Maintenance Engineer

Silver Fern Farms Ltd; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Silver Fern Farms Ltd., based in Balclutha, seeks a motivated tradesperson to keep our busy plant running smoothly. You’ll be hands-on with day‑to‑day operation, repair and maintenance of mechanical equipment across a wide range of facilities.

We operate on a 4/4 roster: four 12‑hour days, four days off, four 12‑hour nights, then four days off. This mix supports preventative and reactive maintenance while giving you time away from work.

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of engineering principles and industrial maintenance (FMCG experience an advantage).
• Practical problem‑solving ability and sound judgement under pressure
• Self‑motivated with the ability to work both independently and in a team
• Organised, with the ability to prioritise in a busy plant environment

Responsibilities

• Maintain mechanical equipment across facilities and perform repairs.
• Operate day-to-day plant operations and preventative maintenance.
• Collaborate with team to keep plant running smoothly.

Skills

Engineering principles

Industrial maintenance

Problem solving

Teamwork

Prioritisation

FMCG experience

Job description

Based in Balclutha, this role is a great opportunity for a motivated tradesperson to keep our busy plant running smoothly. You’ll be hands‑on with the day‑to‑day operation, repair, and maintenance of mechanical equipment across a wide range of facilities - meaning no two days are the same. There will also be opportunities to broaden your skills across other services on site.

Our engineers work on a 4/4 roster: four 12‑hour days, four days off, four 12‑hour nights, then four days off. This mix of shifts and downtime gives you the chance to focus on both preventative and reactive maintenance while still enjoying plenty of time away from work.

We’re looking for someone with solid trade skills who’s keen to solve problems and keep things moving. Ideally, you’ll have experience in food processing or industrial engineering, but above all you’ll bring a practical mindset, strong teamwork, and the drive to get the job done.

We are looking for the following skills and attributes:

• Strong knowledge of engineering principles and industrial maintenance (FMCG experience an advantage)
• Practical problem‑solving ability and sound judgement under pressure
• Self‑motivated with the ability to work both independently and in a team

Organised, with the ability to prioritise in a busy plant environment

Te Ahurea /Why work at Silver Fern Farms?

Silver Fern Farms are all about Creating Goodness from the Farms the World Needs. Creating goodness is about taking a broader view of what goodness means, how we can create it and the impact it can have. That Goodness is created through the work of our People, the skill & expertise of our Farmers and our customers around the globe. ‘Goodness’ is also about being good to people and communities, animal welfare, and showing care and respect for the environment.

For you, we offer heavily discounted staff meat sales through our on site Butcher's Block, paid sick leave from the date of employment (no waiting for the 6 month anniversary required) and confidential employee assistance with career planning, financial advice and counselling. There is the added bonus of free on‑site parking and a SFF branded uniform also.

Silver Fern Farms welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life.We are proud to have a diverse and inclusive environment and are committed to providing equal opportunities for all team members and applicants. Come and create goodness together with us.