Engineering Operations Supervisor

A S Wilcox & Sons; Pukekohe; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free onsite parking

Free take-home vegetables each week

Job summary

Wilcox in New Zealand seeks an Engineering Operations Supervisor to lead the Engineering team, align priorities, and ensure plant and machinery run safely and reliably. You will spend around 75% of time leading and coordinating, with ~25% on the tools as needed.

Working closely with the Asset & Engineering Manager, you will drive day‑to‑day performance, coordinate planned and reactive work, and manage contractors to schedule. Experience in horticultural machinery is a bonus.

Qualifications

• 2–5 years' experience in an engineering supervisory or leadership role.
• Strong people leadership and communication skills.
• A practical, solutions‑focused approach to problem solving.

Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate the Engineering team.
• Set clear priorities and manage team workloads.
• Support performance, development, coaching and mentoring.
• Help build a strong Health & Safety culture.
• Coordinate planned and reactive maintenance.
• Work with Engineering Planner/Scheduler to monitor progress.
• Keep operation teams informed about engineering work and priorities.
• Coordinate contractors and ensure work is delivered to schedule.
• Support engineering projects from planning through to delivery.
• Identify opportunities to reduce downtime and improve reliability.
• Maintain oversight of parts, stock and consumables.
• Get on the tools when required.
• Participate in On Call roster if needed.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Problem solving

Communication skills

Health & safety culture

Job description

At Wilcox, engineering is at the heart of keeping our growing and postharvest operations moving. We're looking for an Engineering Operations Supervisor who can lead our Engineering team, keep priorities on track and make sure our plant and machinery are operating safely and reliably.

If you're an experienced engineer who enjoys leading people, solving problems and getting stuck into the action, this could be your next move.

The opportunity

This is more than a maintenance role.

Working closely with our Asset & Engineering Manager and operational leaders across the business, you'll help drive the day-to-day performance of our Engineering team — coordinating people, priorities, planned and reactive work, contractors and projects.

You'll spend around 75% of your time leading, coordinating and planning, with around 25% on the tools when needed.

What you'll be responsible for

Lead the team:

• Supervise and coordinate the Engineering team
• Set clear priorities and manage team workloads
• Support performance, development, coaching and mentoring
• Help build a strong, positive Health & Safety culture
• Coordinate planned and reactive maintenance
• Work closely with our Engineering Planner/Scheduler
• Monitor progress and identify potential delays or bottlenecks
• Keep operational teams informed about engineering work and priorities
• Coordinate contractors and make sure work is delivered to schedule

Support projects & improvement:

• Support engineering projects from planning through to delivery
• Help improve engineering systems, processes and productivity
• Identify opportunities to reduce downtime and improve reliability
• Contribute to continuous improvement and innovation across the business
• Maintain oversight of parts, stock and consumables

Stay hands‑on:

• Get on the tools and support the Engineering team when required
• Participate in the On Call roster if needed
• Bring your practical engineering experience to the day-to-day operation

What you'll bring

You'll be a confident engineering professional who knows how to get the best out of people while keeping the operation moving.

• A strong engineering background and sound technical knowledge
• 2-5 years' experience in an engineering supervisory or leadership role
• Experience coordinating engineering work and projects
• Strong people leadership and communication skills
• Excellent organisation and the ability to juggle competing priorities
• A practical, solutions-focused approach to problem solving
• Strong decision-making skills and attention to detail
• A genuine commitment to Health, Safety and Wellbeing
• The ability to stay calm, adaptable and focused when priorities change

Experience with horticultural machinery or post-harvest plant is a bonus - but not essential.

Why Wilcox?

You'll have the opportunity to make a real difference in a role where what you do has a direct impact on the performance of our operation.

You'll work across Engineering, Growing, Post Harvest and other operational teams, giving you plenty of variety and the opportunity to influence how things are done.

You'll also have the chance to grow your leadership capability while staying connected to the engineering work you enjoy.

You'll get:

• A key leadership role within our Engineering team
• A mix of people leadership, planning, projects and hands‑on engineering
• The opportunity to drive improvements across a busy operation
• Pukekohe-based role with free onsite parking
• Free take‑home vegetables each week
• The opportunity to join a fourth-generation New Zealand family business

Please note: A.S Wilcox is a drug-free site and pre‑employment drug testing applies.

About Wilcox

Growing healthy communities from the ground up.

That's what we're about.

Wilcox is a fourth-generation family-owned New Zealand business growing and marketing fresh produce for domestic and export markets.

We grow potatoes, onions and carrots, as well as Broccolini and Watermelon, across our growing operations in New Zealand.

Our values are simple:

Respect at our Core | Expect the Best | Together Growing

They shape how we work, how we lead and how we support each other.