Head of Engineering and Automation

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.
The Head of Engineering and Automation is accountable for defining and delivering the Kinrise engineering, automation and manufacturing-technology strategy across all operating sites. The role converts business strategy into a prioritised program of capital, engineering and automation initiatives that:
improve labor productivity and reduce the labor cost required to make and pack each unit;
create consistent, scalable, secure and supportable engineering solutions across Kinrise.
remove or reduce exposure to hazardous, repetitive and ergonomically demanding work;
improve product quality, food safety, process control and traceability;
increase manufacturing capacity, throughput, reliability and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE); and
reduce process variation, waste, giveaway, rework and unplanned downtime;
The role is accountable for progressing major initiatives from opportunity identification and business-case development through design, procurement, installation, commissioning, operational handover and verified benefits realisation. It partners closely with the business functional teams in Operations, Safety, Quality and Finance and provides technical and commercial challenge across the Group.
Primary Outcomes
A clear three-to-five-year engineering, automation and asset roadmap is maintained and translated into an executable annual capital plan.
Automation investment demonstrably improves safety, quality, food safety, capacity, efficiency, reliability and labor cost.
Major capital projects are delivered safely to approved scope, schedule, budget and performance requirements.
Expected project benefits are baselined, measured, validated and sustained after operational handover.
Kinrise sites operate with consistent engineering, automation, reliability and asset-management standards.
Key AccountabilitiesEngineering and Automation Strategy
· Develop, maintain and deliver the Kinrise engineering, automation and manufacturing-technology strategy.
· Translate the Group strategy into a prioritised, costed and sequenced roadmap for each manufacturing site.
· Define the target automation maturity for critical production, process, material-handling and packaging activities.
· Balance immediate operational priorities with long-term network capability, technology lifecycle, capacity and sustainability needs.
· Provide the Kinrise Leadership Team and Capital Steering Committee with clear recommendations on investment priorities, sequencing, dependencies and risk.
· Review the strategy and roadmap regularly to reflect changes in customer requirements, product mix, labor availability, technology, operating performance and business strategy.
Automation Opportunity Pipeline
· Establish and maintain a Group-wide pipeline of engineering and automation opportunities across all manufacturing sites. To improve efficiencies and reduce labour costs and waste
· Prioritise opportunities using agreed criteria, including safety and quality risk, strategic alignment, operational benefit, implementation complexity, capital requirement, return on investment and speed to value.
· Develop concept options and determine whether automation, equipment modification, process redesign, maintenance improvement or standard work is the most effective response.
· Maintain a rolling three-to-five-year opportunity pipeline and an annual implementation plan.
· Ensure opportunities have an accountable business sponsor and clear operational ownership before progressing to investment.
Capital Strategy and Portfolio Governance
· Lead development of the annual Kinrise capital plan and ensure it is aligned with strategic priorities and site requirements.
· Review and technically endorse major capital expenditure proposals before approval.
· Challenge or return proposals that do not contain adequate scope, evidence, risk assessment, options analysis, resource planning or financial justification.
· Lead the fortnightly Kinrise Capital Steering Meeting and maintain clear visibility of portfolio scope, schedule, expenditure, forecast, risks, issues, dependencies, decisions and benefits.
· Recommend the prioritisation, deferral, redesign or cessation of projects where value, risk, capacity or strategic alignment does not support continued investment.
Major Capital and Automation Project Delivery
· Lead and oversee major capital and automation projects valued above $100,000
· Control scope changes and ensure the operational, commercial and benefits impacts are assessed, approved and communicated before implementation.
· Ensure project risks, issues, decisions and actions are documented, assigned, reviewed and closed.
· Oversee supplier and contractor performance and hold delivery partners accountable for safety, technical quality, schedule, cost, documentation and performance.
Automation Technology and Deployment
· Identify and deploy appropriate technologies, including robotics, automated material handling, machine vision, process controls, PLCs, HMIs, SCADA, instrumentation, manufacturing data systems and digital performance reporting.
· Ensure automation solutions improve one or more defined outcomes in safety, quality, food safety, traceability, throughput, reliability, labor productivity, waste or operational control.
· Ensure solutions integrate effectively with existing equipment, utilities, production processes and relevant business systems.
· Define standard technical architectures, control philosophies, equipment specifications, documentation requirements and preferred technology platforms.
· Manage automation obsolescence and lifecycle risks, including unsupported controls, unavailable components, ageing equipment and dependence on single suppliers or individuals.
· Ensure source code, licences, passwords, configuration files, drawings and software backups are transferred to Kinrise and stored in controlled repositories.
· Monitor automation performance after implementation and initiate corrective action where expected performance or benefits are not achieved.
Reliability and Asset Management
· Establish the Kinrise Group reliability and asset-management framework, including common standards, measures and reporting requirements.
· Define minimum expectations for planned, preventive and predictive maintenance, critical spares, asset hierarchies, equipment history and failure analysis.
· Establish asset criticality assessments and ensure risks to safety, quality, service and production continuity are understood and addressed.
· Ensure project designs consider reliability, maintainability, component availability, technical support, cleanability and whole-of-life cost.
· Establish consistent maintenance data and performance reporting across sites.
· Build technical capability across site engineering and maintenance teams through standards, coaching, communities of practice and supplier support.
Engineering Standards and Technical Governance
· Develop, approve and maintain Group engineering, automation and equipment standards.
· Define preferred equipment, controls, components, software platforms and suppliers where standardisation provides safety, quality, reliability, cost or support benefits.
· Ensure standards address machinery safety, hygienic design, food safety, electrical and mechanical design, controls, documentation, cybersecurity, maintainability and energy efficiency.
· Maintain a controlled repository of drawings, specifications, control programs, manuals, certificates, risk assessments, commissioning records and asset information.
· Establish technical assurance and independent design-review requirements based on project value, complexity and risk.
Sustainability and Resource Efficiency
· Ensure projects consider energy, water, waste, packaging, emissions and resource-efficiency impacts.
· Include sustainability benefits and lifecycle costs in project options and investment recommendations.
· Ensure completed initiatives are measured against approved environmental and resource-efficiency outcomes where applicable.
Stakeholder, Supplier and Change Leadership
· Build strong working relationships across Business Units, sites and functions and create shared ownership of engineering and automation outcomes.
· Develop and execute communication, consultation, workforce-transition and change plans f