General Manager Human Resources

EastPack; Te Puke; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

EastPack, a grower-owned kiwifruit business and major post-harvest operator in New Zealand's Bay of Plenty, seeks a GM Human Resources to shape its people strategy alongside the CEO and senior leadership. You will influence recruitment, development, leadership capability and workforce planning for peak season.

This is a hands-on, visible role requiring close engagement with both on-floor teams and executives, driving a modern, technology-enabled HR function that aligns with EastPack's operations

Qualifications

• Extensive experience leading HR in large operational/manufacturing settings.
• Strong workforce planning, recruitment and leadership development capabilities.
• Ability to build trust across a diverse, multi-site workforce and influence at the board/CEO level.

Responsibilities

• Lead the people and safety strategy across the business.
• Develop workforce plans to align with automation and growth.
• Build capability and strengthen performance with leaders.
• Engage with floor staff and leadership to translate strategy into action.

Skills

Leadership

Workforce planning

Recruitment

Stakeholder management

Job description

EastPack is a grower-owned kiwifruit business and one of New Zealand’s largest post-harvest operators, with six sites across the Bay of Plenty.

As a business with people at its heart, EastPack has a diverse permanent workforce and a seasonal workforce that grows to more than 4,000 people. The scale, variety and complexity of the people environment is significant.

We are looking for a GM Human Resources who sees that complexity as an opportunity, not a challenge.

This is a role where you can genuinely make your mark. Working alongside the CEO and Senior Leadership Team, you will shape how EastPack attracts, develops and retains its people, builds leadership capability and plans for the workforce of the future.

Job Description

What you'll be doing
You will have the opportunity to influence a business that is investing heavily in technology and automation, and continually evolving how it operates. At the same time, you will need to stay close to the people who make the business work — from senior leaders and managers through to the thousands of people who join EastPack during its peak season.

You will lead the people and safety strategy across the business, working closely with leaders to build capability and strengthen performance. Workforce planning will be a major focus, ensuring EastPack has the right people and capability for the future as automation continues to change the skills and workforce required across its operations. With thousands of people joining the business during peak season, this is a significant operational undertaking requiring strong workforce planning, efficient processes and a recruitment model that can deliver at pace without losing the human connection.

Importantly, this is a highly visible role. You will be expected to get out amongst the business, understand what is happening on the ground and build strong relationships across a very diverse workforce. You will need to be just as comfortable challenging a decision around the leadership table as you are having a conversation with someone on the floor.

Ultimately, your role will be to make sure EastPack's people strategy isn't something that sits alongside the business strategy — it is part of it.

Qualifications

About you

This is not a role for someone who wants to lead HR from behind a desk.

We want someone who gets energy from people and from the operation. Someone who can move comfortably from a conversation with the Board or CEO to walking the floor, talking to employees and understanding what is really happening. Someone who is strategic enough to think about the future, but practical enough to roll up their sleeves and get things done.

You'll need to be curious, driven, resilient and straight-up, with the confidence to challenge when required and the emotional intelligence to build trust across a highly diverse workforce.

Experience in a large operational, manufacturing, primary industry, logistics, food or other high-volume environment would be valuable. More important, however, is how you lead and relate to people.

Additional Information

Why EastPack

This is an opportunity to join a growing, innovative business where people genuinely matter. EastPack is investing in its future — in technology, its operations and, importantly, in the capability of its people.

For the right person, this is a role with real influence, visibility and the opportunity to make a lasting difference. You’ll work closely with the CEO and leadership team, while staying connected to a diverse workforce and an operation that is never standing still.

For the right person, this is an opportunity to have genuine influence at the leadership table, shape the future of the workforce and make a lasting impact on an evolving business.