Head of Engineering and Asset Optimisation

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

Benefits offered by this job

Salary review

Discounts on health & wellness

Onsite café access

Naturopathic advice

Birthday day off

Job summary

Vitaco is seeking a senior engineering leader to head asset management across our Auckland manufacturing operations, overseeing ~16 engineers. You will embed best-practice asset care, lead RCM, improve equipment performance and partner with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain to drive growth.

Reporting to the General Manager Operations, this role focuses on lifecycle governance, safety, compliance and total cost of ownership, building a high-performing, safety-first engineering culture.

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Proven track record in FMCG or complex manufacturing environments.
• Strong safety and quality focus.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication.

Responsibilities

• Lead Engineering and Maintenance across multiple sites.
• Develop and govern Asset Management System and lifecycle framework.
• Drive reliability improvements via FMEA, root cause analysis, and RCA.
• Embed a best-in-class Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) framework.
• Manage budgets, maintenance planning and long-term asset replacement.
• Collaborate with Operations, Capital Projects, Quality, Supply Chain and Safety.
• Maintain world-class HSE standards in engineering activities.
• Establish contractor governance and lifecycle handover requirements.

Skills

Asset management

Reliability engineering

RCM

Budgeting & capex

Stakeholder management

Cross-site leadership

Digital transformation

Project management

Education

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

Tools

CMMS

MES

Data analytics

Job description

This is an exciting time to join Vitaco as we continue to grow and invest in our manufacturing capability. As a key member of the Operations Leadership Team, you’ll lead engineering, reliability and asset optimisation across our Auckland manufacturing operations, build high-performing teams and play a critical role in supporting our continued growth.

About Vitaco

At Vitaco, our vision is Empowering Healthier Lives. We are one of Australasia’s leading health and wellness companies, employing more than 650 people across New Zealand and Australia. Our portfolio includes trusted brands such as Musashi, Nutra-Life, Healtheries, Athena and Balance, with products manufactured and distributed to customers across Australasia and more than 30 countries worldwide. We’re incredibly proud to have been recognised as an HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice for two consecutive years (2025 & 2026), reflecting our commitment to creating a workplace where our people can thrive.

About The Role

Reporting to the General Manager Operations, you’ll lead a multidisciplinary engineering function responsible for ensuring our manufacturing assets operate safely, reliably and efficiently across multiple sites. You’ll be responsible for embedding best-practice asset care, leading reliability-centered maintenance initiatives, improving equipment performance and partnering closely with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain to maximise manufacturing performance and support future growth. You will also lead the development and execution of Vitaco’s Asset Management Strategy and 5-Year Asset Management Roadmap, ensuring assets are managed through a structured lifecycle framework that optimises safety, compliance, reliability, risk and total cost of ownership. Leading a team of approximately 16 engineering professionals, including six direct reports, you’ll foster a culture of safety, accountability, collaboration and continuous improvement while working closely with the wider Operations Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the Engineering and Maintenance function across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Develop and maintain Vitaco’s Asset Management System, ensuring governance, standards and lifecycle processes support sustainable manufacturing performance.
• Drive reliability improvement through the application of asset criticality, FMEA, root cause analysis and defect elimination methodologies.
• Develop and embed a best-in-class Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) framework.
• Build a positive, high-performing engineering culture through coaching and leadership.
• Lead continuous improvement and digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Lead digital engineering and manufacturing initiatives including CMMS governance, engineering master data quality, MES integration, data analytics and predictive maintenance capabilities.
• Manage engineering budgets, maintenance planning and long-term asset replacement strategies.
• Lead spare parts optimisation, inventory governance and critical asset support strategies to minimise operational risk and optimise working capital.
• Partner with Operations, Capital Projects, Quality, Supply Chain and Safety teams to deliver outstanding business outcomes.
• Ensure world-class Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards are maintained across all engineering activities.
• Establish engineering standards, contractor governance and lifecycle project handover requirements across all manufacturing sites.

About You

You’re an experienced engineering leader who enjoys solving complex problems, developing people and creating sustainable operational improvements.

To Be Successful In This Role You’ll Bring

• A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or Industrial Engineering.
• Extensive engineering leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing or another complex manufacturing environment.
• Proven experience leading engineering teams across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Strong expertise in Reliability Centered Maintenance, preventative maintenance and asset management.
• Strong expertise in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering and risk-based maintenance strategies.Experience driving continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budgeting and capital planning.
• Outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills.
• A leadership style that builds trust, accountability and high-performing teams.
• Demonstrated success developing technical capability, succession planning and engineering leadership pipelines.
• A genuine 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 onsite café.
• Naturopathic advice from in-house experts.
• A fun, supportive team environment that champions collaboration and innovation.
• Celebrate your birthday with a day off!