Manager - Engineering and Asset Optimisation

Vitaco; Auckland; On-site; NZD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discounts on our amazing health and w

Access to wellness initiatives and on‑

Naturopathic advice from in-houseexper

A fun, supportive team environment

Birthday day off

Job summary

Vitaco is seeking an experienced engineering leader to drive asset optimisation and reliability across Auckland manufacturing sites. You will lead a multidisciplinary team, embed best-practice asset care and partner with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain to maximise performance and support growth.

You will guide the Asset Management Strategy, establish lifecycle governance and build a culture of safety, accountability, and continuous improvement across the function.

Qualifications

• Experience leading engineering teams in FMCG, food manufacturing or similar complex manufacturing environments.
• Proven ability to build high-performing teams and drive sustainable operational improvements.
• Strong expertise in asset management, maintenance strategies and lifecycle optimisation.
• Experience with budgeting, capital planning and cost management.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication at all levels.
• Leadership style that builds trust, accountability and high-performing teams.
• Track record in safety, quality and operational excellence.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Engineering and Maintenance function across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Develop and maintain Asset Management System, ensuring governance and lifecycle processes.
• Drive reliability improvements using RCA, FMEA and defect elimination methodologies.
• Develop and embed Reliability Centered Maintenance framework.
• Coach and develop a high-performing engineering culture.
• Lead digital manufacturing initiatives including CMMS governance and MES integration.
• Manage engineering budgets, maintenance planning and long-term asset replacement strategies.
• Collaborate with Operations, Capex, Quality, Supply Chain and Safety to deliver outcomes.
• Ensure Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards across engineering activities.

Skills

Engineering leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Continuous improvement

Digital transformation

People development

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Mechanical, Electrical or Industrial Engineering

Job description

Manager - Engineering and Asset Optimisation

This is an excitingtime to join Vitaco as we continue to grow and invest in our manufacturingcapability. As a key member of the Operations Leadership Team, you'll leadengineering, reliability and asset optimisation across our Aucklandmanufacturing operations, build high-performing teams and play a critical rolein supporting our continued growth.

About Vitaco

At Vitaco, ourvision is Empowering Healthier Lives.

We are one ofAustralasia's leading health and wellness companies, employing more than 650people across New Zealand and Australia. Our portfolio includes trustedbrands such as Musashi, Nutra-Life, Healtheries, Athena and Balance,with products manufactured and distributed to customers across Australasia andmore than 30 countries worldwide.

We're incrediblyproud to have been recognised as an HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice for twoconsecutive years (2025 & 2026), reflecting our commitment to creatinga workplace where our people can thrive.

About the Role

Reporting to theGeneral Manager Operations, you'll lead a multidisciplinary engineeringfunction responsible for ensuring our manufacturing assets operate safely,reliably and efficiently across multiple sites.

You'll beresponsible for embedding best-practice asset care, leadingreliability-centered maintenance initiatives, improving equipment performanceand partnering closely with Operations, Capital Projects and Supply Chain tomaximise manufacturing performance and support future growth.

You will also leadthe development and execution of Vitaco's Asset Management Strategy and 5-YearAsset Management Roadmap, ensuring assets are managed through a structuredlifecycle framework that optimises safety, compliance, reliability, risk andtotal cost of ownership.

Leading a team of approximately 16 engineering professionals, includingsix direct reports, you'll foster a culture of safety, accountability,collaboration and continuous improvement while working closely with the widerOperations Leadership Team.

Key Responsibilities

• Leadthe Engineering and Maintenance function across multiple manufacturingsites.
• Developand maintain Vitaco's Asset Management System, ensuring governance,standards and lifecycle processes support sustainable manufacturingperformance.
• Drivereliability improvement through the application of asset criticality,FMEA, root cause analysis and defect elimination methodologies.
• Developand embed a best-in-class Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM)framework.
• Builda positive, high-performing engineering culture through coaching andleadership.
• Leadcontinuous improvement and digital manufacturing initiatives.
• Leaddigital engineering and manufacturing initiatives including CMMSgovernance, engineering master data quality, MES integration, dataanalytics and predictive maintenance capabilities.
• Manageengineering budgets, maintenance planning and long-term asset replacementstrategies.
• Leadspare parts optimisation, inventory governance and critical asset supportstrategies to minimise operational risk and optimise working capital.
• Partnerwith Operations, Capital Projects, Quality, Supply Chain and Safety teamsto deliver outstanding business outcomes.
• Ensureworld-class Health, Safety, Quality and Environmental standards aremaintained across all engineering activities.
• Establishengineering standards, contractor governance and lifecycle projecthandover requirements across all manufacturing sites.

About You

You're anexperienced engineering leader who enjoys solving complex problems, developingpeople and creating sustainable operational improvements.

To be successful inthis role you'll bring:

• ABachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical or IndustrialEngineering.
• Extensiveengineering leadership experience within FMCG, food manufacturing oranother complex manufacturing environment.
• Provenexperience leading engineering teams across multiple manufacturing sites.
• Strongexpertise in Reliability Centered Maintenance, preventative maintenanceand asset management.
• Strongexpertise in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering andrisk-based maintenance strategies.
• Experiencedriving continuous improvement and digital transformation initiatives.
• Strongcommercial and financial acumen, including budgeting and capital planning.
• Outstandingstakeholder management and communication skills.
• Aleadership style that builds trust, accountability and high-performingteams.
• Demonstratedsuccess developing technical capability, succession planning andengineering leadership pipelines.
• Agenuine passion for safety, quality and operational excellence.

Why Join Vitaco?

• Competitive salary with annual salary review
• Discounts on our amazing health and wellness products.
• Access to wellness initiatives and subsidized onsitecafé.
• Naturopathic advice from in-house experts.
• A fun, supportive team environment that championscollaboration and innovation.
• Celebrate your birthday with a day off!

Applications will be considered before the closing date