Associate Director Maintenance & Engineering - Götene

As Associate Director Maintenance & Engineering, you will be a key member of the Site Leadership Team in Götene, leading a complex Maintenance & Engineering organization and driving operational excellence across the site. Reporting to the Senior Site Director, you will lead managers and specialists while helping shape the future direction of one of Arla's most important production sites.

This is an opportunity to combine strategic leadership with hands-on impact, ensuring high reliability, technical excellence, continuous improvement, and a strong safety culture. Your work will support the continued production of iconic brands including Bregott®, Arla® Svenskt Smör, Wästgöta Kloster®, Billinge®, and our broader portfolio of high-quality dairy products.

The investments we're making in Götene reflect our confidence in the site's future and its importance to Arla's long-term strategy. We are creating an environment where innovation, operational excellence, and strong leadership go hand in hand, making this an exciting time to join our leadership team, says Martin Drobena, Senior Site Director.

How you will make an impact

You will lead the site's Maintenance & Engineering organization, ensuring the reliability, efficiency, and performance of equipment, facilities, and technical systems. At the same time, you will foster a culture built on safety, quality, food safety, sustainability, Lean principles, and continuous improvement. As part of the Site Leadership Team, you will contribute to business planning, site strategy, and investment decisions.

Key responsibilities include

• Leading, coaching, and developing managers, specialists, and teams within Maintenance & Engineering.

• Ensuring reliable, efficient, and cost-effective operation of production equipment, facilities, and technical systems.
• Driving continuous improvement, technical development, Lean initiatives, and digital transformation.
• Managing budgets, forecasts, and investment projects while contributing to site strategy and business plans.
• Ensuring compliance with technical standards, QEHS requirements, food safety standards, legislation, and Arla policies.

What will make you successful

We are looking for a collaborative leader with strong technical expertise, strategic thinking, and a passion for developing people and teams. You build strong relationships across functions, lead through others, and thrive in complex manufacturing environments. Experience leading change, continuous improvements and automation-driven transformation will be key to your success.

You will likely bring

• Extensive leadership experience within Maintenance & Engineering, Technical Operations, or Asset Management in large-scale manufacturing or other highly automated environments.
• A proven track record of developing high-performing teams and leading organizational change.
• Strong expertise in maintenance strategy, reliability, operational excellence, and Lean ways of working.
• Experience managing significant budgets, investment portfolios, and CAPEX projects while balancing short- and long-term priorities.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to influence across all levels and use data-driven insights to support decision-making.

What do we offer?

We are ambitious people doing good together- that is the spirit of our cooperative, whether at the office, in the dairy or on the farm. We enable good food choices that make life better and work hard to bring health and inspiration to the world, naturally. If you are looking to shape the future with a company that truly cares about your development and success, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.

Arla Foods has collective agreements, and we always ensure to offer good and competitive working conditions. In addition to that, safety and working environment are our top priorities, which is why we, among other things, conduct random drug and alcohol tests.

Would you like to join us?

If you want to play a key role in developing a world-class Maintenance & Engineering organization and help shape the future of our Götene site, then seize this exciting opportunity.

Please apply as soon as possible as we will process applications on a continuous basis and close the recruitment once the right candidate is found.

For additional information, please contact Martin Drobena Senior Site Director, on madry@arlafoods.com

Please be aware that any applications or CVs coming through email or direct messages will not be accepted or considered.

Shape the Future of Dairy

Arla is a global leader in the dairy industry, committed to enabling good food choices that make life better, providing people with nourishment, while taking care at every step to ensure Arla is a choice they can feel good about. If you are looking to shape the future with an ambitious global cooperative that truly cares about your growth, where everyone feels valued and empowered, and collaboration is the core of culture, Arla is a choice you can feel good about.

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