Technical Services Manager - Herd Testing

Livestock Improvement Corporation; New Zealand; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Extra leave days

Flexible working options

Insurance discounts

Employee shares scheme

Wellbeing discounts

Free onsite parking

Job summary

Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC) is seeking a Technical Services Manager to oversee two automated herd-testing laboratories in Hamilton and Christchurch. You will lead six technicians, ensure system reliability, and drive maintenance strategies and asset lifecycles across sites.

Applicants should have a strong background in automated laboratory operations, CMMS tools, and a continuous improvement ethos to support safe, compliant herd testing services.

Qualifications

• Proven experience managing technical systems in automated laboratory/manufacturing environments.
• Strong experience in equipment reliability, maintenance strategy, asset management, or engineering operations.
• Demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing technical teams.
• Experience implementing and managing CMMS systems such as MaintainX, Maximo, MEX, SAP PM, or similar.
• Experience working in regulated, quality-controlled, or compliance-driven environments.
• Continuous improvement mindset and focus on operational excellence.
• A relevant tertiary or trade qualification in Engineering, Electronics, Mechatronics, Automation, Maintenance Engineering, or related discipline.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of six technicians across Hamilton and Christchurch.
• Ensure reliability and performance of highly automated laboratory systems and critical site infrastructure.
• Develop and execute maintenance and asset lifecycle strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement in uptime, reliability, and system performance.
• Own the MaintainX maintenance management system and its improvements.
• Support the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of LIC's herd testing laboratories.

Skills

Technical leadership

Team management

Automated laboratory systems

Maintenance optimization

Troubleshooting

Root cause analysis

Stakeholder influence

Continuous improvement

Education

Engineering/Electronics/Mechatronics/Automation degree

Tools

MaintainX

Maximo

MEX

SAP PM

Job description

LIC is a farmer-owned co-operative that’s been supporting herd improvement in New Zealand’s dairy sector for more than 115 years. We’re focused on providing superior genetics, reliable testing and diagnostics, integrated on-farm software, and great customer service, all designed to help farmers make smarter decisions every day.

As a proud generational co-operative, we’re here for farmers, their families, and rural communities, not just for today, but for the future. And none of it happens without our people. Whether on farm, in the lab, or behind the scenes, every one of us plays a part in helping New Zealand farmers succeed.

The Role:

Reporting to the National Herd Testing Manager, the Technical Services Manager is responsible for the reliability, performance, and lifecycle management of laboratory systems across LIC's Herd Testing operations.

Working closely with the National Sample Processing Manager, you will lead the Technical Services function supporting two highly automated, high-throughput laboratories in Hamilton and Christchurch. These laboratories are central to LIC's herd testing service, processing milk samples from farms across New Zealand. You will play a critical role in ensuring the systems, equipment, and infrastructure that underpin this operation remain reliable, compliant, and fit for purpose.

This role is accountable for maintenance strategy, system performance, asset lifecycle management, and technical capability within the Technical Services function across both sites. You will lead a team of technicians, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and ensure laboratory assets and systems are maintained to the highest standards to support reliable and efficient herd testing services.

This role has responsibility for:

• Leading and developing a team of six technicians across Hamilton and Christchurch.

• Ensuring the reliability and performance of highly automated laboratory systems and critical site infrastructure.

• Developing and executing maintenance and asset lifecycle strategies.

• Driving continuous improvement in uptime, reliability, and system performance.

• Ownership and continuous improvement of the MaintainX maintenance management system.

• Supporting the safe, compliant, and efficient operation of LIC's herd testing laboratories.

About You:

You are an experienced technical leader who thrives in a highly automated environment and enjoys balancing hands-on technical expertise with people leadership and continuous improvement.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• Proven experience managing technical systems in a high-throughput, automated, laboratory, manufacturing, or industrial environment.

• Strong experience in equipment reliability, maintenance strategy, asset management, or engineering operations.

• Demonstrated success leading, coaching, and developing technical teams.

• Experience implementing and managing Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), such as MaintainX, Maximo, MEX, SAP PM, or similar platforms.

• Strong problem-solving, troubleshooting, and root cause analysis capability, together with the ability to influence stakeholders and drive consistency across multiple sites.

• Experience working within regulated, quality-controlled, or compliance-driven environments.

• A continuous improvement mindset and a focus on operational excellence.

• A relevant tertiary or trade qualification in Engineering, Electronics, Mechatronics, Automation, Maintenance Engineering, or a related discipline.

You\'ll stand out if you\'ve led technical teams in highly automated environments and have experience with laboratory automation, robotics, advanced instrumentation, or other complex production systems where reliability, uptime, and continuous improvement are critical to success.

In Return:

In addition to a competitive salary, you\'ll receive some great benefits including:

• Extra leave days

• Flexible working options

• Discounted health, life, income and disability insurances

• Access to our employee shares scheme

• Wellbeing discounts

• Free onsite parking

If you\'re after a rewarding career that offers development, learning and loads of exceptional experiences then look no further, you\'ve found it. At LIC we are leading the way and we would love to welcome you to the team.