Ci Manager

Castlemaine site-based leadership CI role
- Influence cross-functional teams and execs
- Lean/Six Sigma, SAP, visual tools like JMP a plus

**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**
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.