Head of Engineering

At Argenta, we’re more than a company - we’re a global team, dedicated to healthier animals. We believe that when their lives are made better, we're all the better for it.

Founded in 2006, we support companies big and small to develop and manufacture health products for pets and livestock. Our trusted, innovative solutions cover every stage of the process, from molecule to market.

We are in a unique position: the world’s only combined contract research and contract development and manufacturing organisation (CRO/CDMO) dedicated solely to animal health.

We are ambitious, growing, and building a One Team culture, grounded in our values:

We are team players.

We are doers.

We are customer-centric.

We are innovators.

As a global company, we value diversity and the richness it brings - across locations, career stages, backgrounds, and experiences. When every person brings their best “paw” forward, we make animals' lives better.

With bases in New Zealand, the US, the UK and Europe, our 900+ colleagues are driven by our partnership approach and purpose: Healthy Animals. Let’s Make It Happen, Together.

Team players who want to do great work and find innovative ways to make animals’ lives better through our customer-centric efforts should apply.

About the Role

As Head of Engineering , you will lead site engineering strategy, drive best-in-class high-speed manufacturing performance, and pioneer continuous improvement across our production operations. Reporting directly to the Site Manager and serving as a key member of the Site Leadership Team (SLT), you will partner closely with Production and Quality to maximise line efficiencies, optimise planned maintenance, and deliver high-impact capital projects, while maintaining a strong culture of Health, Safety and Environmental Security & Regulatory Compliance.

Key Responsibilities:

Responsible site-wide for adherence to all statutory requirements and Company regulations and guidelines which affect engineering integrity.

Champion a positive, inclusive and high-performing engineering culture, built on open communication, shared ownership and the removal of silos, working in partnership with Production, Quality and the wider Site Leadership Team to deliver shared site objectives.

Define and implement the site development strategy, in collaboration with key stakeholders, including the five-year capital investment plan.

Responsible for the cost-effective provision; development & implementation of the engineering & site services in support of the mission and strategy:

CAPEX expenditure and implementation

Maintenance and construction engineering support

Project and design engineering

Contractor management

Site effluent treatment / utilities / stores

Engineering business systems

Energy conservation

Responsible for the development and implementation of engineering improvements to benefit the site, including the leading of change programmes & platforms from a technical & leadership perspective.

Lead the site's Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) programme, embedding autonomous and planned maintenance practices and the systematic elimination of equipment losses, in partnership with Production and Quality, to improve equipment reliability and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE).

Own engineering's role in the site Quality Management System, ensuring corrective and preventive actions (CAPAs) arising from deviations, audits and investigations are root-caused, completed on time and verified for effectiveness, and that all changes to equipment, systems and facilities are assessed, approved, documented and implemented under formal change control in line with cGMP requirements.

Develop local talent to sustain local & global competitiveness. This includes identifying individuals with leadership potential, providing mentoring and enrichment opportunities consistent with succession planning.

To contribute, together with site leadership team, to the formation of policies, direction and business processes improving the business as a whole.

Must be flexible and able to work well in a fast-paced environment, competently handling simultaneously occurring tasks and smaller projects, and have excellent written and oral communication skills.

Ensure all Project(s) are carried out in accordance with instructions, procedures, plant safety and cGMP guidelines and support shift-based training with staff on equipment. Comply with all company, local and global policies including Quality frameworks, Code of Conduct, Corporate Citizenship, anti-discrimination, harassment, and health, safety and environment (HSE) policies and CDM Regulations.

Responsible for the compliance with Engineering and all Environmental, Health and Safety legislation and requirements to ensure that the Project(s) are engineered and safely executed. (e.g. Hazop, Permits to Work, Risk Assessment, Incident Reporting, Safe Work Practice, COSHH).

Comply with all company local and global policies including Quality frameworks, Red Book, and health, safety and environment (HSE) policies.

Perform any other duties or serve in such other capacity as may be determined by Company management.

Qualifications:

Minimum Degree in Engineering or Science Discipline or equivalent

Desirable Bachelor or Masters’ Degree in Engineering or Science discipline

Desirable Chartered Engineer or equivalent

Demonstrated engineering leadership experience in Animal Health, Pharmaceuticals, Fine Chemicals and/or Food Industry

Demonstrated fiscal responsibility and effectiveness

Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with success

Effective interpersonal, communication, negotiation and influencing skills

Experience in Project Engineering role or equivalent

Experience working in cGMP environment desirable

Pharmaceutical experience desirable, but not essential.

Computer literate (email / MS Applications / CMMS, etc)

Expertise in failure mode analysis and sustainability: FMEA, RCM, FTA

Expertise in use of formal root cause tools

Six Sigma experience / Green or Black Belt

Advocate for safety, training and knowledge sharing