Site Operations Manager

Griffin's Snacks; Auckland; On-site; NZD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Griffin’s Snacks is seeking an experienced Site Operations Manager for its Wiri manufacturing site in New Zealand. You will lead day‑to‑day operations, drive capital project collaboration and embed our Integrated Work Systems (IWS) framework to build capability across your leadership team.

You’ll navigate complexity, develop strong leaders and ensure safe, reliable production while aligning with the site’s future direction. FMCG experience is advantageous.

Qualifications

• Must have operated in large or complex manufacturing environments.
• Exposure to significant capital projects and cross‑functional teams is required.
• FMCG experience is advantageous but not essential.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership of the Wiri manufacturing operation.
• Develop and mentor a strong manufacturing leadership team.
• Collaborate with capital projects to translate investment into outcomes.
• Embed Integrated Work Systems (IWS) and continuous improvement across the site.
• Foster a performance culture and manage budgets and long‑term direction.
• Navigate complexity and keep teams aligned with site goals.

Skills

Manufacturing leadership

Change leadership

Capital projects experience

Continuous improvement

People development

Job description

There’s a lot happening at our Wiri manufacturing site.

The opportunity

Griffin’s Wiri site is entering a major period of investment and transformation, including new corn chip production, expanded kettle chip capability, changes to bar-line packaging and the rebuild of palletising and case-conveying systems.

We’re looking for an experienced Site Operations Manager who can lead the site through this next chapter by keeping our complex operation performing today, while helping us build the capability, culture and ways of working we’ll need for the future.

This is a broad, hands-on leadership opportunity at an important time for our Wiri site.

You’ll lead the day‑to‑day manufacturing operation while working closely with our capital project team as significant change takes place. Alongside this, you’ll play a key role in embedding our continuous improvement framework - Integrated Work Systems (IWS) and building capability across your leadership team.

There will be plenty happening at once, so you’ll need to be comfortable navigating complexity, making good decisions and keeping people connected to where we’re heading.

Most importantly, you’ll have the opportunity to make a real difference to how Wiri operates now, and in the years ahead.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll have overall leadership of the Wiri manufacturing operation, with a focus on:

• Leading and developing a strong manufacturing leadership team.


• Keeping the operation performing while navigating significant site change.


• Working alongside the capital project team to help turn investment into successful operational outcomes.


• Embedding IWS and continuous improvement across the site.


• Building a strong, engaged culture and developing capability within your teams.


• Managing operational and capital budgets and contributing to the longer‑term direction of the site.

About you

You’ll be an experienced manufacturing leader who has operated in a large or complex environment and knows how to lead through change.

You’ll bring a strong track record of developing leaders, improving the way things work and taking people with you through transformation. You’ll also have enough exposure to significant capital projects to understand their operational impact and how to work effectively alongside project teams.

You’re comfortable moving between the bigger picture and what’s happening on the factory floor, and you know how to bring different teams and stakeholders together when there’s a lot going on.

FMCG experience would be useful, but it isn’t essential. We’re equally interested in senior manufacturing leaders from other complex industries who can bring fresh thinking and relevant experience.

Why Griffin’s?

Wiri is at a genuinely exciting point in its evolution. With significant investment underway and plenty still ahead, this is a chance to help shape how the site operates into the future.

If you’re a manufacturing leader who enjoys building great teams, leading through change and making operations better, we’d love to hear from you.