Leading Hand

Arnott's Group; Auckland; Hybrid; NZD 34,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Free onsite parking

Discounted Arnott's products

Supportive team environment

Opportunity for growth and development

Job summary

Arnott's Group in Newmarket, New Zealand, is seeking an experienced Afternoon Shift Leading Hand to support production and packaging operations. You will lead a team on the floor, promote safety, quality and food safety, and drive continuous improvement across the shift.

The role requires hands-on leadership, practical involvement in daily production activities and a commitment to high standards. You will work closely with the Operations Team Leader to coordinate shift activities, support

Qualifications

• Experience in a food manufacturing/FMCG production environment.
• Previous Leading Hand, Senior Operator or Team Leader experience.
• Demonstrated leadership and coaching skills with the ability to motivate and engage others.
• Strong safety, quality and food safety focus.

Responsibilities

• Promote and champion a strong safety culture and ensure compliance with health, safety and environmental requirements.
• Support incident prevention, hazard identification and continuous improvement initiatives across the shift.
• Coordinate daily production activities to meet plans safely and effectively.
• Coach team members to deliver high standards of performance, safety and quality.
• Assist with labour planning, break management and resource allocation to maximise productivity.
• Ensure materials and equipment are prepared to meet production schedules.

Skills

Team leadership

Coaching

Communication

Problem solving

Continuous improvement

Safety awareness

Organisational skills

Job description

Select how often (in days) to receive an alert:

Leading Hand

Department: Manufacturing - ANZ

Location: Newmarket, AUK, New Zealand, 1023

Job Function: Supply Chain - ANZ

Employment Type:

Lead a team where Safety, Quality and Performance come first.

We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Afternoon Shift Leading Hand to support our production and packaging operations. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in a food manufacturing environment, enjoys developing others, and takes pride in maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, food safety and operational excellence.

Working closely with the Operations Team Leader, you will play a key role in coordinating shift activities, supporting team performance, ensuring production targets are achieved and driving a culture of continuous improvement.

About the Role

As a Leading Hand, you will lead by example on the production floor, ensuring all work is completed safely, efficiently and in accordance with company quality and food safety standards. You will provide practical leadership and operational support while remaining actively involved in day-to-day production activities.

Key Responsibilities

• Promote and champion a strong safety culture, ensuring all activities are completed in accordance with workplace health, safety and environmental requirements.
• Support incident prevention, hazard identification and continuous improvement initiatives across the shift.
• Ensure compliance with food safety, GMP, quality and manufacturing standards at all times.
• Monitor production performance, waste, yield and process efficiency, identifying opportunities for improvement.
• Coordinate daily production activities to ensure production plans are achieved safely and effectively.
• Support and coach team members to deliver high standards of performance, safety and quality.
• Assist with labour planning, break management and resource allocation to maximise productivity.
• Support production trials, process improvements and autonomous maintenance activities.
• Ensure materials, ingredients and equipment are prepared and available to meet production schedules.
• Complete production records, quality checks and shift handovers accurately and on time.
• Escalate operational issues promptly and work collaboratively to resolve them.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Experience in a food manufacturing, FMCG or similar production environment.
• Previous experience as a Leading Hand, Senior Operator or Team Leader.
• Strong leadership and coaching skills with the ability to motivate and engage others.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• A genuine commitment to workplace safety, quality and food safety standards.
• Strong communication and organisational skills.
• A continuous improvement mindset and a hands-on approach.

Why Join Us?

• Free onsite parking
• Discounted company products
• Supportive and collaborative team environment
• Opportunity to influence operational performance and continuous improvement
• Stable Afternoon Shift role with room for growth and development

If you're a hands-on leader who thrives in a manufacturing environment and enjoys helping teams succeed, we'd love to hear from you.