CI Manager

About Us

GWF is one of the largest food manufacturers in Australia and New Zealand, employing around 6,000 people across 60 sites. GWF's product range is diverse and includes leading brands of breads, baked goods, smallgoods, flour, milled products, and animal feed. GWF's business units include Tip Top, DON, MAURI, and Jasol.

DON's heritage goes back to the late 1800s. Since the beginning, we have been passionate about crafting great-tasting meat products that Australians love. We produce ham, bacon, salami, smallgoods, and fresh pork.

We take great pride in our skills, techniques, and brands, which have evolved over more than a century. We've grown from a small family business to become one of Australia's largest food manufacturers, now part of the GWF group.

DON is also a leading Australian employer with offices and facilities in metropolitan and regional locations across the country. We take pride in being a responsible employer and a great place to work. We offer a safe and supportive environment where everyone can achieve their full potential.

About The Role

As CI Manager - Ham & Bacon, you'll lead the continuous improvement roadmap and embed Lean and Six Sigma thinking into every process across our Castlemaine operations. With two direct reports, this is a hands-on leadership and influencer role requiring strong stakeholder engagement across front- and backend functions.

You'll work across functions including operations, engineering, finance, technical, R&D, and quality—aligning stakeholders on shared goals and building a high-performance improvement culture.

This role is perfect for someone who understands how to bring people together, align objectives, and sustain focus and momentum in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

Responsibilities

• Champion Lean/Six Sigma methodology across all CI streams in the Ham & Bacon BU.
• Lead, coach and mentor your team and others to uplift site-wide improvement capability.
• Influence stakeholders from the factory floor to senior leadership—driving alignment and collaboration.
• Facilitate CI strategy sessions, prioritise initiatives, and manage a $4M+ renewal pipeline.
• Engage R&D project managers, process engineers and production leaders to deliver value.
• Embed structured problem solving and sustainable visual management tools.
• Use data to drive change—familiarity with SAP, Excel, and statistical tools like JMP or Tableau is ideal.
• Be a constructive disruptor: motivate the business to evolve and improve continuously.

Why Join Us

Our Purpose is to Craft food that brings out 'the good'.

When you work at DON, not only will you be part of a community crafting iconic products that people love, you will also enjoy a safe and supportive environment where you can be your authentic self, advance in your career if you choose to, be recognised and rewarded for your contributions, and make a positive difference in the community.

We also work hard to ensure the programs and benefits we offer are competitive and reflect the needs and preferences of our people. They include (among others):

• Flexible work arrangements
• Community partnerships and initiatives, including 2 volunteer days per year
• Options to purchase additional leave
• Discounted products
• Training and development programs
• Global career opportunities
• Various recognition programs and rewards, including an end-of-year celebration
• Health and wellness initiatives
• Study Assistance

About You

You're a results-focused leader and influencer with:

• 10+ years of experience in manufacturing operations or CI delivery
• Strong background in Lean and/or Six Sigma (Green or Black Belt preferred)
• Experience leading CI across front- and backend teams (R&D, Ops, Finance, Tech, Engineering)
• Proven ability to bring people together, maintain alignment, and deliver results
• Experience in SAP, Excel, and ideally statistical visualisation tools like JMP
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
• Strong coaching and mentoring capability, with experience leading CI teams
• Familiarity with project management principles and DMAIC problem-solving methodology
• Experience in food manufacturing is highly desirable

Applications

To apply for this opportunity, please submit your resume and cover letter by clicking on the 'Apply' button.

At DON and George Weston Foods, we are an equal opportunity employer. We embrace inclusion and diversity and celebrate what makes us unique. We are committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and the provision of a safe and healthy work environment. So we can get to know you in the best possible way, we're happy to adjust our recruitment process to support your accessibility needs. Please let us know your needs in providing a positive, barrier-free recruitment process via email to donpeopleandperformance@gwf.com.au.

Applicants for this position may be required to undertake pre-employment screening tests including a pre-employment medical, including drug and alcohol tests, and a security/background check, which may also include a criminal record check. Proof of eligibility to work is required for all successful applicants.

Please note only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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