Electrical and Instrumentation Manager

Technical Recruitment Solutions Ltd; Hokitika; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Hokitika Dairy is seeking an Electrical & Instrumentation Manager to lead a 10-person E&I team on a large dairy processing site on the West Coast. You will be the technical voice for electrical, working with Maintenance, Operations, Projects and Automation to drive reliability and safety.

The role requires a trade or degree in electrical engineering, strong industrial E&I knowledge, and proven leadership. Relocation to Hokitika area may be required with relocation support considered.

Qualifications

• Trade or degree qualified in electrical engineering; diploma or I&C training highly regarded.
• Strong technical knowledge of electrical, instrumentation and control systems in an industrial environment.
• Proven people leadership experience, ideally managing a team with a mix of experienced and developing staff.
• Background in dairy, food processing or a similar regulated manufacturing environment preferred.
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis capability.
• High attention to detail with strong planning, documentation and CMMS discipline.
• Willingness to relocate to or already based on the West Coast (Relocation support may be available).

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of 10, ensuring safe, compliant and reliable delivery of electrical and instrumentation maintenance across the site.
• Provide technical leadership and decision support to electricians, the instrumentation technician and electrical reliability engineer.
• Set and enforce quality standards for E&I work, including shutdown and project activities.
• Manage compliance across hazardous areas, dossier requirements, and fire suppression systems.
• Oversee machine guarding compliance across the site.
• Work closely with the Automation team on PLC-related and packing robot electrical support.
• Manage the site’s calibration programme and I&C-related compliance.
• Liaise with and audit the work of electrical contractors, particularly during the annual shutdown period and on capital projects.
• Manage emergency and high-priority E&I work, including escalation, resourcing and follow-up.
• Build a strong safety culture through visible leadership, coaching and competency development, including apprentice development.

Skills

Leadership

Electrical engineering knowledge

Industrial E&I expertise

Education

Electrical engineering degree or trade qualification

Job description

A well-established dairy processing company based in Hokitika is looking for an Electrical & Instrumentation Manager to lead their E&I team through an exciting period of investment in the discipline. This is a great opportunity to build a stronger electrical function on site, with the backing and mandate to do so.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Maintenance & Services Manager, this role leads a team of 10 direct reports across a large, complex dairy processing site. The business has been without a dedicated Electrical & Instrumentation Manager for several years, and this appointment reflects a genuine commitment to rebuilding electrical leadership on site. You’ll be the technical voice for electrical across the business, working closely with Maintenance, Operations, Projects and the Automation team.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of 10, ensuring safe, compliant and reliable delivery of electrical and instrumentation maintenance across the site
• Provide technical leadership and decision support to electricians, the instrumentation technician and electrical reliability engineer
• Set and enforce quality standards for E&I work, including shutdown and project activities
• Manage compliance across hazardous areas, dossier requirements, and fire suppression systems
• Oversee machine guarding compliance across the site
• Work closely with the Automation team on PLC-related and packing robot electrical support
• Manage the site’s calibration programme and I&C-related compliance
• Liaise with and audit the work of electrical contractors, particularly during the annual shutdown period and on capital projects
• Manage emergency and high-priority E&I work, including escalation, resourcing and follow-up
• Build a strong safety culture through visible leadership, coaching and competency development, including apprentice development

Candidate Requirements

• Trade or degree qualified in electrical engineering; further qualification such as a diploma or I&C (instrumentation & control) training highly regarded
• Strong technical knowledge of electrical, instrumentation and control systems in an industrial environment
• Proven people leadership experience, ideally managing a team with a mix of experienced and developing staff
• Background in dairy, food processing or a similar regulated manufacturing environment preferred
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis capability
• High attention to detail with strong planning, documentation and CMMS discipline
• Willingness to relocate to or already based on the West Coast (Pending confirmation: relocation support