Batching Team Leader

Welcome to Suntory Oceania | Nau mai ki Suntory Oceania

Bringing the best of Suntory to Oceania.

By harnessing the best of Suntory from across Australia and New Zealand, Suntory Global Spirits and Suntory Beverage & Food Oceania have created a multi-beverage powerhouse – Suntory Oceania.

Our 40 market-leading brands, including Jim Beam® and Maker's Mark® Bourbon, Hibiki® Japanese Whisky, Canadian Club® Whisky, -196, V Energy, Maximus, and Suntory BOSS Coffee, are powered by five distribution centres, more than 1,500 Suntorians and two local manufacturing sites. With full end-to-end control of our portfolio, we pioneer new beverage experiences, inspired by innovation and craftsmanship.

What is the opportunity? | He aha te kōwhiringa?

We have an exciting opportunity for a Batchmaker Team Leader to join our manufacturing team in Wiri, Auckland.

Reporting to the Beverage Leader, you will lead a team of production operators to deliver exceptional performance across safety, quality, cost, and service. This is a hands-on leadership role where you'll be responsible for developing your team, driving operational excellence, and ensuring our batching operations consistently meet production and quality targets.

You'll play a key role in fostering a high-performing culture, leading continuous improvement initiatives, and ensuring our people, processes, and systems operate at their very best.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing a team of operators through coaching, training, and performance management
• Planning labour resources and managing team capability to meet operational requirements
• Driving safety, quality, and compliance standards across the production environment
• Monitoring production performance and implementing corrective actions where required
• Managing operational reporting, payroll approvals, and workforce planning
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives and waste reduction activities
• Conducting problem-solving and root cause analysis to improve line performance
• Collaborating with cross-functional teams including Quality, Engineering, Planning, and Logistics
• Supporting projects, trials, and new product introductions
• Embedding Standard Manufacturing Work (SMW) and operational excellence practices

About you | Nō hea koe

You'll be a people-focused manufacturing leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and enjoys developing teams to achieve outstanding results. You bring a strong operational mindset, excellent communication skills, and a passion for continuous improvement.

To be successful in this role, you'll ideally bring:

• Proven leadership experience within a manufacturing, production, or FMCG environment
• Experience leading frontline operational teams and driving performance outcomes
• Strong knowledge of health, safety, quality, and operational best practices
• Experience working with PLC-controlled manufacturing systems
• Understanding of continuous improvement methodologies and problem-solving tools
• Ability to analyse data, identify trends, and implement effective solutions
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
• Experience with IWS methodologies would be highly regarded
• Project implementation experience is advantageous
• SAP S/4HANA experience, First Aid certification, or a relevant tertiary qualification would be beneficial

If you’re not an expert in all these areas, don’t worry! A lot of what we look for is how you would align with our values and your ability to utilise your unique skills and experience.

What’s in it for you? I He aha te mea e whiwhi ai koe?

• Grow your career – we like to promote from within and have incredible learning and development opportunities around the world  
• Generous incentive to reward your hard work
• An inclusive parental leave policy for both primary and secondary caregivers
• Gradual return to work to help you transition back from parental leave
• Flexible working – flexible hours and hybrid working
• Free parking on site
• We are committed to giving back to our communities, so we provide you with volunteer leave to do so

Our DEI Commitment | Tō mātou kaingākau ki te Kanorau, te Mana Ōrite me te Kotahitanga

At Suntory, we recognise that diverse knowledge, perspectives, and backgrounds contribute to our collective success. We are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace where all individuals can bring their whole selves to work every day, regardless of race, colour, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or any other protected characteristic.

Our recruitment and selection processes are designed to highlight what Suntory offers as an employer while allowing candidates to share their unique skills and experiences. We understand that career trajectories vary, and if you believe your experience/background can benefit our team, we encourage you to apply. We endeavour to make our interview process as inclusive as possible and offer reasonable accommodations as needed. Together, we can cultivate a workplace where everyone can thrive and propel our mission of Growing for Good.

Apply Now! | Me Tono Ināianei!

If you're ready to lead a high-performing team and play a key role in delivering some of New Zealand's most loved beverages, we'd love to hear from you.