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Upper North Island Portfolio Manager

Job Name
Upper North Island Portfolio Manager

General Information

Date Published
17-Jun-2026
Advertising Ends
23-Jul-2026
ID#
15860
Role Type
Engineering
Work Type
Permanent Full-Time
Workplace Type
On-site
Country
New Zealand
Location
Flexible Location - NZ

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
Capital Projects sits at the centre of Fonterra's capital investment delivery, operating across five distinct portfolios to shape and execute major investments across our manufacturing network.

Regional Projects is the engine room of capital delivery across our sites. We are trusted partners to our Manufacturing and Supply Chain Operations teams, turning the Co-op's strategic, asset, operational and growth priorities into an executable plan of work that keeps our factories safe, reliable and ready for the future.

  • Delivering a large and diverse portfolio of capital projects that underpin the safety, reliability, compliance and growth of our manufacturing network.
  • Integrating asset lifecycle needs, operational priorities, national programmes and growth opportunities into a prioritised, deliverable regional portfolio.
  • Operating across multiple sites, stakeholder groups and delivery partners, balancing competing demands against finite delivery capacity.
  • Focused on disciplined delivery, strong governance, capital efficiency and maximising long-term value for our farmer owners.

This is a team working at the heart of Fonterra's operations combining breadth, complexity and real impact across the sites that make our Co-op run.

About the Opportunity | Mō tēnei tūranga
Shape the future of capital investment across one of New Zealand's largest manufacturing networks.

We are looking for a strategic and influential leader to lead the integration, prioritisation, and performance of our regional capital investment portfolio across our Upper North Island sites.

As the Regional Portfolio Manager, you will be the trusted advisor to regional and site leadership on capital investment, guiding where and how capital is deployed to deliver the best long term value.

Operating across a complex, multi-site manufacturing environment, you will integrate competing investment demands including asset risk, safety, reliability, compliance, growth, operational priorities, national programmes, and emerging business opportunities into a single prioritised and executable capital portfolio that improves capital efficiency and provides the best return for our farmer owners.

This role is accountable not only for portfolio performance, but also for ensuring the organisation maintains a strong pipeline of investment-ready projects, makes high-quality investment decisions and balances delivery capability with future business needs.

Your work will directly influence capital investment decisions at both regional and national levels while supporting Fonterra's objectives for safety, reliability, sustainability, operational excellence, and growth.

What you will do:

Capital Strategy and Portfolio Leadership
  • Act as the business partner to Regional and Site Leadership on capital investment decisions, shaping investment proposals and supporting evidence-based decision making.
  • Lead the development and optimisation of the regional capital investment portfolio, ensuring alignment with business strategy, asset lifecycle priorities and long-term value creation.
  • Integrate long-term asset plans, operational requirements, national programmes, growth opportunities, and emergent capital needs into a single prioritised regional portfolio.
  • Optimise investment trade-offs across compliance, reliability, growth, affordability, delivery capability, and operational risk.
  • Drive capital efficiency across the portfolio, ensuring investments deliver maximum value.

Governance and Investment Decision Making
  • Lead regional portfolio governance processes to enable high-quality investment decisions.
  • Provide clear visibility of portfolio risks, constraints, trade-offs, and performance.
  • Ensure capital investment decisions are supported by robust prioritisation, transparent governance, and a strong focus on business outcomes.
  • Partner with Finance Business Partners to ensure investment proposals are supported by sound commercial analysis, affordability assessments, and benefit assumptions.

Portfolio Planning and Investment Readiness
  • Develop and maintain the regional capital portfolio and pipeline of investment-ready projects.
  • Ensure a strong connection between asset condition, operational priorities, delivery capability, and capital allocation decisions.
  • Drive proactive planning and portfolio discipline, reducing reactive capital spend and improving investment outcomes.

Delivery Oversight and Resource Optimisation
  • Provide leadership and direction to ensure effective delivery of the capital portfolio through Delivery Managers and Project Managers.
  • Balance portfolio priorities against available project management capacity, site resources, operational windows, and vendor capability.
  • Support successful execution while maintaining a focus on overall portfolio outcomes and value delivery.

Leadership and Capability Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing regional projects team.
  • Build capability across project management and portfolio management disciplines.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and disciplined delivery         
      
About You | Mōu
You are a strategic leader who can see the bigger picture while understanding the realities of delivering change in a complex manufacturing environment.

You bring:

Strategic Portfolio Leadership
  • Proven experience leading capital project programmes or major project environments where competing priorities must be balanced to maximise value.

Commercial and Capital Project Expertise
  • Extensive experience in capital projects, engineering, manufacturing, food, FMCG, or related industries.
  • Strong commercial acumen, including experience with business cases, capital allocation, procurement, vendor management and NZS3910/FIDIC-style contracts.
Governance and Decision Making
  • Experience leading governance processes that enable clear, evidence-based investment decisions.
  • Strong judgement and the ability to evaluate trade-offs across risk, cost, value and delivery constraints.

Influence and Collaboration
  • A highly collaborative leadership style with the ability to align stakeholders across Operations, Engineering, Asset Lifecycle, Finance and Project Delivery.
  • Strong communication skills and the credibility to influence senior leaders in complex environments.

Leadership and Capability Building
  • A track record of building high-performing teams and developing people.
  • A coaching mindset that lifts capability and creates sustainable performance.

Continuous Improvement
  • A passion for improving systems, processes, and ways of working to deliver better outcomes over time.

Manaakitanga
  • You lead through respect, care, and authenticity, building trusted relationships and creating an environment where people can succeed.

Why Join Us?
This is a unique opportunity to shape how capital investment decisions are made across Fonterra's manufacturing network.

You will influence where and how hundreds of millions of dollars of capital are invested, helping balance asset risk, operational needs, future growth opportunities, and delivery capability to create long-term value for the Co-op.

If you are motivated by complexity, strategic decision-making and leading meaningful change at scale, we'd love to hear from you.

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 Thursday 23rd July