Kinrise is a growing, privately owned powerhouse in Australian food manufacturing with some of Australia’s most loved and innovative brands. We describe ourselves as a ‘start up with scale’ and have a burning ambition to grow our business. Formed in 2018 the Kinrise portfolio covers Biscuits, Breakfast, Baking, Bakery, and Snackfood categories and has 40+ years making iconic Australian food, with a rich Australian heritage that’s grounded in family origins.

We are looking for an experienced Head of Engineering & Automation to lead the engineering, automation and manufacturing technology strategy across our operating sites.

About the Role

This is a high-impact leadership role responsible for translating business strategy into a prioritised program of engineering, automation and capital initiatives across Kinrise.

You will develop and deliver a 3–5 year engineering and automation roadmap, identifying opportunities to improve safety, quality, food safety, manufacturing capacity, reliability, OEE, labour productivity and operational efficiency.

You will lead major initiatives from opportunity identification and business case development through design, procurement, installation, commissioning, operational handover and benefits realisation.

Working closely with Operations, Safety, Quality, Finance and site leadership, you will provide technical and commercial leadership while building consistent engineering, automation, reliability and asset-management standards across Kinrise.

This role is ideal for a senior engineering or automation leader who can move confidently between strategy, technology, capital investment and operational execution.

Key Responsibilities

Engineering & Automation Strategy

- Develop, maintain and deliver Kinrise’s engineering, automation and manufacturing technology strategy.

- Translate business strategy into a prioritised and costed roadmap across manufacturing sites.

- Define automation opportunities across production, processing, material handling and packaging.

- Balance immediate operational priorities with long-term capability, technology lifecycle, capacity and sustainability requirements.

- Provide recommendations to senior leadership on investment priorities, sequencing, dependencies and risk.

Automation & Manufacturing Technology

- Establish and maintain a pipeline of engineering and automation opportunities across Kinrise sites.

- Identify and deploy appropriate technologies including robotics, automated material handling, machine vision, PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, instrumentation and manufacturing data systems.

- Ensure automation solutions deliver measurable improvements in safety, quality, traceability, throughput, reliability, labour productivity, waste or operational control.

- Establish standard technical architectures, control philosophies, equipment specifications and preferred technology platforms.

- Manage automation lifecycle and obsolescence risks.

- Ensure automation solutions integrate effectively with existing equipment, utilities, production processes and business systems.

Capital & Project Delivery

- Lead development of the annual Kinrise capital plan in alignment with strategic priorities and site requirements.

- Review and technically endorse major capital expenditure proposals.

- Lead and oversee major capital and automation projects valued above $100,000.

- Ensure projects are delivered safely to approved scope, schedule,



budget and technical performance requirements.

- Oversee suppliers, systems integrators, OEMs, contractors and consultants.

- Ensure project risks, scope changes, decisions and benefits are effectively managed and communicated.

- Support operational readiness, commissioning, ramp-up and successful handover of completed projects.

Reliability & Asset Management

- Establish and maintain consistent reliability and asset-management standards across Kinrise.

- Define expectations for planned, preventive and predictive maintenance, critical spares, asset hierarchies and failure analysis.

- Establish asset criticality assessments and ensure risks to safety, quality, service and production continuity are addressed.

- Ensure project designs consider reliability, maintainability, cleanability, technical support and whole-of-life cost.

- Build technical capability across site engineering and maintenance teams through standards, coaching and communities of practice.

Engineering Standards & Governance

- Develop and maintain Group engineering, automation and equipment standards.

- Define preferred equipment, controls, components, software platforms and suppliers where standardisation creates value.

- Ensure standards address machinery safety, hygienic design, food safety, electrical and mechanical design, controls, documentation, cybersecurity, maintainability and energy efficiency.

- Maintain appropriate technical documentation, drawings, specifications, control programs and asset information.

- Establish technical assurance and design-review requirements based on project value, complexity and risk.

Sustainability & Resource Efficiency

- Ensure engineering and automation initiatives consider energy, water, waste, packaging, emissions and resource efficiency.

- Incorporate sustainability benefits and lifecycle costs into investment recommendations.

- Measure completed initiatives against agreed environmental and resource-efficiency outcomes.

Stakeholder & Change Leadership

- Build strong relationships across Business Units, manufacturing sites and functions.

- Create shared ownership of engineering and automation outcomes.

- Lead communication, consultation and workforce transition activities associated with major technology and process changes.

- Engage employees and technical specialists in design reviews, testing and implementation.

- Develop a capable supplier ecosystem and build internal capability so improvements are sustained after project completion.

About You

You will be a strategic and commercially minded engineering or automation leader who can connect long-term manufacturing strategy with practical execution.

You will bring:

- Extensive senior-level engineering, automation or capital-project experience in FMCG, food manufacturing or another regulated manufacturing environment.

- Demonstrated experience leading multi-site engineering transformation and major capital portfolios.





- A track record of identifying manufacturing losses and risks and converting them into prioritised engineering and automation initiatives.

- Proven delivery of automation projects that have improved safety, quality, OEE, throughput, waste, reliability or labour productivity.

- Strong experience developing business cases using operational baselines, financial analysis, risk assessment and investment evaluation.

- Strong knowledge of industrial automation and controls, including PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, robotics, machine vision, instrumentation and manufacturing data systems.

- Experience integrating automation into brownfield manufacturing environments.

- Experience with hygienic equipment design, machinery safety, commissioning and validation within GMP and HACCP-regulated environments.

- Experience establishing engineering standards and preferred technology platforms across multiple sites.

- Experience managing systems integrators, OEMs, contractors, consultants and engineering service providers.

- Demonstrated capability in operational readiness, commissioning, ramp-up, change leadership and perks realisation.

- Experience using OEE, downtime, waste, labour and process data to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.

- Working knowledge of Lean and continuous improvement methodologies.

Leadership & Attributes

You will bring:

- Strategic thinking and the ability to translate long-term manufacturing needs into practical action.

- Strong technical judgement across engineering, automation, project delivery, reliability and manufacturing operations.

- Strong commercial and financial acumen, including capital governance, lifecycle costing and investment evaluation.

- Strong problem-solving, root-cause analysis, risk assessment and decision-making capability.

- The ability to influence senior leaders, site teams and technical specialists without relying solely on formal authority.

- Strong project, program, contractor, supplier and resource-management capability.

- Clear communication skills and the ability to translate complex technical and commercial matters for different audiences.

- The ability to lead change, build capability and earn trust across functions and sites.

- A strong commitment to safety, food safety, quality, integrity and the Kinrise Values.

Qualifications

- Recognised degree qualification in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Automation, Manufacturing, Process or another relevant engineering discipline, or equivalent qualification and experience.

- Additional qualifications or certifications in project management, continuous improvement or asset management such as PRINCE2, PMP, Lean or Six Sigma are desirable.

- Training or demonstrated capability in machinery safety, functional safety, hygienic design, automation controls or operational technology is desirable.

Why Join Us?

Kinrise is a fast paced, agile business that focuses on your talents and challenges you to perform at your best. An opportunity with us would mean:

- An opportunity to work with leading Australian-made brands and products

- An exciting role in a growing business with a excellent history and an ambitious growth agenda

- Supportive and collaborative team culture

Kinrise is committed to creating an environment that welcomes all, celebrates our diversity in all its forms and fosters an environment of inclusion. We recognise that our unique differences are what sets us apart and how we succeed as a team. We are an equal prospect employer.

📌 Head of Engineering and Automation (South Yarra)
🏢 Kinrise
📍 South Yarra