About the role
As the Packing Technician Lead, you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the reliable, efficient, and safe operation of all packing equipment across the Hokitika site. You will have direct accountability for a diverse range of critical assets, including Butter WAL and Benhil machines, GEA Avapac and Technopak powder packing lines, and JMP robotic systems.
Leading a skilled team of operators and maintainers across a 24/7 shift pattern, you will provide hands‑on technical leadership while driving improvements in asset reliability, operational performance, and loss elimination. Working in close partnership with production, engineering, and site stakeholders, you will help ensure packaging operations consistently meet safety, quality, and compliance standards.
Your remit spans the full equipment lifecycle — from predictive and preventative maintenance through to breakdown response, annual shutdown planning, and continuous improvement initiatives. A key focus of the role is developing and upskilling operators and maintainers, building capability and resilience across the packaging area.
This is a hands-on leadership role where your technical expertise will directly influence daily operational outcomes, while also contributing to the long-term sustainability, reliability, and performance of all packaging platforms.
A bit about you
You are an experienced packaging or engineering professional with several years’ exposure to maintenance, asset reliability, or process operations, ideally within a manufacturing environment. You bring proven problem‑solving capability, strong mechanical and process understanding, and the ability to guide others in a supportive and credible way.
You’re confident working with contractors and internal teams, prioritising tasks, leading operational excellence initiatives, and ensuring work is completed to a high standard. Your communication skills, attention to detail, and ability to adapt in a fast‑paced environment will help you thrive here. Ideally, you will also bring engineering training or qualifications, along with experience in maintenance diagnostics and plant reliability.
A bit about the organisation
Westland Milk Products is a well‑known New Zealand end‑to‑end dairy manufacturer based on the beautiful South Island, with operations in both Hokitika and Christchurch. This role sits within the Shifts and Maintenance Team at Westland, supporting production capability across our packing operations.
Owned by the global Top 5 dairy company Yili Group, Westland Milk Products forms part of the Yili Oceania Group, alongside Oceania Dairy (Glenavy), Pure Nutrition (Rolleston), Canary Foods (Hamilton) and EasiYo (Auckland). Collectively, the group produces more than 170,000mt of finished goods each year, exported to over 40 countries and contributing to annual revenue well in excess of $1.3B — and growing.
Where to from here?
We encourage you to apply even if you feel you don’t meet every requirement listed. No one ever meets 100%, and we are committed to considering a wide range of experience.
Please submit your application via westlandcareers.co.nz. For full details, please refer to the accompanying Position Description available on the site.
Applications close on 7th June 2026 though please note this role may close earlier if a suitable candidate is identified, as applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
Applicants must have valid work rights in New Zealand to be considered. Early applications are encouraged.
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