Maintenance Manager, Te Rapa

Fonterra; Hamilton; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fair and equitable pay

Health and well-being programs

Professional development opportunities

Career growth support

Work‑life balance options

Job summary

Fonterra Te Mātāpuna is seeking a Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance function at the Te Rapa site. You will oversee the maintenance team, drive preventative strategies, and ensure safe, reliable plant performance while delivering maintenance plans within budget.

You will manage skilled tradespeople and contractors, champion asset care, and partner with operations and engineering to drive continuous improvement and reliability across site assets.

Qualifications

• Experience leading maintenance teams in manufacturing or process environments.
• Strong knowledge of preventative maintenance and asset reliability practices.
• Experience planning and executing shutdowns and major maintenance activities.
• Financial and commercial acumen, including budget management.

Responsibilities

• Lead a high-performing maintenance team and foster safety culture.
• Drive preventative maintenance strategies and asset care programs across Te Rapa site.
• Oversee maintenance planning, execution, budgets and contractor performance.
• Support annual shutdowns and major maintenance projects with on-time, on-budget delivery.
• Collaborate with operations and engineering to improve reliability and site performance.

Skills

Maintenance leadership

Asset management

Shutdown planning

Budget management

Health & safety leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Problem solving

Contractor management

Continuous improvement

Job description

Imagine Tomorrow with Us
Ata whakaarohia tō āpōpō

At Fonterra Te Mātāpuna, we want everyone to feel they can be themselves.

Whether you're early in your career or ready for your next step, Fonterra offers a unique opportunity to grow with a global dairy co‑operative that values care, collaboration, and contribution.

Owned by New Zealand dairy farmers and supported by a dedicated team, we are all working together to create a better future. Imagine tomorrow with us, where your career can grow, and you can create positive change.

About us | He kupu mō mātou

Established in 1967, our Te Rapa site is one of Fonterra’s largest manufacturing sites and produces whole and skim milk, instant whole milk powders along with cream, butter, pure dairy milk fat, cream cheese, and frozen cream products. At 41 hectares, the site makes enough product to fill 48.5 shipping containers every day!

The Te Rapa utilities team looks after the two gas fired boilers, a membrane water treatment plant and several refrigeration plants down to -30C as well as many other ancillary services to the site.

About the Opportunity | Mō tēnei tūranga

We have an exciting opportunity for a Maintenance Manager to lead the maintenance function at our Te Rapa site. Reporting to the Engineering Manager, you'll play a critical role in ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and performance of site assets while fostering a strong safety culture and leading a high‑performing team.

This is a hands‑on leadership role where you'll oversee maintenance activities across the site, drive preventative maintenance strategies, and ensure maintenance systems and processes support optimal plant performance. You'll be responsible for leading skilled tradespeople and contractors, building team capability, and creating an environment where safety, accountability, and continuous improvement thrive.

You'll also play a key role in the planning and execution of annual shutdowns and major maintenance activities, ensuring work is delivered safely, on time, and within budget. Working closely with operational and engineering stakeholders, you'll champion asset care strategies, support capital initiatives, and identify opportunities to improve equipment reliability and site performance.

Key responsibilities

• Leading and developing a high-performing maintenance team.
• Driving a strong health, safety, environmental and compliance culture.
• Managing site maintenance planning, execution and asset care programs.
• Supporting and co-leading annual shutdowns and major maintenance activities.
• Managing maintenance budgets and contractor performance.
• Championing continuous improvement initiatives and maintenance excellence.
• Supporting reliability, risk management and audit requirements.
• Contributing to capital projects and change management processes.

This is a fantastic opportunity for a people leader who enjoys balancing operational delivery, strategic planning, and continuous improvement while making a tangible impact on site performance

About You | Mōu

You're an experienced maintenance leader with a passion for developing people, improving asset performance, and creating safe and efficient work environments. You bring strong technical credibility, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to lead teams through complex operational challenges.

You thrive in fast-paced manufacturing or industrial environments and are comfortable balancing competing priorities while maintaining a focus on safety, quality, cost, and reliability.

You'll bring

• Proven experience leading maintenance teams within manufacturing, industrial, engineering, or process environments.
• Strong knowledge of preventative maintenance, asset management and reliability practices.
• Experience planning and executing shutdowns, major maintenance activities, or capital works.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen, including budget management experience.
• Demonstrated capability leading health and safety initiatives and promoting safe systems of work.
• Excellent stakeholder engagement skills with the ability to influence across multiple levels of the business.
• Strong troubleshooting and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage complexity and drive practical outcomes.
• Experience leading contractors and managing external supplier relationships.
• A continuous improvement mindset with a passion for delivering operational excellence.

Success in this role will come from your ability to lead with purpose, engage and develop your team, make sound decisions in a dynamic environment, and consistently deliver results that support site performance and long‑term asset reliability.

Our Values | Ngā Aura

At Fonterra, our values of Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts, are for everyone - no matter your background, identify or experience. These values guide us in delivering exceptional outcomes for our farmers, customers, communities, and each other. Discover how your values align with ours by taking our [1] Values Quiz

Our Commitment to You | Tā mātou oati

We care for our people globally. Our comprehensive benefits support your well‑being, development, and work‑life balance:

• Fair and equitable pay
• Health and well‑being programs (medical, mental health support)
• Professional development opportunities
• Career growth support
• Work‑life balance options (flexible/hybrid working where possible)
• Employee recognition
• Support for community involvement and cultural connection

To learn more, visit Fonterra Careers

A Career of Opportunities | Ngā Mahi

At Fonterra, we are inspired by purpose and guided by our principles and values. Together, we create goodness for generations and make a global impact at a local level. As part of our Co‑operative, you are an everyday creator, imagining what Fonterra, dairy, and you can be here.

Join Us | Tātou Tātou

Does this sound good to you? Come join our whānau - bring your whole self, and let's solve for better together.

You, me, us together, Tātou, tātou.

Together, we're shaping a future of inclusion | He Wāhi mō te Katoa

Inclusion is key to our Co‑operative. We're building a team that reflects the diverse world we live in, believing it drives better decisions and innovation.

We welcome applications from all backgrounds (ethnicities, genders, identities, orientations, ages, abilities, neurotypes, cultures, religions).

Even if you don't meet every requirement listed, we encourage you to apply; we value your potential and growth.

If you face accessibility issues or need accommodations during the process, please contact your recruiter. We ensure fair participation, allowing you to be at your best. Tātou, tātou.

Applications close at midnight on Wednesday 16th September 2026.

References

1. https://values.fonterra.com/?utm_source=internal+job+ad&utm_medium=job+ad&utm_campaign=imagine+tomorrow&utm_term=&utm_content=values
2. https://www.fonterra.com/nz/en/careers.html?utm_campaign=talentacquisition&utm_medium=jobad&utm_source=fonterracareers