Packaging Technologist - Innovation

Join the Innovation team of a leading New Zealand dairy manufacturer. Use your packaging technology expertise across materials, suppliers, specifications, trials and change projects. Enjoy health and life insurance, discounted dairy products, and career development opportunities. A bit about your role As Packaging Technologist, you’ll play a key role in supporting, maintaining and improving packaging materials across Westland Milk Products and our New Zealand businesses. Based in Christchurch and reporting to the Senior Packaging Technologist, you’ll work closely with Innovation, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quality and Manufacturing teams to ensure our packaging materials, suppliers and documentation meet the technical, regulatory and operational standards required for a world-class dairy business. This is a hands-on technical role where you’ll review supplier specifications, support packaging-related complaints and audits, lead packaging material change management projects, maintain packaging specifications and documentation, and coordinate plant trials or validation activity for new or changed packaging materials, suppliers and shelf-life requirements. What you’ll be doing Managing approved packaging materials, supplier documentation and packaging material specifications. Reviewing supplier technical data, including barrier properties, seal performance, food contact compliance, recyclability and sustainability attributes. Leading change management activity for packaging materials and suppliers, including risk assessment, stakeholder coordination, documentation and close-out. Supporting packaging material and supplier approvals in line with Westland’s supplier approval process. Coordinating plant trials, shelf-life validations and incoming goods documentation checks linked to packaging changes. Working with manufacturing teams to understand packaging issues on the factory floor and drive practical, timely solutions. Partnering with Procurement and Supply Chain to identify packaging optimisation, cost saving and continuous improvement opportunities. A bit about you You’ll bring sound knowledge of packaging materials used in dairy, food manufacturing or FMCG environments, together with the technical curiosity to challenge supplier information, assess risk, and translate data into practical business decisions. You may have experience in packaging technology, food technology, materials science, quality, technical standards, validation or supplier assurance, and you’ll be comfortable working across documentation, trials, compliance and continuous improvement. You’ll be analytical, organised and detail-focused, with strong communication skills and the confidence to work with suppliers, technical specialists and manufacturing teams. A tertiary qualification in Food Technology, Engineering, Food Science, Packaging Science, Packaging Technology, Materials Science or a related discipline would be valuable, as would experience with food quality systems, supplier audits, packaging compliance documentation or sustainability and recyclability frameworks. A bit about the organisation Westland Milk Products is a well-known New Zealand end-to-end dairy manufacturer based in the beautiful South Island, with operations in Christchurch and Hokitika. Owned by the Yili Group, Westland Milk Products and its related New Zealand businesses, Oceania Dairy, Pure Nutrition, Canary Foods and EasiYo, form the Yili Oceania group. Together, we produce high-quality dairy products for local and international markets and are focused on becoming a world-class health food provider. At Westland, you’ll be part of a collaborative, values-led environment where quality, innovation, accountability and continuous improvement matter. Where to from here? If you have a strong technical mindset, a passion for packaging and quality, and the ability to work collaboratively across a complex manufacturing environment, we’d like to hear from you. #J-18808-Ljbffr