Production Performance Operator

Walter & Wild; Māngere-Ōtāhuhu; On-site; NZD 39,000 - 48,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive hourly wage

Hands-on role

Development opportunities

Job summary

Walter & Wild in Māngere is seeking a Production Performance Operator to join the pudding team. You will monitor line performance, identify downtime patterns, and partner with operators and technicians to improve safety, reliability and efficiency.

You’ll use OEE data and hands-on observations to drive improvements, support trials, and document actions. A continuous improvement mindset and willingness to travel to other Walter & Wild sites will help you grow.

Qualifications

• Experience in FMCG or food production settings.
• Experience operating production machinery and line processes.
• Understanding of downtime, bottlenecks, waste, and equipment reliability.
• Strong observation and practical problem-solving skills.
• Safety, food safety, quality and GMP mindset.

Responsibilities

• Monitor day-to-day line performance, including downtime, short stops, throughput and recurring issues.
• Work alongside operators to understand what's happening on the line and identify patterns, bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
• Use production information, including OEE where available, to help identify recurring performance issues.
• Capture clear information to support investigation of production and equipment issues.
• Assist with production trials and follow-up checks after repairs or changes.
• Support practical continuous improvement activities and help check whether improvements are delivering results.
• Assist with the commissioning, start-up, upgrade or decommissioning of production equipment and lines when required.
• Maintain clear records of issues, actions and outcomes.
• Support high standards of safety, health and wellbeing, quality, food safety and GMP.

Skills

Production experience

OEE knowledge

Problem solving

Communication

Data reporting

Safety & GMP

Tools

Spreadsheets

Digital reporting tools

Mobile devices

Job description

Māngere, Auckland | Full-time | $28-$35 per hour

Ready to take your production experience to the next level?

Walter & Wild is a leading food manufacturer. We are looking for a Production Performance Operator to join our Pudding team in Māngere.

This is a hands-on role for someone who understands production and enjoys looking at how a line is performing, identifying recurring issues and helping find practical ways to improve safety, reliability, efficiency and overall performance.

You may already be an experienced production or machine operator looking for your next step, or you may bring experience in continuous improvement, OEE, production performance, equipment commissioning or project support.

A formal technical qualification isn't essential. What matters to us is strong practical manufacturing experience, a good understanding of production equipment and processes, and a genuine interest in improving processes.

What you’ll be doing

• Monitor day-to-day line performance, including downtime, short stops, throughput and recurring issues.
• Work alongside operators to understand what's happening on the line and identify patterns, bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
• Use production information, including OEE where available, to help identify recurring performance issues.
• Capture clear information to support investigation of production and equipment issues.
• Assist with production trials and follow-up checks after repairs or changes.
• Support practical continuous improvement activities and help check whether improvements are delivering results.
• Assist with the commissioning, start-up, upgrade or decommissioning of production equipment and lines when required.
• Maintain clear records of issues, actions and outcomes.
• Support high standards of safety, health and wellbeing, quality, food safety and GMP.

You'll ideally bring

• Practical experience in FMCG, food production, manufacturing, packaging or a similar production environment.
• Experience operating, monitoring or working closely with production machinery and line processes.
• A good understanding of production flow, downtime, bottlenecks, waste and equipment reliability.
• Strong observation and practical problem-solving skills.
• Confidence gathering information and communicating clearly with operators, managers and technical teams.
• Confidence using spreadsheets, digital reporting tools and mobile devices.
• A strong commitment to safety, food safety, quality and GMP.

Experience with continuous improvement, OEE, production performance, equipment commissioning or production projects would be an advantage. However, we're also open to experienced FMCG or manufacturing operators with strong practical knowledge who are ready to develop further in these areas.

A relevant technical, manufacturing, engineering, food processing or continuous improvement qualification would be useful, but practical manufacturing experience is equally important to us.

A bit about you

You're practical, curious and observant. You like understanding why something is happening, not simply accepting that it is.

You're comfortable spending time on the production floor, talking with operators, following issues through and working with different teams to find practical solutions.

You don't need to have all the answers. You'll know how to gather the right information, ask good questions and involve the right people when an issue needs further technical support.

Future projects and travel

This role may also offer opportunity to support future production projects at other Walter & Wild sites.

You'll therefore need to be comfortable travelling to and staying near other company sites when required, including supporting production trials, equipment commissioning, start-up, upgrades or decommissioning activities.

What's on offer

• $28–$35 per hour, depending on experience and capability
• A hands-on role where you'll have the opportunity to make a real difference to production performance.
• Exposure to continuous improvement, production projects and equipment commissioning activities.
• The opportunity to build on your existing manufacturing experience and develop further in production performance and improvement.