NPD/CI Coordinator

The Arnott’s Group has a strong portfolio of brands such as Tim Tam, Shapes, Mother Earth, Campbells and continues the 160-year legacy of the Arnott family, making quality, great-tasting food.

Our purpose is simple: to create delicious moments, in all that we do, every day, across everything we make. We foster equality, diversity and sustainability, enable high performance with integrity, balance decisions from the head and heart and delight our customers every time.

In NZ, Arnott’s is undergoing a period of extensive brand growth and local investment with the establishment on a new manufacturing facility in Auckland and recent acquisition of the Mother Earth brand.

About the Role:

Reporting to the Head of Manufacturing – NZ, the NPD Continuous Improvement Coordinator plays a critical role in enabling the safe, compliant and efficient introduction of new products, ingredients and technologies at our Auckland manufacturing site.

Working closely with the Auckland‑based manufacturing team and Australia‑based R&D, this role leads product, packaging and ingredient trials while driving process capability and continuous improvement. You’ll partner cross‑functionally across Manufacturing, Quality, Engineering, HSE, Supply Chain and Corporate R&D to deliver trials and improvement projects with minimal site disruption and measurable performance gains.

As a member of the Bakery Operations Leadership Team (BOLT), this role contributes to overall site leadership while being hands‑on in day‑to‑day operations, coaching teams in problem solving and operational excellence.

This role is based at our Avondale manufacturing site.

What your days look like:

• Leading end‑to‑end planning and execution of product, packaging and ingredient trials
• Partnering with Australia‑based R&D and local manufacturing to deliver NPD and capability projects
• Ensuring all new processes, materials and trials are fully risk assessed and compliant
• Driving continuous improvement across throughput, changeovers, labour efficiency and line utilisation
• Mapping and optimising new and existing processes to improve site performance
• Leading commercialisation of product extensions, value engineering and ingredient changes
• Managing trial resourcing, scheduling and cost capture with manufacturing and procurement
• Communicating trial progress, risks and outcomes across site leadership, shifts and corporate stakeholders

The Ingredients for Success:

Just like successful innovation needs the right foundations, there are a few essential ingredients we’re looking for:

• Degree qualification in Food Science, Food or Chemical Engineering (or similar)
• Strong project management capability with experience leading technical trials or process improvements
• Ability to work autonomously across cross‑functional, geographically dispersed teams
• Solid understanding of ingredient functionality, packaging and manufacturing process flows
• Experience mapping processes and improving throughput and labour efficiency
• Strong problem‑solving, planning and decision‑making skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, both verbal and written
• A creative mindset with a genuine passion for food, science and manufacturing excellence

Perks: (Need to confirm these for NZ)

• Onsite Physio once per week
• 12 Weeks Paid Parental Leave for all new parents
• Free onsite parking
• Discounted Products
• Discounted Health Insurance
• NAWO membership

Our Culture:

Our purpose is simple – to create delicious moments. We believe in high performance with integrity, collaboration across teams and continuous improvement every day. You’ll be empowered to make an impact, supported by passionate people and recognised for driving positive change across the site.

To Apply:

If this sounds like your next opportunity, please follow the link and apply.

We value diversity in our workforce. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please let our team know so we can support you throughout the recruitment process.