We are Fonterra, one of the world's largest dairy nutrition companies. Here in Australia, we collect milk from Aussie Farmers across Victoria and Tasmania, and our eight manufacturing sites turn this into the dairy foods you know and love in our supermarkets, including Perfect Italiano™, Mainland™, Western Star™, and Bega™. We also sell dairy ingredients to many of the world's leading food companies and partner with food services businesses across the country to get dairy foods into chefs' hands.   

As a Co-operative created and owned by our dairy farmers, our collaboration, innovation, and passion have enabled us to share the goodness of our dairy with the world. We're committed to caring for the land, our animals, and every drop of milk, producing nutritious food with safe, quality ingredients loved here in Australia and around the world. 

As part of the Fonterra Co-op, you'll be part of a team striving for a better future alongside a team connected by solid values as we strive to be a leader in dairy sustainability, dairy innovation and science.

When you join Fonterra, you'll open yourself to a career of opportunities where you can grow with us by developing your skills, sharing your knowledge, and exploring diverse career paths that ignite your passions. 

About Us

Our Tullamarine and Campbellfield sites specialize in secondary cheese processing and packaging, ensuring our well-known brands reach consumers in the best possible condition. These sites operate in a fast-paced, high-volume manufacturing environment, utilizing advanced processing and packaging technologies. As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to work in a collaborative and innovative environment, driving improvements that enhance efficiency, quality, and sustainability.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Technical Manager to join our team across our secondary cheese sites in Tullamarine and Campbellfield. This role is focused on continuous and process improvement, capital projects, manufacturing technical support, and the implementation of loss elimination tools. You will play a key role in root cause analysis, breakdown elimination, and driving lean manufacturing practices across our operations. Additionally, you will be responsible for coaching and training operators on new processes, ensuring successful implementation and knowledge transfer.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance manufacturing processes and operational efficiency.
• Provide technical support for manufacturing processes, ensuring optimal performance and product quality.
• Utilize loss elimination tools to identify and address inefficiencies and waste
• Conduct root cause analysis to troubleshoot and resolve technical issues
• Implement and promote lean manufacturing principles and best practices
• Coach and train operators on new processes to support capability development
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to develop and execute process improvement strategies
• Support the implementation of new technologies to enhance production capabilities
• Maintain up-to-date technical documentation and reports to ensure compliance and accuracy

About You

We are looking for a technical expert with a strong background in continuous improvement, and process improvement within the FMCG industry. While experience in food or dairy is beneficial, it is not essential. Given the nature of our secondary cheese sites, candidates with packaging manufacturing experience would be well suited to this role.

You can also demonstrate:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Food Science, or a related field
• Proven experience in a technical role within FMCG manufacturing, preferably with a focus on process improvement and operational efficiency
• Strong knowledge of continuous improvement methodologies and lean manufacturing principles
• Demonstrated experience in continuous improvement project management
• Proficiency in root cause analysis and breakdown elimination techniques
• Excellent problem-solving skills with a focus on process optimization
• Ability to coach and train operators to drive process excellence
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Experience in technical documentation and reporting