Production Team Leader

• Reporting to the Production Manager
• Health Insurance & Paid Birthday leave
• You must be legally able to work in NZ to be eligible for this role.

 He aha tāu e mahi ana | What You’ll Be doing:

We are looking for a hands-on and motivated Production Team Leader to join our Palmerston North operations team. This opportunity could suit someone ready to step confidently into the role, or an emerging leader with the natural leadership ability, people skills, and willingness to grow into the position.

Reporting to the Production Manager, you will be responsible for leading and supporting a production team to safely deliver daily production targets while maintaining the highest standards of quality, food safety, and operational performance.

This is a frontline leadership role where you’ll spend the majority of time on the production floor, supporting, coaching, mentoring, training, and developing the team, resolving issues, and driving continuous improvement. You’ll play a key role in creating a positive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture while ensuring production plans are delivered safely, efficiently, and on time.

Key Responsibilities

• Under direction of the Production Manager, coordinate the day-to-day allocation of tasks and responsibilities to the team
• Complete inductions and training,  and  monitor resourcing levels to ensure optimal performance, business continuity and achievement of agreed KPIs.
• Support team member inductions, training, coaching, and ongoing development.
• Foster a positive, inclusive, and high-performing team culture where people feel supported and valued.
• Monitor team performance and provide timely feedback to encourage accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance with all health and safety, food safety, quality, and company standards.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives that enhance productivity, quality, efficiency, and waste reduction.
• Support the Production Manager with workforce planning, operational problem-solving, and business continuity activities.
• Lead by example, demonstrating company values and promoting a culture of safety, teamwork, and excellence.

 About You

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Team Leader who can step in and make an immediate impact, or for someone with strong leadership potential who is ready to grow into the role. You may not have held a formal leadership title before, but you will bring natural leadership ability, strong people skills, and a genuine enjoyment of mentoring, training, and helping employees develop.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

• 3–5 years’ experience in a production, processing, manufacturing, or FMCG environment.
• Previous experience supervising, leading, mentoring, training, or developing others, whether through a formal leadership role or by naturally supporting and influencing a team.
• Strong understanding of production processes, quality systems, and operational performance measures.
• A proven ability to achieve production targets while maintaining high standards of safety and quality.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and motivate a diverse workforce.
• A genuine enjoyment of mentoring, training, and developing employees, with the confidence to build capability in others.
• Sound problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• A continuous improvement mindset and a focus on delivering results.

Why Join Moana New Zealand?

At Moana New Zealand, you’ll be part of a purpose-led organisation that values its people, culture, and connection to the moana. We offer the opportunity to grow your leadership capability while contributing to the success of a proudly Māori-owned business and one of New Zealand’s leading seafood companies.

If you’re passionate about people, operational excellence, and building high-performing teams, we’d love to hear from you.

Apply today and be part of our journey.

Whakapā Mai | Contact us

If you would like to apply to this role, please submit your resume and a cover letter, C/o Moana’s Recruitment Team at recruitment@moana.co.nz and in the subject box put the job title.