General Manager Capital Studies

Fonterra; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits

Professional growth opportunities

Job summary

Fonterra Te Mātāpuna is seeking a strategic General Manager, Portfolio Development to join our Global Engineering & Technical leadership team. This role translates long-term strategy into a prioritised pipeline of capital investments to maximise growth, resilience, safety and shareholder value.

Reporting to the Director Global Engineering & Technical, you will shape concepts, evaluate opportunities and deliver recommendations that guide investment decisions across our manufacturing and supply

Qualifications

• 10+ years leading complex capital projects/programmes/portfolio delivery.
• Proven leadership within large, complex organisations.
• Strong commercial judgement evaluating investment viability.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building.
• Experience producing strategic recommendations and concept evaluation reports.
• Understanding of manufacturing operations, supply chain and market dynamics.
• Ability to operate in complex and evolving environments.

Responsibilities

• Leading studies, option analysis and concept development across strategic capital opportunities, with focus on Ingredients and Foodservice.
• Converting business strategy into capital investment opportunities and prioritised portfolios.
• Providing high-quality recommendations and concept evaluation reports to support investment committee decisions.
• Driving portfolio governance with clear reporting, risk escalation and decision-making frameworks.
• Partnering with Strategy, Capital Projects, Commercial, Engineering, Manufacturing, Environmental, Quality and HSW teams to optimise outcomes.
• Ensuring portfolio development activities meet performance targets including timing, capital estimate accuracy and value delivery.
• Building organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and leadership development.
• Championing health, safety, wellbeing and food safety quality outcomes.

Skills

Leadership in large organisations

Commercial judgement

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Manufacturing operations awareness

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.

About the Opportunity | Mō tēnei tūranga

We're looking for a strategic and commercially astute General Manager, Portfolio Development to join our Global Engineering & Technical leadership team.

This role plays a critical part in converting long-term business strategy into a prioritised portfolio of capital investment opportunities that maximise growth, resilience, safety, sustainability, operational performance and shareholder value. Acting as the bridge between Strategy and Capital Projects, you'll ensure Fonterra maintains a robust pipeline of high-quality opportunities that support future business growth and performance.

Reporting to the Director Global Engineering & Technical you'll lead the early stages of project development, shaping concepts, evaluating opportunities and providing strategic recommendations that enable sound investment decisions. This is a unique opportunity to influence some of the Co-op's most significant capital investment decisions and help define the future direction of our manufacturing and supply chain network.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading studies, option analysis and concept development activities across strategic capital investment opportunities, with a focus on Ingredients and Foodservice.
• Converting business strategy into capital investment opportunities and prioritised portfolios.
• Providing high-quality recommendations and concept evaluation reports that support investment committee decisions.
• Driving portfolio governance through clear reporting, risk escalation and decision-making frameworks.
• Partnering with Strategy, Capital Projects, Commercial, Engineering, Manufacturing, Environmental, Quality and HSW teams to optimise outcomes.
• Ensuring portfolio development activities meet performance targets including timing, capital estimate accuracy and value delivery
• Building organisational capability through coaching, mentoring and leadership development.
• Championing health, safety, wellbeing and food safety quality outcomes.

You are a highly capable strategic leader with extensive experience shaping and evaluating complex capital investment opportunities. You bring strong commercial acumen, analytical excellence and the ability to navigate ambiguity while influencing enterprise-wide decisions.

You'll thrive in environments where you can balance strategic thinking with practical execution and enjoy working across a broad stakeholder network to bring opportunities from concept to investment readiness.

You will also bring:

• More than 10 years' experience leading complex capital project/programme/portfolio delivery.
• Proven leadership experience within large, complex organisations
• Strong commercial judgement and experience evaluating the viability of investment opportunities.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and relationship-building capability.
• Experience producing high-quality strategic recommendations and concept evaluation reports.
• Strong understanding of manufacturing operations, supply chain and market dynamics.
• The ability to operate effectively in complex and evolving environments.

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

A Career of Opportunities | Ngā Mahi

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.

If you face accessibility issues or need accommodations during the process, please contact your recruiter. We ensure fair participation, allowing you to be at your best. Tātou, tātou.

Applications close at midnight on Thursday 3rd September