Iconic dairy brands, exciting dairy future!

Mainland Dairy is entering a bold, new chapter. Evolving from our roots with Fonterra, we are set to become a division of the Lactalis Group, the world’s largest dairy company known for its firm belief in the future of dairy and rapid, consumer-driven growth.    

We’re looking for highly skilled and knowledgeable people who are energised by the opportunity, a change that is projected for the first quarter of 2026 (pending sale completion) but starting as soon as the right person is identified and available.   

 At Mainland Dairy, we believe that from Goodness comes Greatness, and we’re excited by our future. Come join us and help shape a consumer-focused future to be proud of.  

About the Opportunity

 As the Maintenance Lead, you’ll be responsible for the execution of scheduled/planned work, organising break-in work, and delegating tasks across the Maintenance department.

You’ll work closely with the Maintenance Planner and Maintenance Supervisor, helping drive reliability and effective day-to-day leadership.

You’ll play a key role in:

·         Leading daily maintenance execution by allocating tasks to fitters, electricians and contractors, monitoring progress, and being the first point of contact for technical troubleshooting.

·         Planning and coordinating PMs and shutdown work, ensuring the scoping of work orders completion, ensuring spares/tools readiness, and partnering with production to minimise downtime.

·         Maintaining a strong focus on Health, Safety and Compliance, including safety protocol, communication of OPLs and HSW/ENV moments, and supporting incident reporting and action closure in systems.

·         Driving continuous improvement and reliability, actively identifying cost reduction and reliability improvement opportunities across maintenance and services operations.

·         Key leader and owner of required IWS systems.

·         Supporting capability uplift through mentoring apprentices, sharing best practice, and following up where work outcomes are not to standard.

About You

You are a capable and decisive maintenance leader who leads by example, creates a strong safety culture, and drives performance through people, process, and continuous improvement.

• Qualified in electrical or mechanical trade, with an engineering background desirable, bringing strong technical credibility to lead teams effectively
• Demonstrated experience in a manufacturing environment, ideally within food or dairy, with the ability to balance operational priorities and production demands
• Confident in applying continuous improvement methodologies, using maintenance management systems (e.g. MEX) to improve asset reliability and team performance
• Strong leader in health, safety, quality, food safety, and environmental compliance, with a proven ability to set standards and hold teams accountable
• An effective communicator who can clearly set direction, coach team members, and influence key stakeholders
• Calm and solutions‑focused under pressure, with the ability to prioritise work, manage risk, and make sound decisions in a fast‑paced environment
• Proven ability to develop capability, drive engagement, and build a culture of ownership, accountability, and continuous improvement

With high-tech equipment, dedicated and passionate teams with your safety in mind, this could be the start of building a rewarding career at Fonterra.

For more details, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the supporting Talent Acquisition Partner- Meheret.hailemelekot@fonterra.com  

Applications close at midnight on 24/04/2026

Be Part of Dairy’s Future

Great people continue to power this business forward. Our people thrive within a positive working environment, a collaborative and caring culture and leadership that continues to inspire.  

Based at Wynyard, this site is a well‑established dairy operation producing cheddar cheese for both domestic and international markets. It offers a strong safety‑focused culture, reliable operations, and the benefits of working in a regional coastal community.

We believe in you bringing your best and most authentic self to work and we want you to succeed in a way that allows you to win, in every aspect of your life. We strongly encourage applications from First Nations people, as well as individuals of diverse cultural and social backgrounds. Our team is dedicated to supporting your professional development and personal wellbeing.   

We look forward to the possibility of you joining our inclusive team.  

Let’s make this your best move yet. Apply now!

Please note that applicants must have full working rights for Australia to be considered.