Mechanical Engineer

Position Overview

Join Fonterra Te Mātāpuna and envision your future with a global dairy cooperative that fosters authenticity, growth, and positive impact. As a Mechanical Engineer based at the Whareroa site in Taranaki, New Zealand, you will play a pivotal role in safeguarding and enhancing some of the country's largest and most intricate manufacturing assets.

About the Site

Whareroa stands as one of Fonterra's major facilities, encompassing over 1000 employees and a 7-hectare distribution hub. The site hosts 11 plants, including four milk powder plants, two cheese plants, a cream plant, an anhydrous milk fat plant, and a whey protein and casein plant, with a peak milk processing capacity of 12 million litres daily.

Role Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Asset Integrity Engineer, your role involves delivering comprehensive mechanical engineering expertise across the site to ensure asset safety, regulatory compliance, reliability, and effective lifecycle management. Collaborating closely with Operations, Maintenance, Reliability, and Capital Projects teams, you will provide engineering guidance throughout design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, and improvements.

Key duties include leading and supporting intricate mechanical investigations, performing root cause analysis, defect elimination, and developing practical, cost-efficient solutions that elevate performance, extend asset life, and minimize risks. Additionally, you will contribute to design reviews, engineering changes, management of change processes, and uphold technical standards aligned with legal and organizational requirements.

Candidate Profile

We seek a seasoned Mechanical Engineer with a proven track record in complex industrial settings who excels in resolving challenging engineering issues. You should possess solid technical knowledge, sound engineering judgement, and the capability to build trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders. Balancing operational priorities, compliance mandates, and long-term asset strategy is essential. Collaborative teamwork to deliver sustainable engineering solutions is highly valued.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering or equivalent qualification.
• Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) status or clear progression towards achieving chartership.
• Minimum of 5 years relevant engineering experience in dairy, food, chemical, energy, or other regulated process industries.
• Expertise in asset integrity, reliability engineering, and lifecycle asset management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of pressure equipment compliance, engineering standards, and New Zealand legislative requirements.
• Proficient in failure investigations, root cause analysis, and defect elimination.
• Experience in asset condition assessments, developing maintenance strategies, and risk-based decision-making.
• Active participation in design reviews, commissioning, engineering modifications, and management of change procedures.
• Excellent skills in planning, prioritizing, and engaging stakeholders.
• Strong dedication to sharing technical knowledge and enhancing engineering performance continuously.

Company Values

Fonterra operates under core values of Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts, promoting inclusion regardless of background or identity. These principles guide the delivery of exceptional outcomes for farmers, customers, communities, and employees.

Employee Benefits

• Competitive and equitable remuneration.
• Health and well-being programs, including medical and mental health support.
• Opportunities for professional growth and development.
• Supportive career advancement pathways.
• Options for work-life balance, including flexible and hybrid working arrangements where applicable.
• Employee recognition initiatives.
• Encouragement of community participation and cultural connections.

Inclusion and Accessibility

Fonterra embraces diversity and inclusion in its workforce, encouraging applications from all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. Accessibility accommodations are available during recruitment to ensure equitable participation.

Application Details

Interested candidates are invited to join the Fonterra family where you can contribute fully and collaboratively to shared success. Please note that applications close at midnight on Friday 31st July 2026.