Technical Lead - Dryer

UNAVAILABLE; Dunedin, Balclutha; On-site; NZD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Life insurance

Parental leave (26 weeks)

Employee Share Subscription Plan

Performance related incentives

Job summary

Danone in New Zealand seeks a Technical Lead for our Balclutha spray dryer operations. You will own maintenance reliability and lead a high-performing team to drive continuous improvement while delivering safe, efficient production.

You will plan, prioritize, and execute maintenance activities, coach technicians, and collaborate with production to optimise line performance and costs.

Qualifications

• Trade qualification in mechanical/maintenance.
• Proven leadership experience in a manufacturing setting.
• Experience with SAP work orders and maintenance planning.

Responsibilities

• Own the workflow by managing SAP work orders and defect handling.
• Plan ahead using SAP or SIGGA to schedule maintenance activities.
• Lead with confidence in daily, weekly, and monthly planning meetings.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Problem solving

Team coaching

Safety & compliance

Education

Trade qualification

Tools

SAP

SIGGA

Job description

Short Intro and About the Job

Join us atDanone,where your work touches lives and contributes to a healthier world. As aglobal leaderwith a unique health-focused portfolio in food and beverages, we are driven by amission to bring health through foodto as many people as possible. Embedded in our culture is aprofound sense of purposeand a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community. At Danone, we believe in thepower of our people,and we are dedicated to creating an environment where ourcore valuesofhumanism, openness, enthusiasm, and proximitylead the way to achieve our goals.

Mō te Tūranga - About the Job

Step into a leadership role where your expertise truly makes an impact. As Technical Lead for our spray dryer operations, you’ll take full ownership of the maintenance and reliability of critical equipment at our Balclutha manufacturing facility. This is more than just a technical role – it’s an opportunity to lead a high-performing team, shape processes, and influence outcomes that keep our operations running at their best.

You’ll be at the heart of a dynamic, line-centric environment where no two days are the same. From planning and prioritising maintenance schedules to driving problem-solving and innovation, you’ll ensure our spray dryer systems operate safely, efficiently, and to the highest standards. Your leadership will foster a culture of continuous improvement, empowering your team to grow and succeed while delivering exceptional results.

The ideal candidate will have proven leadership experience, a trade qualification and have the ability to identify process improvements.

If you’re passionate about engineering excellence, thrive on collaboration, and want to make a tangible difference in a fast-paced manufacturing setting, this is your chance to take the lead.

This is a permanent, full-time position working Monday–Friday, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm.

About You

Mōu – About You

In this role, you’ll take the lead in keeping our operations running at peak performance. Your day-to-day will be varied, hands-on, and full of opportunities to make a real impact. You will:

• Own the workflow by managing and prioritising SAP work orders and defect handling.
• Plan ahead using SAP or SIGGA to schedule maintenance activities that keep us on track.
• Lead with confidence in daily, weekly, and monthly planning meetings.
• Collaborate across teams to seamlessly integrate maintenance tasks into production plans.
• Keep the team moving by managing technician rosters and arranging contractor cover when needed.
• Grow capability by coaching, mentoring, and upskilling team members.
• Drive improvement through leadership of the Progressive Maintenance IWS Pillar and DMS initiatives.
• Champion safety and quality standards in everything you do.
• Optimise performance by monitoring maintenance costs, parts usage, and labour efficiency.
• Ensure precision by managing equipment design changes under Change Management procedures.
• Stay organised with accurate technical documentation and maintenance plans.
• Shape the future by providing feedback on new equipment installations and line speed-ups.

About Us, We offer and What's next

Mō Mātou - About Us

At Danone, we aim to inspire healthier and more sustainable eating and drinking practices, in line with our Vision - Danone, One Planet. One Health. We operate across four business lines: Essential Dairy and Plant-Based Products, Waters, Early Life Nutrition, and Medical Nutrition. Our headquarter is in France, we have offices in 55 countries across the globe and our products are sold in over 120 markets. We have been around for more than a century and are proud owner of some of the best-known brands worldwide including favorites like YoPro, Activia, Aptamil and Karicare.

Located in the beautiful vista of Greenfield, just 20 minutes from Balclutha in the South Otago region, Danone Nutricia NZ spray drying plant employs state of art European technology to manufacture and package high quality nutritional powders. Our farm-fresh quality NZ milk is collected, delivered and processed daily ensuring only the best for our consumers. Our operation prides itself on delivering the finest food and ingredients to help stand by the consumers of our products.

Visit our website WE ARE DANONE to know more about us.

Ā Mātou Whakarato – We Offer

We truly value our Danoners and strive to make their experience exceptional by creating a positive and fulfilling environment for everyone. Our unique benefits are designed to enhance the lives and provide genuine value.

• A high-performing, collaborative team culture
• Diverse and inclusive work environment
• Personalised learning opportunities to set you up for success
• Competitive Total Reward package including
  • Health and Life insurance for all perm & FTC employees (12-month contract or more)
  • 26 weeks gender-neutral paid parental leave
  • Employee Share Subscription Plan after 12 months of service
  • Performance related incentives and annual reviews

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

We proudly affirm that we are an Equal Employment Opportunity employer, and our ambition is to foster an INCLUSIVE & DIVERSE workplace where all Danoners can bring their uniqueness to contribute to business results. Our commitment to DEI ensures that all qualified individuals receive fair consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability at our company.