Head of Engineering and Asset Optimisation

About Vitaco

Vitaco is an established health and wellness leader in Australasia with over 650 employees across New Zealand and Australia. Our portfolio features trusted brands like Musashi, Nutra-Life, Healtheries, Athena, and Balance, delivering products locally and internationally to over 30 countries. We proudly hold recognition as an HRD 5-Star Employer of Choice for consecutive years, highlighting our dedication to fostering a thriving workplace.

Role Overview

As a vital member of the Operations Leadership Team based in Auckland, you will spearhead engineering, reliability, and asset optimisation efforts across multiple manufacturing facilities. You will direct a skilled team of around 16 engineering professionals, including six direct reports, encouraging a culture centered on safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.

Core Responsibilities

• Oversee engineering and maintenance teams across various manufacturing sites.
• Formulate and uphold Vitaco's Asset Management System, ensuring adherence to governance, standards, and lifecycle procedures that promote sustainable manufacturing outcomes.
• Champion reliability enhancements by applying asset criticality assessments, Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), root cause analysis, and defect elimination strategies.
• Implement and mature a world-class Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) system.
• Promote a positive, performance-driven engineering environment through effective coaching and leadership.
• Drive initiatives in continuous improvement and digital manufacturing.
• Lead digital engineering projects, including CMMS governance, engineering master data integrity, MES integration, along with leveraging data analytics and predictive maintenance tools.
• Manage the engineering budget, maintenance scheduling, and long-term asset replacement plans.
• Optimize spare parts inventory and establish governance over critical asset support to reduce risk and improve capital efficiency.
• Collaborate with teams in Operations, Capital Projects, Quality, Supply Chain, and Safety to achieve exceptional business results.
• Maintain exemplary standards in Health, Safety, Quality, and Environmental aspects within all engineering processes.
• Develop engineering standards, enforce contractor governance, and manage project handovers across manufacturing locations.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, or Industrial Engineering.
• Proven extensive leadership experience in engineering within FMCG, food production, or similarly complex manufacturing sectors.
• Track record of managing engineering teams across multiple sites.
• Strong command of Reliability Centered Maintenance, preventative maintenance, and asset management practices.
• Expertise in asset lifecycle management, reliability engineering, and risk-focused maintenance methodologies.
• Experience driving continuous improvement efforts and leading digital transformation projects.
• Robust commercial insight including budgeting and capital investment planning.
• Exceptional stakeholder communication and management capabilities.
• Leadership skills that build trust, foster accountability, and develop high-performing teams.
• Success in advancing technical skills, succession planning, and cultivating engineering leadership talent.
• Passionate commitment to safety, quality, and operational excellence.

Employee Benefits

• Competitive remuneration with an annual salary review process.
• Discounts on Vitaco’s health and wellness product range.
• Access to wellness programs and a subsidized onsite café.
• In-house naturopathic consultations available.
• A supportive, collaborative work environment encouraging innovation.
• Enjoy a birthday off to celebrate your special day.