Group Leader

Silver Fern Farms Ltd; Dargaville; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Staff meat sales

Paid sick leave

Employee assistance program

Job summary

Silver Fern Farms Ltd in Dargaville is seeking a Group Leader to direct a large secondary butchery department shift, ensuring safe, compliant and efficient operation. You will lead Team Leaders, drive daily production targets, and cultivate a positive team culture while upholding quality standards.

The role focuses on safety, regulatory compliance, and continuous improvement, with day shifts typically 6am–4pm and occasional night shift coverage as needed.

Qualifications

• Two years+ hands-on production leadership experience in meat processing or FMCG.
• Experience training, coaching and developing team relationships.
• Proven ability to drive a strong safety and quality culture.
• Knowledge of regulatory and hygiene compliance requirements.
• Experience supporting Team Leaders with workforce management.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership direction to achieve daily production targets while building a positive culture.
• Review performance and implement corrective actions with department leaders.
• Ensure food safety and quality requirements are understood and applied.
• Foster an uncompromising safety culture across the shift.
• Champion continuous improvement and empower team contribution.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Training & mentoring

Influencing others

Safety culture

Tools

Excel

Word

PowerPoint

Outlook

Job description

Te Tūranga/About the Role

The Group Leader is a frontline production leadership role and is responsible for whole shift delivery in the secondary butchery department at our Dargaville site. Critical to the effective operation of the entire department, the Group Leader provides direction to their Team Leaders, as well as oversight of daily operations, health and safety, quality, and compliance. Strong leadership skills are imperative to the success of this role, and we are looking for someone who has run a large department.

This role is responsible for the day shift and expected work hours are between 6am to 4pm, with the flexibility to cover the night shift as required.

The successful candidate will need to have a strong focus on safety and compliance; with a drive to look for continuous improvement opportunities within your department.

Te Mahi/Key Responsibilities

• Providing leadership direction to the department to achieve daily production targets whilst developing a positive team culture
• Review daily production performance, investigate and provide corrective actions with department leaders when required
• Understand food safety and quality requirements, and how these apply to your team
• Build an uncompromising safety culture
• Champion continuous improvement and encourage team members to find new ideas to improve work practices

Ōu Pūkenga/About You

The successful candidate will be experienced as a leader within the meat processing industry and ideally have specific skills around training and developing relationships with their team. They will demonstrate experience with developing and driving team culture through leading by example and have a solid understanding of standard production processes and principles.

• Minimum of two years’ experience in a hands‑on production leadership role, ideally within the food manufacturing or FMCG industry
• Proven background in training, coaching and mentoring team members
• Successful experience with influencing others and proactively driving a strong culture that aligns with the Silver Fern Farms values – Unstoppable Together, Improving Tomorrow and Always Caring
• Knowledge of employee relations principles and confident with assisting your Team Leaders with workforce management
• Excellent knowledge of regulatory and hygiene compliance requirements and issues
• Competent to an intermediate/high level in Excel/Word/PowerPoint/Outlook

Te Ahurea /Why work at Silver Fern Farms?

Silver Fern Farms are all about Creating Goodness from the Farms the World Needs. Creating goodness is about taking a broader view of what goodness means, how we can create it and the impact it can have. That Goodness is created through the work of our People, the skill & expertise of our Farmers and our customers around the globe. ‘Goodness’ is also about being good to people and communities, animal welfare, and showing care and respect for the environment.

• heavily discounted staff meat sales through our onsite Butcher's Block
• paid sick leave from the date of employment (no waiting for the 6-month anniversary required)
• confidential employee assistance with career planning, financial advice and counselling

Applications close on 11 September 2026.