ANZ Dairy Engineering Head

ANZ Dairy Engineering Head

Danone

Melbourne VIC

Full-time

Remote

Danone is seeking a visionary ANZ Dairy Engineering Lead to shape the future of dairy engineering across the APAC region. This senior leadership role offers a transformational impact, focusing on building, transforming, and leading at scale within Danone's sustainable nutrition mission.

About the Role

As the ANZ Dairy Engineering Lead, you will be instrumental in defining and executing Danone’s engineering and capital investment strategy throughout Australia and New Zealand. Reporting to the APAC Engineering Director, your responsibilities will include:

• Leading large-scale transformation programs.
• Overseeing multimillion-euro capital projects.
• Driving engineering excellence across a complex manufacturing network.
• Operating at the intersection of strategy, innovation, and execution, collaborating with senior leaders across APAC and globally to foster sustainable growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Engineering Leadership:
• Define and implement the ANZ engineering strategy, ensuring alignment with APAC and global priorities.
• Partner with senior leadership to shape long-term operational and investment decisions.
• Influence and enhance engineering performance and capabilities across the region.
• Capital Projects & Investment Management:
• Lead the end-to-end delivery of major CAPEX projects, including new lines, expansions, and site transformations.
• Own and deliver the 3-year rolling CAPEX plan, aligned with business strategy.
• Manage a significant investment portfolio, ensuring timely, complete, and within-budget delivery.
• Execution, Governance & Risk Management:
• Drive rigorous project execution across multiple sites, managing vendors and resources.
• Establish strong governance, including investment approval processes and performance tracking.
• Ensure robust decision-making, risk management, and post-project audits.
• Operational Excellence, Safety & Compliance:
• Embed safety-by-design principles in all engineering projects.
• Ensure full compliance with quality, food safety, and regulatory standards.
• Standardise engineering and CAPEX procurement practices for optimised cost and efficiency.
• Lead IWS/EEM implementation to enhance asset reliability and performance.
• Innovation & Future-Ready Manufacturing:
• Champion digital, automation, and AI-driven manufacturing solutions.
• Lead technology scouting and deploy scalable innovations across sites.
• Enable smart factories, remote operations, and sustainable manufacturing practices.
• Leadership & Capability Building:
• Build, coach, and inspire high-performing engineering teams across ANZ.
• Strengthen engineering capability and develop future leadership pipelines.
• Foster a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and high performance.
• Strategic Advisory & Growth:
• Lead technical due diligence for M&A and expansion initiatives.
• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on engineering investments and risk.
• Partner across a broad internal and external stakeholder network globally.

Who You Are

You are a strategic thinker, hands-on leader, and transformation driver who thrives in complex, high-impact environments. You possess:

• 15+ years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, or operations leadership.
• A proven track record in delivering large-scale capital projects and transformations.
• Deep expertise in project portfolio management, engineering strategy, and manufacturing operations.
• Strong leadership and influencing skills within matrix, multi-country environments.
• Experience in food, dairy, or FMCG manufacturing is highly preferred.
• A Master’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Chemical, or similar).
• A willingness to travel to the factory in Kiewa (Albury) as and when required.

Why Join Danone?

At Danone, purpose and performance are intertwined. We offer:

• Impact: Lead regional transformation with global visibility.
• Leadership: Own high-value, strategic engineering programs.
• Collaboration: Work with diverse, world-class teams across APAC and beyond.
• Growth: Strong career progression and leadership development opportunities.
• Culture: An inclusive, flexible work environment that supports wellbeing.
• Rewards: Competitive compensation, benefits, and learning programs.
• Purpose: Contribute to sustainable manufacturing aligned with One Planet. One Health.

Danone is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to thrive. We believe that diversity of perspectives drives innovation and better outcomes, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and experiences.

If you are ready to shape strategy, lead transformation, and deliver impact at scale, we encourage you to apply.