Head of Engineering and Asset Optimisation

Vitaco; Auckland; On-site; NZD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual salary review

Product discounts on Vitaco brands

Onsite café/wellness initiatives

Wellness initiatives

Birthday day off

Job summary

Vitaco is seeking a Head of Engineering and Asset Optimisation to lead engineering, reliability and asset optimisation across our Auckland manufacturing operations. You will build high-performing teams and partner with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain to maximise performance and growth.

You will drive best-practice asset care, lead RCM initiatives, and develop Vitaco's Asset Management Strategy and 5-Year Roadmap, ensuring safety, compliance, and total cost of ownership are

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Industrial Engineering.
• Extensive engineering leadership experience within FMCG or complex manufacturing.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams across multiple sites.
• Expertise in Reliability Centered Maintenance and asset management.
• Expertise in asset lifecycle management and risk-based maintenance.
• Experience driving continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong budgeting and capital planning skills.
• Outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Leadership style that builds trust and high-performing teams.
• Commitment to safety, quality and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead Engineering and Maintenance across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Develop and maintain Asset Management System with governance and lifecycle processes.
• Drive reliability improvements using RCA, FMEA and root cause analysis.
• Embed a best-in-class Reliability Centered Maintenance framework.
• Lead a high-performing engineering culture through coaching.
• Lead digital manufacturing initiatives including CMMS governance.
• Manage engineering budgets, maintenance planning and asset replacement.
• Partner with Operations, Quality, Supply Chain to deliver outcomes.
• Ensure Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards across activities.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Digital transformation

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Electrical or Industrial Engineering

Tools

CMMS

MES integration

Data analytics

Predictive maintenance

Job description

Head of Engineering and Asset Optimisation

This is an excitingtime to join Vitaco as we continue to grow and invest in our manufacturingcapability. As a key member of the Operations Leadership Team, you'll leadengineering, reliability and asset optimisation across our Aucklandmanufacturing operations, build high-performing teams and play a critical rolein supporting our continued growth.

About Vitaco

At Vitaco, ourvision is Empowering Healthier Lives.

We are one ofAustralasia's leading health and wellness companies, employing more than 650people across New Zealand and Australia. Our portfolio includes trustedbrands such as Musashi, Nutra-Life, Healtheries, Athena and Balance,with products manufactured and distributed to customers across Australasia andmore than 30 countries worldwide.

We're incrediblyproud to have been recognised as an HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice for twoconsecutive years (2025 & 2026), reflecting our commitment to creatinga workplace where our people can thrive.

About the Role

Reporting to theGeneral Manager Operations, you'll lead a multidisciplinary engineeringfunction responsible for ensuring our manufacturing assets operate safely,reliably and efficiently across multiple sites.

You'll beresponsible for embedding best-practice asset care, leadingreliability-centered maintenance initiatives, improving equipment performanceand partnering closely with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain tomaximise manufacturing performance and support future growth.

You will also leadthe development and execution of Vitaco's Asset Management Strategy and 5-YearAsset Management Roadmap, ensuring assets are managed through a structuredlifecycle framework that optimises safety, compliance, reliability, risk andtotal cost of ownership.

Leading a team of approximately 16 engineering professionals, includingsix direct reports, you'll foster a culture of safety, accountability,collaboration and continuous improvement while working closely with the widerOperations Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadthe Engineering and Maintenance function across multiple manufacturingsites.
• Developand maintain Vitaco's Asset Management System, ensuring governance,standards and lifecycle processes support sustainable manufacturingperformance.
• Drivereliability improvement through the application of asset criticality,FMEA, root cause analysis and defect elimination methodologies.
• Developand embed a best-in-class Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)framework.
• Builda positive, high-performing engineering culture through coaching andleadership.
• Leadcontinuous improvement and digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Leaddigital engineering and manufacturing initiatives including CMMSgovernance, engineering master data quality, MES integration, dataanalytics and predictive maintenance capabilities.
• Manageengineering budgets, maintenance planning and long-term asset replacementstrategies.
• Leadspare parts optimisation, inventory governance and critical asset supportstrategies to minimise operational risk and optimise working capital.
• Partnerwith Operations, Capital Projects, Quality, Supply Chain and Safety teamsto deliver outstanding business outcomes.
• Ensureworld-class Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards aremaintained across all engineering activities.
• Establishengineering standards, contractor governance and lifecycle projecthandover requirements across all manufacturing sites.

About You

You're anexperienced engineering leader who enjoys solving complex problems, developingpeople and creating sustainable operational improvements.

To be successful inthis role you'll bring:

• ABachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or IndustrialEngineering.
• Extensiveengineering leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing oranother complex manufacturing environment.
• Provenexperience leading engineering teams across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Strongexpertise in Reliability Centered Maintenance, preventative maintenanceand asset management.
• Strongexpertise in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering andrisk-based maintenance strategies.
• Experiencedriving continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Strongcommercial and financial acumen, including budgeting and capital planning.
• Outstandingstakeholder management and communication skills.
• Aleadership style that builds trust, accountability and high-performingteams.
• Demonstratedsuccess developing technical capability, succession planning andengineering leadership pipelines.
• Agenuine passion for safety, quality and operational excellence.

Why Join Vitaco?

• Competitive salary with annual salary review
• Discounts on our amazing health and wellness products.
• Access to wellness initiatives and subsidized onsitecafé.
• Naturopathic advice from in-house experts.
• A fun, supportive team environment that championscollaboration and innovation.
• Celebrate your birthday with a day off!

Applications will be considered before the closing date