RENCO - General Manager

RENCO is a New Zealand biotech company producing natural enzymes and has done so for more than 100 years. 100% New Zealand-owned and operated, RENCO is a proud member of the Talley’s Group, New Zealand's leading exporter of meat, dairy, seafood, and vegetable products. We are seeking a hands-on leader to build and sustain a high-performance culture in a complex, diverse manufacturing environment, to manage our processing facility located in Eltham, Taranaki.

As General Manager, you will be responsible for the day-to-day operations of our manufacturing facility and will be accountable for overall plant performance and optimisation. Operationally focused you will lead the site to achieve excellence in health & safety, hygiene, product quality, engagement & culture, and customer service. You will also bring strong commercial acumen to ensure operational decisions support wider business objectives, profitability, and long-term sustainability. You will proactively build and maintain effective commercial relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners, and customers.

• Lead the site to meet plant and company production goals, supporting the site leadership team with strategic decision-making.
• Drive operational performance and optimisation across the site.
• Implement and maintain effective health & safety practices, with the aim of zero harm and zero incidents.
• Support RENCO’s strategic direction and instil commitment to that direction across the site.
• Ensure plant profitability and maximise revenues through efficient production practices, cost control, and commercially sound decision-making.
• Actively manage cost drivers, margins, and resource utilisation to optimise financial performance.
• Build and maintain strong commercial relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, suppliers, and key external partners.
• Ensure compliance with all company, legislative, environmental, health & safety, production, and customer requirements.
• Maintain processes and systems that ensure on-time, in-full delivery of products that meet customer specifications and commercial agreements.
• Identify opportunities for continuous improvement and cost reduction without compromising quality or safety.
• Recruit, lead, develop, and performance-manage site staff.
• Prepare and submit monthly reports on production, health & safety, compliance, non-conformances, and commercial performance to senior and executive management.

• Operationally focused, with experience managing people, productivity, yields, waste, and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to understand financial drivers, trade-offs, and the business impact of operational decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and sustain effective commercial and stakeholder relationships at a senior level.
• A confident communicator, able to influence and partner with internal and external stakeholders.
• Able to integrate effectively into a varied and diverse environment.
• Proven people leadership, with strong engagement and development capability.
• Resilient, with logical, analytical, and rational decision-making skills.
• Understanding of the technical aspects of manufacturing processes, specifically related to enzyme extraction.
• Improvement-focused mindset, with the ability to analyse operational and commercial data to optimise outcomes.

• Minimum 5 years’ leadership/management experience in a hygienic manufacturing environment.
• Knowledge and understanding of New Zealand health & safety legislation.
• Knowledge and understanding of New Zealand MPI compliance.
• Knowledge and understanding of GMP and HACCP systems and procedures.

All applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand.