Products Manager

Turn customer ideas into commercially successful dairy products in this pivotal Innovation and NPD role focussed on Cheese Innovation. Open Country Dairy’s story is a fantastic New Zealand story of growing from small origins, to be the largest independent dairy processor in New Zealand and a major player in the global dairy trade. Our passionate and driven team is the foundation of our success and will see Open Country continue our impressive growth into the future. We are seeking an experienced Products Manager to lead innovation and renovation projects across our dairy product portfolio, with a strong focus on cheese-based initiatives. Reporting to the GM Innovation, this is a key role within our Innovation function, responsible for turning customer, market and operational requirements into commercially successful product outcomes. The role will be based in our head office in Auckland and would involve domestic and international travel. Key responsibilities will include: Lead and manage Innovation, NPD and Renovation projects from concept through to successful delivery. Partner with customers and internal R&D teams to understand specifications, application requirements and product performance expectations. Plan, execute and document product trials, ensuring all required project documentation and system setup is completed. Support product costing, manufacturing targets, plant capability improvements and seamless transfer of new products into production. Manage product, ingredient and technical specifications, including change requests, seasonality matrices and rework requirements. Provide technical support for customer enquiries, product issues, complaints, audits and compliance requirements. About You Masters or B. Tech degree (minimum) in Food Science, Food Technology or a related discipline. 5-10 years' experience in R&D, NPD or Innovation within a dairy manufacturing environment. Experience with natural cheese or processed cheese products is preferred. Strong project management, stakeholder engagement, communication and influencing skills. Commercial awareness, analytical thinking and practical problem-solving ability. A proactive, customer-focused and collaborative approach. Good understanding of CODEX, FSANZ and NZ dairy export regulations. Sound commercial acumen and proven change management skills. Excellent communication, good analytical and problem-solving abilities. Self-motivated, adaptable, flexible, and able to perform in a highly agile environment. If you are an experienced dairy product development professional with a passion for innovation, customer collaboration and delivering practical commercial outcomes, we would like to hear from you. Applications close 4th September 2026 or on appointment #J-18808-Ljbffr