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Asset Lead - Whareroa

General Information

Date Published
23-Apr-2026
Advertising Ends
03-May-2026
ID#
15406
Role Type
Manufacturing
Work Type
Permanent Full-Time
Workplace Type
On-site
Country
New Zealand
Location
Taranaki

Position Description

Imagine Tomorrow with Us | Ata whakaarohia tō āpōpō
At Fonterra Te Mātāpuna, we want everyone to feel they can be themselves. 

Whether you're early in your career or ready for your next step, Fonterra offers a unique opportunity to grow with a global dairy co-operative that values care, collaboration, and contribution. 

Owned by New Zealand dairy farmers and supported by a dedicated team, we are all working together to create a better future. Imagine tomorrow with us, where your career can grow, and you can create positive change.

 About us | He kupu mō mātou
Whareroa is one of our largest sites. Along with a 7-hectare distribution centre and over 1000 employees, our site boasts a total of 11 plants which includes four milk powder plants, two cheese plants, a cream plant, a anhydrous milk fat plant plus a whey protein and casein plant. We have the capability to process an impressive 12 million litres of milk per day in peak season.

About the Opportunity | Mō tēnei tūranga
 We’re looking for an Asset Lead to take ownership of asset reliability, maintenance investment, and long term performance across key manufacturing assets at Whareroa
You’ll play a pivotal part in driving improvements to physical plant processes and delivering projects that support our Asset Management Plans. 

This is a high impact leadership role that works closely with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, Engineering, and FSQ teams to build strong cross-functional connections and ensure that the right asset care activities are delivered at the optimal time to maximise plant performance while minimising total cost of ownership.  

With a significant number of projects currently underway, this is an exciting time to join the team and make a meaningful contribution. You wont just be maintaining assets, you’ll be shaping how we do asset care and have the ability to challenge the status quo and drive meaningful improvement across plant performance. Your decisions directly influence safety, uptime, cost and future asset investment.
You’ll have geniune  ownership of asset reliability, maintenance spend, and the Asset Care Annual Plan (ACAP) as well as a strong influence over shutdown scope, priorities, and delivery 

Key responsibilities include:
• Owning asset performance, reliability, and long term care for assigned manufacturing assets 
• Leading asset care systems, defect elimination, and planned maintenance activities 
• Developing and delivering the Asset Care Annual Plan (ACAP) 
• Managing and optimising the maintenance and repair budget, ensuring strong commercial outcomes 
• Defining asset scope, priorities, and risk for major shutdowns 
• Eliminating repeat failures and reducing unplanned downtime 
• Coaching and influencing teams to build strong asset ownership, capability, and standards 
• Using data and experience to make clear, structured decisions — even under pressure
           

About You | Mōu
You will come from a manufacturing or process-driven environment and bring a strong passion for best-practice asset care. You thrive on challenges and enjoy working across multiple teams, building trusted relationships.
You have a keen eye for identifying gaps and opportunities for improvement and apply strong analytical and problem-solving skills to deliver sustainable outcomes. Known for your natural coaching style, you are also comfortable influencing, facilitating and driving change in a collaborative environment.
With a strong focus on standard creation, maintenance planning and continuous improvement, you bring excellent communication and stakeholder management skills. 

You are motivated by career development, enjoy continuous learning, and are energised by working in a fast-paced environment with plenty of projects and new initiatives underway.
You bring:
• A strong can do attitude and a practical, solutions focused mindset
• A trade qualification, engineering background, or strong technical foundation
• Experience in asset care, reliability, or maintenance leadership roles
• Confidence owning budgets and making sound, balanced commercial decisions
• The ability to influence without authority and lead effectively through complexity
• Calm, structured decision making — especially when it matters most

Our Values | Ngā Aura 
At Fonterra, our values of Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts, are for everyone – no matter your background, identify or experience. These values guide us in delivering exceptional outcomes for our farmers, customers, communities, and each other. Discover how your values align with ours by taking our Values Quiz

Our Commitment to You | Tā mātou oati 
We care for our people globally. Our comprehensive benefits support your well-being, development, and work-life balance:
  • Fair and equitable pay
  • Health and well-being programs (medical, mental health support)
  • Professional development opportunities
  • Career growth support
  • Work-life balance options (flexible/hybrid working where possible)
  • Employee recognition
  • Support for community involvement and cultural connection
To learn more, visit Fonterra Careers

A Career of Opportunities | Ngā Mahi
At Fonterra, we are inspired by purpose and guided by our principles and values. Together, we create goodness for generations and make a global impact at a local level. As part of our Co-operative, you are an everyday creator, imagining what Fonterra, dairy, and you can be here.

Join Us | Tātou Tātou
Does this sound good to you? Come join our whānau - bring your whole self, and let's solve for better together. 

You, me, us together, Tātou, tātou.

Together, we're shaping a future of inclusion | He Wāhi mō te Katoa
Inclusion is key to our Co-operative. We're building a team that reflects the diverse world we live in, believing it drives better decisions and innovation. 

We welcome applications from all backgrounds (ethnicities, genders, identities, orientations, ages, abilities, neurotypes, cultures, religions). 

Even if you don't meet every requirement listed, we encourage you to apply; we value your potential and growth. 

If you face accessibility issues or need accommodations during the process, please contact your recruiter. We ensure fair participation, allowing you to be at your best. Tātou, tātou. 

Applications close at midnight on 3 May 2026