Know No Boundaries
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:
Science
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.
Science
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!
Lucy Wu
Product Mix Analyst
BSc Hons - 1st Class, Food Science
I was in the Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme (FGTP). As part of the programme, I spent time at different production plants-Te Rapa (powders & cream products) and Hautapu (protein & cheese).>
At the plants, I learnt about the processes and the industry as a whole. Learning during the factory placements consisted of constructing process flow diagrams, being nosy, and working on various projects at the plants. The programme also offers a variety courses for both technical and personal development.
The aspects of the FGTP course that attracted me the most include meeting new people and the opportunities that the course offers. Entering the programme, I looked forward to learning the different aspects of the industry and broadening my knowledge on dairy. I was also excited about applying what I have learnt in university to the workplace; the programme was a great bridge between gaining knowledge and applying that knowledge in the real world. The fact that the programme came with a Master's degree was a bonus.
After the FGTP, I joined S&OP optimisation as a product mix analyst at the Fonterra Centre and moved back to my home town Auckland. Now, I incorporate the technical knowledge and skills gained in the programme with dollar signs.
Before life as a Fonterra graduate, I completed a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of Auckland majoring in Food Science with 1st class honours. During the summer of 2004/05 I also did a Technology in Industry Fellowship (TIF) project with Fonterra's Automation & Process Control research and development group where I worked on the calibration system, NIRMAC.
