Director People & Culture - Operations

About the role

Fonterra is seeking a senior leader to shape the people strategy for its 8,400‑strong Operations workforce across manufacturing, supply chain, engineering, safety, quality and regulatory functions in New Zealand. Reporting to both the COO and Group People & Culture leadership teams, you will drive talent development, cultural alignment and high‑trust employment relations in a multi‑union environment.

Key responsibilities

• Align workforce capability, culture and transformation with the operational vision.
• Build future‑ready talent pipelines and embed technical excellence.
• Lead complex stakeholder relationships and develop collective bargaining strategies.
• Drive capability uplift, diversity and resilience across talent pools.
• Contribute to succession, engagement and performance initiatives across the Co‑op.
• Lead senior HR practitioners across Aotearoa with coaching and capability development.

Required profile

• Strategic, values‑led leader with deep HR expertise and commercial acumen.
• Proven experience in complex, global manufacturing environments.
• Track record of leading transformation, partnering with executives and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Inclusive leadership style with ability to navigate complexity and build high‑performing, purpose‑driven teams.

Required skills