Engineering Team Lead – Evaporator, Dryer & Powder

Lead complex evaporation & drying systems at scale

We are seeking a specialist Team Lead with strong experience in evaporation and/or spray drying systems to lead our Evaporation, Drying & Powder Handling capability within the engineering team.

This is a hands-on technical leadership role - not a pure people manager position. You will combine deep technical expertise with team leadership and project oversight, ensuring the successful delivery of large-scale, high-value processing plants.

You will play a key role in leading engineers, shaping technical direction, and driving delivery excellence across evaporation, concentration, and drying systems from design through to commissioning.

What you’ll be doing

Technical Leadership & Delivery

• Lead the technical delivery of evaporation, drying, and/or powder systems across projects

• Collaborate closely with the sales team to:

• Develop project estimates, providing both indicative budget pricing and detailed/accurate costings as required, and review team costings.

• Develop and present solutions to internal and external customers.

• Prepare offer documentation to support costings, including clearly defined KPIs.Take ownership from process design through to commissioning and performance validation

• Develop and review process designs, heat & mass balances, and equipment specifications

• Provide technical direction and governance across projects to ensure quality and consistency

• Lead on-site commissioning activities and complex troubleshooting

• Demonstrate and appreciate safety for self, others and design in all actions and activities

Team Leadership & Capability Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of process/project engineers

• Provide technical mentorship and oversight, building capability within the team

• Support resource planning and allocation across projects

• Identify and monitor team KPI’s and benchmarking against other projects

• Undertake staff appraisals and provide developmental and motivational feedback on a regular basis.

• Foster a high-performance, collaborative team environment

• Lead by example, demonstrating behaviours that consistently align with stated values and expectations

Project & Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with global and local teams to integrate evaporation, drying, utilities, and upstream/downstream processes

• Partner with Project Managers to ensure delivery on time, within budget, and to specification

• Translate customer requirements into practical, buildable engineering solutions

• Act as a senior technical interface with customers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders

Continuous Improvement & Standards

• Drive standardisation and best practice across evaporation, drying and powder technologies

• Support innovation, optimisation, and performance improvement initiatives

• Contribute to strengthening technical frameworks and engineering quality

• Gate keeper of technologies and standards within the team

What sets this role apart

• Large-scale turn-key process plants spray dryers and evaporation systems

• Combination of technical depth + leadership responsibility

• Exposure to infant formula, dairy powders, and high-value processing systems

• Opportunity to work across New Zealand, Australia, and international projects

• Be part of a global engineering network with deep technical expertise

About you

You are a technical leader first, people leader second—a specialist who can lead from the front while developing others.

• 8–12+ years’ experience in evaporation and/or spray drying systems

• Strong understanding of:

  • Heat transfer, mass balance, and thermodynamics

  • Dairy and food process engineering

• Proven experience delivering capital projects from design through to commissioning

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop engineers or technical teams

• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills

• Ability to troubleshoot and optimise complex processing systems

• Willingness to undertake site-based work (including extended commissioning phases)

What we offer

• Competitive salary aligned to specialist experience

• Global bonus scheme

• Southern Cross health insurance

• Additional leave (Birthday + Company Day)

• Exposure to cutting-edge dairy processing technologies

• Career development within a global engineering organisation

Additional Information

Applicants must have the legal right to work in New Zealand. Pre-employment checks, including drug and alcohol testing, will be required.