Automation Engineering Manager
Auckland
$150k-$180k + vehicle (full personal use) + fuel card + health insurance
- Lead an established team of 7 engineers on NZ and international projects
- Run the Auckland office as your own business unit, with your own KPIs and targets
- Strong forward order book and a client base that generates repeat business
Lead 7 engineers, drive BD, and grow a high-performing Auckland team at a well-established systems integrator.
If you’re currently managing an engineering team and wondering whether there’s a better seat for you, this is worth reading.
You’re inheriting a capable team with a healthy pipeline and a solid client base across food and beverage, dairy, water, chemical manufacturing, and energy. The previous manager built a tight, diverse group that works well together. He left for a significant new opportunity, not because anything was wrong here.
Why this role is worth a serious look
The Auckland office operates as its own business unit, with its own cost centres, KPIs, and targets.
You’re not a middle manager waiting on decisions from above. You’re leading the office for the region.
The split is roughly 60% team management and project oversight, 40% business development. BD is a real part of this role, and if that side of things doesn’t appeal to you, it’s probably not the right fit. But for someone who enjoys building client relationships and winning work, you’ll have more room to do that here than in most engineering management roles.
You’re also not starting from zero. The business carries a strong and stable forward project pipeline, a dedicated tenders team available, and a client base where a lot of business comes back naturally through the managers. The BD expectation is about maintaining and growing relationships, not cold-calling your way to a pipeline.
There’s a clear mandate to grow the Auckland office significantly. More headcount, a bigger client base, more influence over how the team develops. And as the team grows, your salary reflects that.
The work spans a wide range of sectors and project types, greenfield and brownfield. The team isn’t tied to one platform or one industry, which keeps the work varied and the engineers developing.
Travel is part of the role, but is very manageable. Most trips are short, a day or two for project work around the country. Occasionally longer for a significant job, but that’s the exception.
The package
- $150k-$180k base salary, with room to grow as the team does
- Vehicle for full personal use, plus fuel card
- Health insurance (after 6 months)
- Phone and laptop
What you’ll do
- Manage a team of 7 automation engineers in the Auckland office
- Take senior project oversight on high-complexity jobs where client seniority and technical credibility matter
- Drive business development and client relationship management, roughly 1-2 days per week
- Work alongside a dedicated tenders team to convert incoming opportunities
- Manage the office P&L, KPIs, and targets as a semi-independent business unit
- Grow the Auckland office client base and team headcount over time
What you’ll need
- Circa 10 years of automation engineering experience across a range of industries and project types (though the right blend of engineering and management experience matters more than the number)
- Existing people management experience (this is a must, not a nice-to-have)
- A genuine appetite for the commercial side of the role, BD, client relationships, and winning work
- Strong communication and client-facing skills
- Current New Zealand work experience (NZ-based candidates only)
An electrical engineering background would be a bonus, but isn’t required. You certainly don’t have to come from a systems integrator background, but it's a bonus if you do!
About the company
This is one of New Zealand’s leading independent systems integrators. They’re not tied to specific platforms or vendors, which means their engineers work across a broad range of technologies depending on what the project calls for.
Their client base spans dairy, food and beverage, water and wastewater, chemical manufacturing, energy, and infrastructure. Projects range from greenfield builds to brownfield upgrades, and include work across New Zealand, Australia, and occasionally further afield.
The business runs structured processes and clear project methodology. For someone coming in at this level, that means less time figuring out how things work and more time leading.
Please Note:
This role is open exclusively to New Zealand Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Resident Visa holders.
To Apply
Click the Apply button.
Or contact me for more information.
David Milmine (Director and Senior Engineering Recruiter) at PeopleLogic
W: https://www.peoplelogic.co.nz/
P: +64 9 884 0733
