Production Shift Leader – Dairy Plant

Synlait; Dunsandel; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance cover & discounts

Parental leave policy

B Corp certified

Social Club membership

Inclusive workplace culture

Job summary

Synlait is seeking a hands-on Shift Team Leader for our Dryer 3 plant in Canterbury. You will lead and develop the shift team to deliver the production plan and ensure our business objectives are achieved.

The role operates on a 4 on 4 off shift pattern, coordinating safety, quality, GMP, and maintenance activities while building strong cross-functional relationships across quality, maintenance and operations teams.

Qualifications

• Proven dryer experience within dairy or food manufacturing.
• Strong packing and processing knowledge with problem-solving ability.
• Previous leadership or supervisory experience.
• Experience working under a risk management programme or relevant food safety/regulatory frameworks.
• Strong relationship-building skills across operations, quality, and maintenance teams.
• High level of accountability, initiative and sound judgement.

Responsibilities

• Leading day-to-day plant operations to ensure production plans are delivered.
• Managing manufacturing orders and log sheets with accuracy.
• Supervising and supporting team members, including direct reports.
• Overall responsibility for shift performance across safety, quality, GMP, process reliability, engagement, and cost.
• Supporting the Production Manager to achieve plant targets across safety, quality, yield, reliability and people.
• Managing plant activities including turnarounds, washes, breakdowns and maintenance turnarounds.
• Using SAP, EAM, and Humanforce for reporting and workforce management.
• Acting as a key communication link between teams and shifts.
• Building strong cross-functional relationships with quality, maintenance and operations teams.
• Supporting and developing team capability across the shift.
• Applying strong critical thinking and decision-making in a high-responsibility environment.

Skills

Dryer experience

Packaging knowledge

Leadership experience

Food safety/regulatory knowledge

Cross-functional relationship building

Accountability and judgement

Tools

SAP

EAM

Humanforce

Job description

Synlait is seeking a hands-on Shift Team Leader for our Dryer 3 plant in Canterbury. You will lead and develop the shift team to deliver the production plan and ensure our business objectives are achieved.

The role operates on a 4 on 4 off shift pattern, coordinating safety, quality, GMP, and maintenance activities while building strong cross-functional relationships across quality, maintenance and operations teams.