Can Filling Plant Manager

Introduction

Dairy Goat Co-operative is a specialist in goat-based infant nutrition, manufacturing world-class infant formulas to exacting standards. What sets us apart: deep expertise in goat milk infant nutrition, a co-operative ownership model, and a premium, highly regulated export market.

As one of the region’s leading exporters, we supply more than 30 countries across Asia, Europe, the Americas and Oceania through our marketing partners and joint venture relationships. We are pursuing an ambitious growth strategy that includes expansion into new markets, and our Can Filling operation is central to delivering that product to customers.

Description

About the Role:

You will lead a team of 25 running our canning line, producing DGC's complete canned portfolio across a complex SKU mix. Your direct leadership team includes a Process Manager and a day support team, giving you the structure to lead through others and focus on plant-wide performance.

Reporting to the Head of Site Manufacturing, you will own the plant’s OPEX budget and support CAPEX and capital projects for the department. As a key member of the site leadership group, you will drive operational excellence across safety, quality, delivery and cost.

What You Will Own:

• Leading and developing a high-performing team of 25, with a strong focus on engagement, accountability, safety and a culture of ownership.
• Delivering operational performance across the canning operation, driving safety, output, delivery and cost against KPIs.
• Owning the technical performance of the line, including process control, equipment capability and process improvements to maximise quality and yield.
• Full accountability for the plant’s OPEX budget, plus supporting the scoping and delivery of CAPEX and capital projects as the operation grows.
• Building and sustaining a strong quality and compliance culture, ensuring product standards are consistently met, issues are resolved through effective root cause analysis, and the plant operates in full accordance with Risk Management Programme (RMP) requirements.
• Leading a continuous improvement agenda grounded in operational excellence and lean manufacturing principles.
• Contributing to site planning and strategic decisions on resourcing, capacity and future initiatives, working closely with maintenance, quality, planning and warehousing to enable seamless operations.

About You:

You are an experienced manufacturing leader who prioritises the safety and wellbeing of your people, develops capability, and fosters a performance-focused culture. You operate with autonomy, hold yourself accountable for results, and thrive in a fast-moving, highly regulated environment.

To Succeed You Will Bring:

• Proven experience leading manufacturing teams, ideally within dairy, food, beverage, infant nutrition or another highly regulated industry.
• Ownership of an operating budget and a track record of delivering results against cost and performance targets.
• Demonstrated success improving operational performance through KPI management and continuous improvement, ideally underpinned by lean or operational excellence methodologies.
• A quality-focused mindset and sound understanding of quality systems, food safety and compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and root cause analysis capabilities.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and engage across all levels.

Preferred: a tertiary qualification in Food Technology, Food Processing, Engineering or a related discipline.

What We Offer:

• A competitive salary and discretionary bonus.
• A significant leadership role with real autonomy and a clear line of sight to site leadership.
• The chance to grow with an ambitious, progressive exporter expanding into new markets.
• Employee benefit insurances and the lifestyle appeal of Hamilton and the wider Waikato region.
• A diverse, multicultural workforce and an equal opportunities employer.

Apply:

To find out more, please contact Sam Martch on 021 229 5793 for a confidential chat.

Applications close on 17 August 2026, though we may begin interviewing before then, and are directed through our Applicant Tracking System, ELMO.