Where do you want to go? Let us guess... as far as possible. It's that kind drive that takes great people great places - places like Fonterra. And once you arrive here you'll fast discover the career journey never ends, because this is a place where we know no boundaries.
Fonterra - What We Stand For
Dairy is our life's work. It's our passion and it's what we do best.
We have always marvelled at the simple nutrition of dairy. In an age when you need a chemistry degree to understand food labels, milk is pure milk, providing the building blocks for a healthy life.
We are proud of our New Zealand roots. Year after year, our farmers in New Zealand work with the land and their cows to bring quality milk to millions of people around the world. They have passed their farming expertise down through the generations, keeping alive the time-honoured traditions that have catapulted New Zealand to the forefront of the global dairy industry.
Since Fonterra Co-operative Group was formed in 2001, we have become the world's largest dairy exporter with nearly 11,000 shareholders. We export 95 per cent of our New Zealand-made dairy products to our customers and consumers in more than 140 countries. Our milk tankers collect around 14 billion litres of milk every year.
No matter where we are in the world, dairy is what makes us tick.
What We Look For - New Zealand Graduates
We are looking for talented people who are passionate, innovative and possess a "can do" attitude to help us lead the way in dairy. The following competencies will give you a hint of what we look for in a potential leader:
Engineering
Manufacturing Operations
Our entry roles at our Manufacturing Operations are at the heart of the action. You will be exposed to our Continuous Improvement methods of working and learn from the best in the business. You could be based at any one of our sites in New Zealand so must be flexible and willing to relocate to places such as Southland, South Canterbury, Taranaki or Bay of Plenty.
These are not roles for the faint-hearted! Working at the Manufacturing Hubs, you will need to be prepared to get your hands dirty and may even have to work shifts. This is best way to learn about our technology!
Graduates who succeed at our Manufacturing Operations are team players; able to build solid relationships co-workers and fellow engineers alike. You will need to be organised, with an ability to communicate your ideas effectively to others in the business.
Our preferred candidates will have one or more of the following qualifications:
- B Eng
- B Tech Food.
Career progression opportunities within Fonterra are vast and varied. Graduates who have started in Manufacturing Operation have progressed into leadership roles with Fonterra managing major manufacturing sites.
Engineering
Graduate Technologist
Working as a Graduate Technologist within Fonterra you will work with our Process Support or Group Technical business units to gain maximum exposure to our cutting edge technology. Our Graduate Technologists are working on site and at the heart of the action in some of our regional locations such as Waikato, Southland and South Canterbury. As such you may be required to travel and relocate during your first 12 months.
Graduates will rotate through the manufacturing operations and support divisions over a 12 month period to gain maximum exposure to our business. Within Group Technical, you will be working on commercialising new products and providing global support for new plants / processes. Within Process Support you will be acting as technical support to NZ Manufacturing plants, and the commercialisation of new processes.
Technologists who succeed within Fonterra are detail oriented with a keen eye for improvement and the interpersonal and communication skills to invoke change. You will need to be an organised team player and demonstrate previous leadership skills at school or university.
Our preferred candidates will have one or more of the following qualifications:
- B Eng
- B Tech
- B Food Tech.
We will also consider candidates with a BSc in a related field such as chemistry or biochemistry.
Fonterra Graduate Technical Program
Join our Fonterra Graduate Technical Program (FGTP) and we offer an intensive, induction course which culminates in the award of the degree in Master of Dairy Science and Technology at Massey University. The FGTP gives you insight into Fonterra through a structured rotational program moving through four stages in a one year term:
Step 1 - Induction
Step 2 - Dairy immersion (practical work experience at a dairy plant)
Step 3 - Product Technologies - internal lecture series
Step 4 - Research Project.
A number of business units of the Fonterra Co-operative Group combine to support the Graduate Technical Program. Trainees will be sponsored by a business unit right from the start of the program including:
- Lab Compliance
- Packaging
- Global Trade
- Group Technical
- Process Support
- Transport
- Innovation.
Are you ready to join a market leader and give your career the best start? If so, apply now!
Jonathan Spurway
Team Lead - Powders Product Technical
Masters in Dairy Science and Technology (Hons), BE Chemical & Materials
I joined Fonterra on the technical graduate training programme (FGTP) after completing a BE (C&M). The program provided insights into the Dairy Industry and exposure to Fonterra's operations.
It involved spending the first 12 months of employment completing operational assignments at various production sites, whilst studying for a Master of Dairy Science & Technology.
In January 2005 I commenced employment with the Powder Product Technical Team as a development technologist. The focus of this role was product commercialisation and product technical advice to the business and its customers. I was involved with specification rationalisation, operational optimisation, and plant auditing. In this role I was lucky enough to travel to South America to audit one of our third party suppliers and to Asia to manage a reduction in the cost of goods for a FMCG liquid beverage.
In June 2006 I moved into a management position within Product Technical Powders. In my current role as a lead technologist I contribute and lead a team of eight technologists to provide technical support for Fonterra requirements. Examples of what my team and I support ranges from:
- Product commercialization and Project management
- Rapid product commercialisation and or reformulations
- Commercial support to the business and markets though specification ownership
- Alignment of activities ensuring support to business strategies
- Capability and capacity ownership for alignment to our global manufacturing footprint
- Complaint management and resolution by providing product knowledge and advice
- Identification and implementation of continuous improvement (grades, yields, losses and costs)
All of this culminates in considerable teamwork and communicating to customers, operations, and technical to ensure the goals of the projects are met.
I really enjoy what I do. I joined Fonterra to learn the inner workings of a multinational. The experiences thus far have been extremely varied, challenging and rewarding. I have grown an enormous amount in the last year and look forward to the challenges ahead.
