QC Team Leader

Welcome to Suntory Oceania | Nau mai ki Suntory Oceania

Craft your future with Suntory Oceania, a new $3b multi-beverage partnership between Suntory Global Spirits and Suntory Beverage & Food. Underpinned by quality, craftsmanship and a strong sense of purpose, our exciting new partnership will be powered by two manufacturing sites, five distribution centres and more than 1500 Suntorians across Australia and Aotearoa.

Our market-leading portfolio will have over 40 brands, including Jim Beam® and Maker's Mark® Bourbon, Hibiki® Japanese Whisky, Canadian Club® Whisky, -196, V Energy, Maximus, and Suntory BOSS Coffee. As One Suntory, we will be positioned as the fourth largest beverage player in the region, ready to ignite the category, creating more beverage moments from sunrise to sunset. Together, we will bring the best of Suntory to Oceania.

What is the opportunity? | He aha te kōwhiringa?

We are looking for a Quality Control (QC) Team Leader to join our Wiri, Auckland manufacturing site. In this role, you will lead a high-performing Quality Control team responsible for microbiological, sensory and analytical testing—ensuring the highest standards of product safety, quality, and regulatory compliance.

You will play a pivotal leadership role in driving continuous improvement across quality systems and processes, while partnering closely with manufacturing teams to not only measure quality but influence and embed a strong food safety culture across the site.

Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and developing the QC team to deliver strong performance, engagement and capability
• Driving continuous improvement (Monozukuri) across QC processes, systems and workflows
• Ensuring compliance with HACCP, GMP, GLP and regulatory standards
• Managing laboratory operations, including data analysis, reporting and audit readiness
• Leading root cause investigations and corrective actions for quality issues
• Partnering cross-functionally with Production, Planning, R&D and external stakeholders
• Supporting site-wide microbiology, sensory and environmental monitoring programs
• Leading health, safety and wellbeing practices within the QC function
• Supporting audits, certifications and continuous improvement initiatives across site

What's in it for you

About you | Nō hea koe

You are a passionate and pragmatic people leader who thrives in a fast-paced manufacturing environment. You bring a strong foundation in quality systems, combined with the ability to influence, coach and drive meaningful change across teams.

You will bring:

• A degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Microbiology or similar (or equivalent experience)
• Proven leadership experience (3+ years) with the ability to develop and engage teams
• Strong working knowledge of HACCP, GMP, GLP and food safety systems
• Experience in quality testing environments (analytical, microbiology and/or sensory)
• Strong problem-solving and root cause analysis capability
• Confidence working cross-functionally and influencing stakeholders
• Experience with audits, compliance and continuous improvement methodologies
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with strong attention to detail

If you’re not an expert in every area, that’s okay—what matters most is your alignment to our values, your leadership mindset, and your willingness to grow and learn.

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

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!