Process General Manager – Whitestone Cheese Co

12th April 2022 By Advertiser | To list a job, contact us at jobs@foodticker.co.nz or call 0204 101 8762

Process General Manager – Whitestone Cheese Co

Oamaru

Full Time

About Whitestone Cheese

A Small Giant – Whitestone Cheese Co is a producer of award winning, artisan craft cheeses that get distributed throughout New Zealand. We are a New Zealand family owned and operated business that takes pride in rewarding our customers with premium products. 

The original factory was set up in 1987 where one cheese, ‘Whitestone Farmhouse’, was launched. We have grown a lot since then to become a globally recognised artisan cheese company with over 25 different cheeses and 80 dedicated staff members throughout New Zealand, with majority in Oamaru.

Our Waitaki region’s clean water, rich limestone soil, quality pastures, temperate climate and contented cows all make for premium milk, which creates the natural flavours of our premium cheese. We are passionate about the quality of our cheese and ensuring it is world class.

About the role 

This is a fantastic opportunity to join our dynamic Senior Leadership Team (SLT) based at our factory in Oamaru. Due to rapid growth of the business in recent years this new position has been established. Reporting to the Managing Director, the Process Manager will be accountable for the overall development, performance and maintenance of the organisation’s production and plant activities to obtain maximum efficiency, product quality, service, safety, and profitability. 

The Process Manager role is a fast-paced, hands on and vital position that will provide significant input into the operational processes and organisational structure. You will oversee four senior managers that manage the cheese making, production, pack and dispatch teams which make up 55 employees.

Managing the day-to-day operations of the plant and its staff members will require drive, managerial experience, manufacturing experience, excellent people skills, and not to mention a love of all things cheese!

The main responsibilities of this role are:

• Health and safety management
• Production scheduling & forecasting
• Staff recruitment and training for key roles
• Quality assurance
• Manage staff rostering & leave
• Production engineering management and systems development
• Maintaining RMP/HACCP/food safety
• Subcontractor management & inductions
• Procurement and stock management
• Cost accounting and recipe management
• Reporting production KPIs
• CAPEX, ROI and business cases for automation and efficiency
• Financial management including budgets and forecasting
• LEAN management

Our ideal candidate will have:

• Minimum 5 years manager level experience in a complex, fast-paced manufacturing environment, preferable dairy, fresh food, and FMCG related
• Preferably tertiary qualified or highly experienced in production, manufacturing, and management
• Experience leading continuous improvement processes in a manufacturing environment
• Experience driving excellence in business results in the areas of safety, quality, service, and cost
• Experience working with a diverse group of people and, leading and growing high performing teams
• Demonstrate innovative capabilities with ability to inspire and deliver
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Excellent problem solving, and prioritisation skills
• Strong communication with relationship building skills
• Good working knowledge of computer applications specifically within the Microsoft 365 Suite
• A passion for cheese

What we offer:

• Competitive remuneration
• High quality training and job development
• An opportunity to make the role your own and an innovative, very agile culture
• Real influence in the continual growth of our customer’s love of the Whitestone Brand
• Workplace wellbeing services
• A fun, healthy and affordable lifestyle close to the sea, lakes and mountains
• Great cheese

What our employees say about working at Whitestone Cheese:

“I moved to Oamaru from Auckland for a lifestyle change and have never looked back! The cheese is world class and the job is extremely rewarding.”

“The best thing is the support and loving atmosphere that I work in. No day is the same. We all have a laugh throughout the day which is important.”

“The best thing is having an amazing product that everyone is proud to make. Knowing every employee by their name, and not just being a number.”

Apply Now

Click here to apply to join the Whitestone Cheese team.

Applications close 6th May 2022.

For further questions, please call Daisy McClelland on 0273585475, or email hr@whitestonecheese.co.nz 

Applicants must have the right to permanently work in New Zealand.