Director People & Culture - Operations
Auckland, New Zealand · Full Time
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- Experience
- Any
- Salary
- —
- Openings
- 1
- Posted
- 2 weeks ago
- Work mode
- In office
- Eligibility
- Experienced HR leaders who can operate in a complex, global manufacturing setting and are aligned with Fonterra’s values may apply. Reasonable accommodations are available for candidates who need accessibility support during the process.
- Resume
- Required to apply
Where you'll work
Job description
About Fonterra
Fonterra is a global dairy co-operative that encourages people to bring their authentic selves to work. The organisation is owned by New Zealand dairy farmers and supported by teams working together to create a better future. It offers opportunities to develop a career while contributing to positive change.
About the opportunity
The role sits within Fonterra’s ambition to become the world’s most valued source of dairy. To support that goal, the business is focused on investing in operations for the future by strengthening a globally competitive, efficient, and adaptable manufacturing and supply chain network.
As Director People and Culture Operations, you will lead the people strategy for an Operations workforce of 8,400 people across manufacturing, global supply chain, engineering and technical excellence, and global safety, quality, and regulatory functions in Aotearoa. This executive position reports into both the Chief Operating Officer leadership group and the Group People & Culture leadership team.
You will contribute to the ongoing development of the co-operative, support technical capability growth, guide global succession planning, and foster high-trust employment relationships in a multi-union environment. The role is focused on delivering practical and transformational people solutions that place the right skills in the right roles at the right time, while strengthening leadership, culture, and performance across distributed teams.
Key responsibilities
- Set the people strategy so workforce capability, culture, and transformation align with operational priorities.
- Develop future-ready leadership and talent pipelines, while strengthening technical excellence.
- Manage complex stakeholder relationships and shape bargaining approaches for collective employment agreements.
- Lift workforce capability and support the growth of resilient, diverse talent pools.
- Support enterprise-wide people initiatives such as succession, engagement, and performance.
- Lead senior HR professionals across Aotearoa with coaching, clarity, and a focus on building capability.
About you
You are a values-led strategic leader with strong HR expertise and commercial thinking. You bring experience from complex global manufacturing environments where people, performance, and purpose are closely connected.
You have led change, partnered with executive leaders, and delivered measurable outcomes. Your leadership style is inclusive, and you are comfortable navigating complexity while building high-performing, purpose-driven teams.
Our values
Fonterra’s values are Good Together, Better Every Day, and Every Drop Counts. These values guide how the organisation works with one another, farmers, and communities. Candidates are also invited to reflect on the company values through its values quiz.
What Fonterra offers
- Career development support and mentoring.
- Options for work-life balance, including flexible or hybrid working where possible.
- Recognition and pathways for internal movement.
- A safe and inclusive environment designed to help people thrive.
Join us
Fonterra welcomes people to bring their full selves and work together toward better outcomes. If you need accessibility support or reasonable accommodations during the process, you can contact the recruiter so participation is fair and accessible.
Additional information
This role is based in Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. The position is full-time and onsite. A values quiz is referenced as part of the application context.