Early Careers

Your career can stretch as long as Mozzarella on a pizza!

Early Careers is critical to delivering our Co-operative’s long-term aspiration and strategy bringing innovation, new ideas and diversity to continue our legacy for the next 150 years. 

Your career starts here! Whatever your interest or passion is, we have a range of different early career opportunities, including graduate programmes, internships and apprenticeships. Download the early career pathways guide here.

  

Graduate opportunities

The Fonterra Specialist Graduate programme offers the opportunity to work alongside experts and develop your knowledge and skills in our functional streams including Supply Chain, Accounting/Finance, Data & AI/IT, Engineering and Sustainability.

You will have the opportunity to move into a wide range of exciting positions, build your cultural capability and gain exposure across our diverse company during your time on the programme. For more information about our Engineering Graduate Programme, download the handout here.

What's in it for you?
Who are we looking for?
What is it like?
Applications are now open for our Engineering Graduate Programme.  Please click here to apply.  Applications will close on Sunday 24th March 2024. For our other Specialist Graduate Programmes, please click here to register your interest.
The Fonterra Graduate Technical programme (FGTP) offers the opportunity to gain your Master of Dairy Science and Technology and has been successfully developing industry leaders for over 50 years. 

For STEM students, this 12-month programme is full of learning development and experiences that will take you around New Zealand .

Experiencing our Manufacturing sites at placement, learning from industry experts at winter course and applying this knowledge to a real value research project, this is the best transition from university to work, building a solid foundation for a successful career. For more information on the Fonterra Graduate Technical Programme (FGTP), download the handout here.

What’s in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now open, please click here to apply.  Applications will close on Sunday 24th March 2024. 
The Fonterra Farm Source Agribusiness Programme offers exposure to a broad, exciting range of opportunities across the agricultural sector. 

Our Agribusiness Programme provides access to placements right across Farm Source and the country. The programme will see you connecting with our farmers on farm, in store or on the phone, to challenging your skills in project management and process improvement. You’ll meet with key stakeholders and work on activities that impact our business on a daily basis. This programme offers exposure to it all.  

What’s in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now closed and will reopen in August 2024

Internship opportunities

Our Summer internship programme is designed to give you a hands-on experience of Fonterra.

Our summer internship includes opportunities in Supply Chain, Accounting & Finance, IT & Data, Technical Engineering and Sustainability.

What's in it for you?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now closed and will reopen in August 2024.
Gain hands on experience with real R&D projects at our world class research centre in Palmerston North. 

Our Research & Development Internship runs for 12 weeks over the summer. You will get to work with industry leaders as you get to solve practical problems using your science related knowledge.  

We are looking for 2nd and 3rd year STEM students studying chemical and process engineering, food engineering, chemistry, physics, food technology, food science and data science.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now closed and will reopen in August 2024.
Our Agribusiness Summer Internship is designed to give you hands-on experience of Farm Source.

The programme will see you connecting with our farmers in store, on farm and challenging your skills in project management. This programme offers unique exposure to the agribusiness sector across Aotearoa New Zealand.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now closed and will reopen in August 2024.

Apprenticeship Careers 

As an apprentice you work for, get paid by, and learn from, an employer who supports you through your apprenticeship to gain a Level 4 New Zealand Certificate in your chosen apprenticeship area. For more information on Apprenticeship Careers, download our handout here.

As a Mechanical Apprentice at Fonterra, you’ll be learning new skills and become qualified in a challenging and varied profession. 

Your theory-based learning will align with the practical work you'll complete over the 4 year programme contributing toward a New Zealand Certificate in Mechanical Engineering - Maintenance Level 4.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like
Who are we looking for?
Applications are currently closed.
This apprenticeship is ideal for people who have a love for hands-on work, problem solving and working on vehicles.

There is plenty of variety, no day is the same - from preventative maintenance to keeping our fleet of more than 500 tankers on the road through to computer diagnostics and fault finding with cutting edge technology. The learning opportunities are endless. 

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for
Applications are currently closed.
As an Electrical Apprentice at Fonterra, you’ll be learning new skills and become qualified in a challenging and varied profession.

Through a mix of block course lessons, theory and fantastic hands-on training, you’ll learn alongside our highly experienced and qualified Maintenance teams while getting exposure to all areas of the manufacturing site.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are currently closed.
The Dairy Processing Apprenticeship is ideal for you if you've got a strong passion for food and are keen to get a great head start in a career in dairy processing.

This isn’t just about putting milk powder in bags - it’s about understanding how we take the amazing milk provided by our farmers and turning it into the huge variety of finished products we all enjoy.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
What is it like?
Who are we looking for
Applications are currently closed.

Traineeship Careers 

At Fonterra a Traineeship is a series of connected qualifications & learning experiences designed to help those with existing experience and/or qualifications specialise into a certain area of the business.

You’ll learn how to proactively and efficiently operate our energy centre assets.  Our Energy Centre Trainee roles are hugely varied across water, steam, electricity and compressed air generation to keep our sites operational.

You’ll gain broad exposure to site utilities including boilers and water treatment plants, and get to learn about planning work, shut down maintenance, and assist with troubleshooting and breakdowns – there’s plenty of variety here!

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are currently closed.
Our NZDC Forklift Operator Traineeship roles are ideal for those who enjoy being hands on and are passionate about transport and logistics.

You’ll gain exposure to all areas of the Distribution Centre sites and beyond through a range of varied learning experiences, on the jobs assessments and support from mentors, all while having the opportunity to achieve your NZ Certificate in Dairycraft- Logistics Level 3.

What's in it for you?
What can you expect?
Who are we looking for?
Applications are now open and will close on Sunday 11th February. Click here to apply. Roles are available at the following sites: Darfield, Kauri, Edgecumbe, Canpac (Hamilton) & Hautapu.

Ready for a career at Fonterra?

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