Shift Leader — Blending & Canning Excellence

a2M Career Site; Pokeno; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

a2 Milk Company is seeking a Shift Manager – Blending & Canning for our Pokeno manufacturing site. In this hands-on leadership role, you will drive safe, efficient production, develop a high-performing team, and deliver daily output to meet quality objectives.

You will lead up to 18 direct reports, apply Lean practices, monitor safety, quality and OEE, and partner with maintenance to ensure equipment reliability. Strong people leadership and data literacy are essential to succeed in this role.

Qualifications

• Experience leading teams in manufacturing or production.
• Experience in food manufacturing with knowledge of quality and food safety systems.
• Experience with Lean Manufacturing and continuous improvement.
• Strong health and safety practices in manufacturing.
• Dairy powder and/or infant formula powder experience is desirable.
• Strong communication and people leadership skills.
• Hands-on approach with strong problem-solving and time management.
• Good computer literacy and confidence with manufacturing data and systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of up to 18 direct reports.
• Drive daily production performance across safety, quality, efficiency, waste, rate and OEE.
• Ensure production processes, food safety requirements and quality systems are followed and maintained.
• Lead daily team meetings and resolve issues affecting output and performance.
• Use Lean Manufacturing and structured problem-solving approaches to deliver continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor manufacturing data, work orders and variance reports to identify opportunities to improve productivity and reduce waste.
• Work closely with maintenance and site services teams to ensure equipment reliability and preventative maintenance activities support production requirements.
• Supporting a strong safety culture by identifying hazards, managing incidents and ensuring corrective actions are followed through.
• Acting as a key point of contact for plant systems and supporting improvements across production, traceability and efficiency reporting systems.

Skills

Team leadership

Lean manufacturing

Problem solving

Food safety

Communication

Time management

Dairy powder

Data analysis

Job description

a2 Milk Company is seeking a Shift Manager – Blending & Canning for our Pokeno manufacturing site. In this hands-on leadership role, you will drive safe, efficient production, develop a high-performing team, and deliver daily output to meet quality objectives.

You will lead up to 18 direct reports, apply Lean practices, monitor safety, quality and OEE, and partner with maintenance to ensure equipment reliability. Strong people leadership and data literacy are essential to succeed in this role.