Whether you are a Commerce or Technical Graduate, Fonterra’s Graduate Programmes offer an opportunity to have a range of diverse experiences before you settle on a particular role that suits you best. This gives Fonterra Graduates the chance to find out how your specific skills and quality fare in the real world, and discover which roles you will find satisfying.
Fonterra Graduate Commerce Programme
The Fonterra Graduate Commerce Programme is designed to build Fonterra’s talent pipeline by developing future leaders.
The FGCP provides an intensive, continuous programme over two years offering a multitude of experiences by way of rotations through different businesses to equip graduates with the necessary skills and knowledge needed for an accelerated start to their careers in Fonterra. We do this by providing stretching, challenging roles with real decision making responsibility, providing exposure to a range of developmental and learning experiences while continuously developing functional/technical competence.
Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme (Engineers and Food Technology/Science)
The Fonterra Technical Graduate Programme gives graduates a broad overview of Fonterra and all the technical aspects that go with the business. The first 12 months includes an induction, practical work at a dairy plant and an integrated course at the Fonterra Research Centre (based in Palmerston North), the largest dairy research centre in the world. The second year further develops our graduates skills and expertise through rotations through the business or placements.
Launched in 1969, the Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme (FGTP) is an intensive, induction course that equips Science, Technology and Engineering Graduates with the skills and knowledge for an accelerated start to their careers. The aim is to develop graduates with the potential to become technical leaders and managers in Fonterra.
The FGTP gives an excellent broad overview of Fonterra where graduates gain a good insight into the structure and function of all technical aspects of Fonterra including making contacts with people in diverse areas of the industry that will be of great benefit in building your career. You will also have the opportunity to attain a Masters in Food Science as part of programme.
The FGTP year begins in December with a three-week induction course held at Fonterra Research Centre (FRC) in Palmerston North. During the summer, you will be immersed in dairy with practical work experience at a Fonterra dairy plant -- working shifts in a process operator role. Over the winter, you will be based back at the FRC for a 10 week integrated course of lectures, tutorials, practical work, exercises and projects covering business units, dairy science, technology and engineering, operational excellence, and the technology, science, product development and marketing of dairy products. You then return to a Fonterra site and have the option to complete an individual research project.
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 GRADUATES
We are a NZ co-operative who exist to secure the prosperity for the future NZ by bringing dairy goodness to the world. Our dairy know-how and expertise is built on generations of knowledge, expertise and passion. We are committed to sustainable dairying and the communities where we operate. Are you ready for Fonterra?
Launched in 1969, the Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme (FGTP) gives graduates good insight into the structure and function of all technical aspects of Fonterra including making contacts with people in diverse areas of the industry that will be of great benefit in building your career. You will also have the opportunity to attain a Masters in Food Science as part of programme.
The FGTP year begins in December with a three-week induction course held at Fonterra Research Centre (FRC) in Palmerston North. During the summer, you will be immersed in dairy with practical work experience at a Fonterra dairy plant – working shifts in a process operator role. Over the winter, you will be based back at the FRC for a 10 week integrated course of lectures, tutorials, practical work, exercises and projects covering business units, dairy science, technology and engineering, operational excellence, and the technology, science, product development and marketing of dairy products. You then return to a Fonterra site and have the option to complete an individual research project.
Graduates that join the FGTP will be sponsored by a business unit right from the start of the program, so it is important you indicate your interest in your preferred area in your application.
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..
Working in Product and Process Technology within Fonterra you will gain maximum exposure to our cutting edge technology. You will either focus on commercialising new products and provide global support for new plants and processes, or provide technical support to the NZ manufacturing plants, and the commercialisation of new processes.
If you have a commercial focus, you might also find yourself combining engineering and commerce in Product Mix bringing together customer demand and manufacturing supply. Based at head office in Auckland, you will provide commercial analysis to ensure Fonterra's two million metric tonne business is always placed in the highest returning opportunity.
In Fleet and Asset Engineering you will be working with the maintenance and operating staff in Fleet Services to solve real issues. Inquisitive and happy to get your hands dirty sometimes, you will ideally be a Mechanical or even Electrical Engineer or studying Manufacturing and Industrial Technology and who like to investigate how things fail, analyse causes and work with teams to put solutions in place.
Engineering Graduates who succeed at Fonterra are detail oriented with a keen eye for improvement and the interpersonal and communication skills to invoke change. You need to be a team player who can build solid relationships co-workers. You will need to be organised, with an ability to communicate your ideas effectively to others in the business.
Ideally we employ graduates who couple their studies with extra-curricular activities that demonstrate ambition to perform at a high level, lead others and achieve results.
FGTP will commence on 26 November 2012 so you MUST have completed your studies and be available to start on this date.
We have opportunities in the Auckland, Waikato, Taranaki, Bay of Plenty, South Canterbury and Southland regions though you will be based in Palmerston North for inductions and the Winter Course. To get the most out of your career with Fonterra, it is an advantage that you are mobile.
If you have a positive attitude, willingness to learn and are a real team player, give your career the best start!
Jonathan Spurway University of Auckland (BEng Chemical & Materials)
I joined Fonterra 7 years ago on the technical graduate training programme (FGTP) after completing a BE (C&M). The program FGTP provided great insights and a stepping stone into the dairy industry and Fonterra's operations. This period formed the foundation to my dairy knowledge. The networks and learning’s that I gained over this first year, whether it was from the times in the factories or in the learning environment of our R&D facilities in Palmerston North, are irreplaceable and I still often refer back to them to gain insight into my role today.
In January 2005 I commenced employment with the 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.
After 18 months I was promoted into a management position within Product Technical where I was able to gain insight into people management and continue to develop my technical knowledge and networks.
In July 2007 I transition to the role of Technical Manager based in our USA head office (Chicago, IL). In this role I was responsible for providing technical expertise to the Fonterra (USA) sales team to help support and maximize sales opportunities. As this role evolved I found myself helping to the development and execution of customer plans and opportunity plans, for our key existing and new customers
During late 2008 I embarked on a role that saw me managing the technical purchasing of milk solids in the US. I created my own space and drove the North American sourcing side of “value add” projects. I provided technical and project management skills. I participated in commercial negotiation of the final sourcing agreements to allow the strategic value of these projects come to fruition. This role also acted as a link between a wide variety of cross functional groups to ensures supply gaps were filled.
In May 2010 I returned to NZ to take up my current role as Product Group Manager (Whey & Lactose). In this role I have responsibility for the management of all Whey and Lactose ingredients across Fonterra. I help to ensure that all areas of long term strategic alignment, commercial performance, and customer management such as pricing strategies, supply agreements, product innovations, non-product innovations and all customer-focused activities impacted or influenced by sales and operational planning functions are in line with our long term objectives to delivery increasing and optimal value to our shareholders. This also means working with our global network to uncover new sales and purchase opportunities that deliver the right origin product and pricing to complement growth and added value to the portfolio.
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 and look forward to the challenges ahead. Fonterra is a great place to work!
