HR Business Partner

Lactalis-Mainland Dairy; Taranaki; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Career development

Collaborative culture

Safety commitment

Job summary

Lactalis New Zealand is seeking a passionate HR professional to lead HR delivery at our Eltham site. The HR Manager will partner closely with site leadership to build a safe, engaged and high-performing workforce, delivering practical, commercially focused HR solutions aligned to business strategy.

Reporting to the Site Manager, with a dotted line to the Head of Industrial & Supply Chain HR, you’ll own end-to-end HR across recruitment, workforce planning, performance, remuneration and employee

Qualifications

• Proven generalist HR experience in manufacturing, logistics, FMCG or similar environments with strong employee relations expertise.
• Sound understanding of employment legislation and industrial relations, with the ability to manage complex ER matters end-to-end.
• Demonstrated capability across recruitment, workforce planning, performance, and talent development.
• Experience delivering cyclical HR processes such as performance and remuneration reviews.
• Strong business partnering skills, with the ability to coach, influence and support leaders at all levels.
• Analytical and solutions-focused, able to interpret workforce data and translate insights into action.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business or related discipline (or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

• Deliver end-to-end HR support across workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, talent, engagement, culture, change management and employee relations.
• Partner with site and business leaders to drive capability building, engagement, culture and change initiatives.
• Lead management of ER matters, including investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances and resolution pathways.
• Manage compliance obligations, workforce risk management and support local industrial relations activity (e.g., consultation, union engagement as required).
• Coach and upskill leaders on people management, performance conversations, organisational effectiveness and change leadership.
• Monitor and analyse people metrics to identify trends and implement actions to improve workforce outcomes.
• Collaborate with Health and Safety to support safety leadership and compliance.

Skills

HR generalist

ER expertise

Recruitment

Workforce planning

Performance management

Data analytics

Business partnering

Industrial relations

Education

Bachelor's in HR/IR

Job description

About Lactalis

Lactalis New Zealand, formerly known as Fonterra Brands NZ, is now proudly part of the Lactalis Group.

Lactalis is a French family-owned business and the world’s largest dairy company. With a presence in 50 countries, employing around 90,000 people and a range of 2,000 dairy products. Lactalis is committed to contributing to the health and well-being of consumers around the world every day.

Here in New Zealand, Lactalis New Zealand employs more than 1,000 people across four manufacturing sites, two distribution centres and our corporate head office. We manufacture high-quality dairy products enjoyed by Kiwis and consumers around the world. Our business also includes NZ New Milk, a specialised nutrition and infant formula manufacturer that produces premium products for global markets. Together, we produce some of the country’s most loved dairy brands, including Anchor, Fresh ’n’ Fruity and Mainland.

Our passionate and talented team is dedicated to nurturing the future of dairy, unlocking new opportunities, and fostering innovation in nutrition and food.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a passionate and experienced HR professional to lead HR delivery at our Eltham site. This is a key role partnering closely with site leadership to build a safe, engaged and high-performing workforce.

Known internally as the HR Manager for Eltham, you’ll be embedded on-site, developing strong relationships with leaders and employees while delivering practical, commercially focused HR solutions aligned to business strategy.

Reporting to the Site Manager, with a dotted line to the Head of Industrial & Supply Chain HR, your key responsibilities include:

• Deliver end-to-end HR support across workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, talent, engagement, culture, change management and employee relations.
• Partner with site and business leaders to drive capability building, engagement, culture and change initiatives.
• Lead management of ER matters, including investigations, disciplinary processes, grievances and resolution pathways.
• Manage compliance obligations, workforce risk management and support local industrial relations activity (e.g., consultation, union engagement as required).
• Coach and upskill leaders on people management, performance conversations, organisational effectiveness and change leadership.
• Monitor and analyse people metrics to identify trends and implement actions to improve workforce outcomes.
• Collaborate with Health and Safety to support safety leadership and compliance.

Located on Bridge Street in Eltham, South Taranaki, this site has been operating since 1919 and is one of New Zealand’s oldest cheese producers. Using locally sourced milk, the site annually produces approximately 2,500 metric tonnes of award-winning speciality cheeses for domestic and international markets under well-known brands including Mainland and Kāpiti.

You’ll be part of a team that’s passionate, resilient and supportive with a strong sense of ownership and pride in what we make.

About You

You’re a pragmatic and influential HR professional who thrives in a site-based operational environment and enjoys being close to the business.

• Proven generalist HR experience in manufacturing, logistics, FMCG or similar environments, with strong employee relations expertise.
• Sound understanding of employment legislation and industrial relations, with the ability to manage complex ER matters end-to-end.
• Demonstrated capability across recruitment, workforce planning, performance, and talent development.
• Experience delivering cyclical HR processes such as performance and remuneration reviews.
• Strong business partnering skills, with the ability to coach, influence and support leaders at all levels.
• Analytical and solutions-focused, able to interpret workforce data and translate insights into action.
• Resilient and adaptable, with the ability to manage competing priorities.
• Tertiary qualification in Human Resources, Industrial Relations, Business or related discipline (or equivalent experience).

We value people who are passionate, ambitious, and keen to grow, whether you’re ready to step up or looking to deepen your expertise.

What We Offer

• Competitive pay and benefits
• Career development and progression opportunities within a global organisation
• A collaborative and supportive workplace culture where your contribution makes a real impact
• A strong commitment to safety, quality, innovation and sustainability.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

At Lactalis NZ, we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome people from all backgrounds and are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive.