IWS Lead

Danone; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hybrid

Diverse and inclusive workplace

Learning opportunities

Total Reward package

Health insurance

Job summary

Danone Auckland is seeking an experienced Dan-IWS Lead to coach and elevate continuous improvement across the site. You will partner with the Plant Leadership Team to drive Dan-IWS deployment, improve productivity and ensure safety and quality across all operations.

You will build capability, surface issues early, and foster a results-driven culture through training, coaching and disciplined problem-solving. This is a high-visibility role with strong cross-functional impact.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to coach and lead at multiple levels.
• Experience driving continuous improvement and Lean/TPM initiatives.
• Strong project management, planning and organisation skills.
• Clear, open and timely communication, written and verbal.

Responsibilities

• Coach Site Leadership Team and Operations through Dan-IWS phases.
• Lead Dan-IWS strategy, master planning and site implementation.
• Drive site performance reviews and track progress against plan.
• Lead daily routines, site tours and reviews to remove blockers.
• Build capability in Dan-IWS tools, systems and processes.
• Plan and deploy Dan-IWS training with Plant Leadership Team.
• Look ahead 6–18 months to anticipate needs and risks.
• Benchmark Dan-IWS best practices across Danone.
• Ensure data readiness for business results tracking.
• Champion the WISE Health and Safety programme and zero-harm culture.
• Uphold Danone quality and food safety standards.

Skills

Coaching

Change leadership

Project management

Lean TPM

Communication

Independent working

Education

Trade qualification or engineering degree

Job description

About The Job

Join our Auckland manufacturing team as Dan-IWS Lead and help shape the way we work, every day. This is your opportunity to coach, challenge and inspire an entire site through Danone's Integrated Work System (Dan-IWS) journey.

Based in Auckland, and reporting to the Plant Manager, you will join the Plant Leadership Team as our site expert and coach for Dan-IWS. You will be the Auckland point of contact for the wider IWS team outside of Auckland, and the driving force behind a robust, lasting continuous-improvement culture across every function on site.

This is a highly visible, people-centered role. You will build capability, make problems visible, and lead teams to solve them together, creating momentum that lifts safety, quality, and performance across the operation.

Your responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Coach and advise the Site Leadership Team, Line Teams and Operations Teams through each Dan-IWS phase.
• Lead short and long-term Dan-IWS strategy, master planning and implementation on site.
• Lead site performance review with other stakeholders
• Drive daily routines, including direction-setting meetings, site tours and consultative reviews, to track progress and remove blockers.
• Animating Factory productivity through coaching and capability development.
• Lead the site Pillar review process, covering pillar health checks, master plan progress, results, gap analysis and action plans.
• Partner with Pillar owners to build capability in Dan-IWS tools, systems and work processes.
• Plan and deploy Dan-IWS training in partnership with the Plant Leadership Team.
• Look 6 to 18 months ahead, anticipate needs and make issues visible so leaders can act early.
• Benchmark with other Dan-IWS leads across Danone, reapply best practice and share what works.
• Ensure data readiness for business result tracking of the site
• Champion the WISE Health and Safety programme and our commitment to a zero-harm workplace.
• Uphold Danone quality, food safety and compliance standards in everything we make.

About You

You are an energetic and credible coach who brings people with you. You are comfortable influencing at every level, from the shop floor to the leadership team, and you know how to turn improvement methodology into practical, everyday habits.

Curious, resilient and collaborative, you make issues visible, follow through and celebrate progress. You thrive in a fast-paced manufacturing environment and enjoy the ownership that comes with shaping something new.

Ideally, you will have:

• A trade qualification, engineering degree or equivalent experience in a relevant field.
• Experience leading continuous improvement, TPM, Lean or similar initiatives on a large site.
• Experience coaching or leading teams through change.
• Background in infant formula, dairy, food or other FMCG manufacturing (advantageous).
• Strong project management, planning and organisational skills.
• Clear, open and timely communication, written and verbal.
• The ability to work independently, self-direct and manage shifting priorities.

About Us

We truly value ourDanoners and strive to make their experience exceptional by creating a positive and fulfilling environment for everyone. Our unique benefits are designed to enhance lives and provide genuine value.

• A high-performing, collaborative team culture
• Flexible hybrid working
• A diverse and inclusive work environment
• Personalised learning opportunities to set you up for success
• A competitive Total Reward package, including:
  • Health and life insurance benefits
  • 26 weeks of gender-neutral paid parental leave
  • Employee Share Subscription Plan after 12 months of service
  • Performance-related incentives and annual reviews

More about Us

At Danone, we aim to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with our vision, Danone, One Planet. One Health.

We operate across Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products, Waters and Specialised Nutrition. Our headquarters are in France, we have offices in 55 countries, and our products are sold in more than 120 markets. We have been around for more than a century and is the proud owners of some of the best-known brands worldwide, including YoPRO, Activia, Aptamil and Karicare.

Danone ANZ focuses on dairy and specialised nutrition products for infants and adults and is proud to have achieved Great Place to Work accreditation in ANZ for the last five years.

Visit WE ARE DANONE to learn more about us.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION

We proudly affirm that we are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. Our ambition is to foster an inclusive and diverse workplace where all Danoners can bring their uniqueness and contribute to business results.

Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion ensures that all qualified individuals receive fair consideration for employment.