Careers at a2

General information

Job Title

Plant QA Lead - Canning

Location

New Zealand - Pokeno

Date Published

Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Ref #

342

Work Type

Permanent

Short Summary

Lead quality excellence at a2 Milk’s Pokeno site. Grow your impact, develop others, and shape world-class nutrition manufacturing.

Position Description

Our Story:

We’re excited to share that our business has recently joined the a2 Milk Company family. Formerly known as Yashili Dairy NZ Ltd, we are now operating as a2 Nutritionals NZ Limited, based in Pokeno.

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.

About the role:

Reporting to the Quality Manager – Operations and based at our Pokeno site, you will play a key role in ensuring that every product manufactured in our plant meets the highest quality and food safety standards. You will lead the on-site Quality Assurance function, championing a quality-first mindset and partnering closely with Operations, Maintenance and NPD to support safe, consistent, and compliant production.

More specifically, you will be involved in:

Leading and developing a team of QA Technologists performing in-process testing, raw material testing and packaging material testing
Managing internal non-conformances, including investigation, root cause analysis, trending, reporting and timely close-out
Overseeing Threat Assessment Critical Control Point (TACCP) requirements
Providing quality and food safety guidance during unscheduled plant stoppages
Implementing the Internal Control Plan (ICP) to mitigate potential manufacturing non-conformances
Supporting internal and external audits and ensuring compliance with regulatory and certification requirements
Supporting customer and consumer complaint investigations
Partnering with NPD during production trials, ensuring quality and food safety requirements are met
Embedding the factory Quality Monitoring Scheme (fQMS) across the shop floor
Conducting Gemba walks and coaching operational teams on product quality best practice

What you will bring:

Experience in infant formula or dairy manufacturing (minimum 1 year essential; 3–5+ years preferred)
Knowledge of dry blend and spray-drying operations
Experience with RMP, HACCP and prerequisite programme development
Understanding of in-process quality testing in powdered milk or infant nutrition
Strong computer literacy and ability to work with quality systems
Proven ability to lead, coach and develop others
Strong teamwork, adaptability, and a high-performance mindset
Excellent attention to detail, problem-solving and continuous improvement capability
A tertiary qualification in Food Science or a related field (preferred)
Commitment to upholding a2’s BOLD Values and promoting a culture of safety, quality and integrity