Site Quality Manager

General information

Job Title Site Quality Manager Location New Zealand - Pokeno Date Published Tuesday, January 6, 2026 Ref # 306 Work Type Permanent Business Unit Supply Chain & Operations

Position Description

Our Story:
The a2 Milk Company, driven by science and a pioneering spirit, disrupted the dairy and infant milk formula industry. Our vision is to create an A1-free world where dairy nourishes all people and our planet. The a2 Milk Company seeks to achieve this through the naturally occurring a2 Milk® difference and by bringing a more sustainable approach to dairy.

 

The role:
Based at our manufacturing facility in Pokeno, you will provide site-wide quality leadership, ensuring world-class food safety, product quality, and regulatory compliance across infant nutrition powder manufacturing.

 

As Site Quality Manager, you will lead all site quality functions and partner closely with Operations, Supply Chain, Regulatory Affairs, and Product Development to ensure products manufactured at Pokeno consistently meet company specifications, global regulatory requirements, and customer expectations—delivering products trusted by parents and consumers globally. 

 

More specifically, you will be responsible for:

• Leading the site Quality Department, including Quality Systems, Microbiology, Validation & Change Control, Compliance, Product Release, and QC operations across drying and canning.
• Owning site-wide food safety and regulatory compliance, including Codex, MPI, SAMR (China), FDA (US), and EU requirements for infant milk formula.
• Driving a strong Quality Culture across the site, embedding “right first time” and continuous improvement practices.
• Overseeing finished product, raw material, and packaging release processes for infant nutrition powders.
• Leading site readiness for regulatory inspections, customer audits, and certifications (e.g. FSSC 22000, ISO, GMP).
• Partnering with Operations to optimise manufacturing processes while safeguarding food safety and quality.
• Leading root cause analysis, CAPA, and continuous improvement initiatives to reduce cost of poor quality.
• Developing and leading a high-performing Quality team (~20+ FTEs across shifts), building technical capability and future-ready leadership.
    

What You Will Bring:

• 12–15 years’ experience in Quality, Food Safety, or Regulatory Compliance within dairy, infant nutrition, or pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Proven experience in a senior site quality leadership role, managing multidisciplinary teams across laboratory, compliance, and operations interfaces.
• Deep knowledge of infant milk formula (IMF) regulations including Codex, SAMR, FDA, EU, and MPI.
• Demonstrated expertise in HACCP, food safety systems, auditing, and regulatory inspection management.
• Experience overseeing product release for high-risk categories such as infant nutrition powders.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing capability across corporate teams, regulators, and customers.
• A Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Dairy Science, Microbiology, Chemistry, Engineering, or a related discipline (Master’s preferred).

 

We are committed to enhancing our team members' work-life wellbeing with leading policies and practices on flexible work, parental leave, family care, and family wellbeing. This role can be worked flexibly, ensuring a healthy balance between work and personal life. Our family-friendly culture is designed to support workforce participation, career development, and mental health and wellbeing. Find out more about our great benefits on our Careers Page.

 

 

Find out more about our great benefits on our Careers Page.