful outcomes
• Driving consistency, pace and quality across the deployment programme
• Building strong partnerships with Site Managers, Operational Leaders, Engineering teams and OT specialists
• Managing complex delivery risks, dependencies and competing priorities
• Supporting sites through organisational, people and cultural change associated with adoption of new automation capabilities
• Providing visibility, governance and performance reporting across the programme
• Driving continuous improvement and embedding lessons learned to enhance future deployments
• Ensuring deployments achieve operational outcomes, adoption targets and intended business benefits

You may come from a programme management, operational technology, engineering, manufacturing or major transformation background. What matters most is your ability to lead people, navigate complexity, and deliver results at scale.

What you will bring:

• Experience leading large-scale, multi-site projects or programmes within manufacturing, industrial, engineering, operational technology, or similarly complex environments
• Proven success leading delivery teams in fast-paced and high-pressure settings
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability across operational, technical and senior leadership groups
• Experience managing complex risks, interdependencies and delivery challenges
• Experience delivering operational technology, automation, industrial control systems, digital manufacturing or large-scale operational transformation initiatives.
• The ability to balance technical delivery requirements with operational realities
• A resilient, pragmatic and solutions-focused leadership style
• Experience supporting organisations through significant business or workforce change

This programme represents a significant investment in the future of manufacturing at Fonterra and offers the opportunity to make a visible and lasting impact across our operations.

You will work alongside experienced OT automation specialists, operational leaders and programme professionals while leading a transformation that spans multiple sites and business functions. Few roles offer this level of scale, complexity and influence.

If you're energised by leading people, solving complex challenges and delivering transformation in operational environments, we'd love to hear from you.

At Fonterra, our values of Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts, are for everyone – no matter your background, identify or experience. These values guide us in delivering exceptional outcomes for our farmers, customers, communities, and each other. Discover how your values align with ours by taking our Values Quiz

We care for our people globally. Our comprehensive benefits support your well-being, development, and work-life balance:

• Fair and equitable pay
• Health and well-being programs (medical, mental health support)
• Work-life balance options (flexible/hybrid working where possible)
• Employee recognition
• Support for community involvement and cultural connection

At Fonterra, we are inspired by purpose and guided by our principles and values. Together, we create goodness for generations and make a global impact at a local level. As part of our Co-operative, you are an everyday creator, imagining what Fonterra, dairy, and you can be here.

Does this sound good to you? Come join our whānau - bring your whole self, and let's solve for better together.

Together, we're shaping a future of inclusion |He Wāhi mō te Katoa

Inclusion is key to our Co-operative. We're building a team that reflects the diverse world we live in, believing it drives better decisions and innovation.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds (ethnicities, genders, identities, orientations, ages, abilities, neurotypes, cultures, religions).

Even if you don't meet every requirement listed, we encourage you to apply; we value your potential and growth.

Applications close at midnight on Sunday 18th October