Technician - R&D Dairy Foods and Food Service - Manawatu - 11895 - Fonterra

Job Name

Technician - R&D Dairy Foods and Food Service

General Information

Date Published

14-Jul-2025

Advertising Ends

22-Jul-2025

ID#

11895

Role Type

Science & Technology

Work Type

Fixed-Term Full-Time

Workplace Type

On-site

Country

New Zealand

Location

Manawatu

Position Description

Ata whakaarohia tō āpōpō | Imagine Tomorrow with Us

At Te Mātāpuna Fonterra, 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.

He kupu mō mātou | About us | Research and Development Centre

At our Research and Development Centre in Palmerston North, we know the smallest things can make a difference, so we research and develop products that last longer, stretch further, work faster, waste less, withstand more and taste better. Bringing together world class dairy products and the deep expertise of our people we work alongside the passionate, talented and innovative food professionals who are driving dairy industry and innovation.

Mō tēnei tūranga | About the opportunity

We have an exciting opportunity for a Technician to join our R&D Dairy Foods and Food Service team in a dynamic and fast paced role on a fixed term basis for 12 months.

This role will be based at the Fonterra Research and Development Centre (FRDC) in Palmerston North reporting to the Cream Products Manager. Your main focus is to create and provide independent delivery of quality technical support for research with regular supervision, contributing to outputs within research teams that lead to sustained significant commercial value to Fonterra.

Duties include technical support in new product development, technical business support and new technology development projects to develop value propositions for our Food Service, Ingredient and Consumer business. This will involve product and application development at bench and pilot-plant scales, undertake storage trials and tests for physico-chemical properties, structural, functional, and sensory testing.

Key responsibilities include:

Generate data with critical analysis of quality, accuracy, and internal consistency with validation through application of trouble shooting principles.
Manipulate data to a readily understandable form. Results to be presented to supervisors and immediate colleagues.
Provide sufficient expertise in all the techniques and use of instrumentation/plant required to enable independent technical support and present innovative solutions to technical problems.
Contribute to tactical planning, including time frames for delivery of technical data, and discriminate between courses of action and alternative technical approaches.
Provide technical advice/guidance that may be open to review.
High degree of organisation and full adherence to laboratory safety requirements. Provide improvements to existing laboratory/ plant systems
Demonstrate Fonterra’s organisational values and principles, and actively support Technical and Research Teams and team goals and be receptive to self-improvement initiatives

We have an excellent training and development culture, and this is a fantastic opportunity to learn about our site, plant, and processes to build on your knowledge and experience.

Mōu | About you

This is a busy and varied role, and we are looking for an energetic self-starter who has a solid understanding of Dairy Food Applications, laboratory operations or analytical techniques.

You’ll be a team player and have the ability to work well and communicate with others will be key in maintaining a cohesive team across the site.

You will also have:

A Bachelor of Science or equivalent tertiary industrial qualification (e.g. NZCS, Dip Sci) or equivalent experience.

Few other key attributes will be:

Knowledge of experimentation instrumentation or equipment plant use and application.
Good communication skills, oral and written.
Product and application development understanding.
Strong self and time management.
Stakeholder Management

If you want to grow your career with New Zealand’s largest Co-operative, this is an opportunity not to be missed.

You will be required to have working eligibility for New Zealand to be considered for this position.

Ngā Uara | Our Values

We live our values every day—Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts. They are for everyone and guide how we show up for each other, our farmers, and our communities.

Take our Values Quiz to reflect on how your values align with ours. Click here

Tā mātou oati | Our Commitment to You

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

Ngā Mahi | A Career of Opportunities

At Te Mātāpuna 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.

Tātou Tātou | Join Us

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.

He Wāhi mō te Katoa | Together, we're shaping a future of inclusion.

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 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 midnight on Wednesday, 23rd of July.

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