Senior Design Manager

Senior Design Manager

Permanent, Full Time

Christchurch, NZ

Wyma, www.wymasolutions.com, is a world leader in the design and manufacture of post-harvest vegetable and fruit handling equipment.  We are based in Christchurch (in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility), with operations in Australia, UK, and Czech Republic. 

Wyma strengthened its position in May 2023 when it was acquired by MHM Automation Limited, a New Zealand‑headquartered global agritech company serving the meat, dairy, grain, and horticulture sectors. In 2024, MHM Automation and Wyma joined the Fortifi Food Processing Solutions group enabling Fortifi to deliver solutions ranging from single‑line improvements to fully automated food processing plants worldwide.

At Wyma, you’ll be part of a positive and supportive team culture, working from world-class manufacturing and office facilities in Christchurch. Our values – Flexibility, Respect, Energy, Sustainability and Honour – underpin everything we do, and we’re committed to delivering innovative, high-quality solutions for our customers.

The Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Design Manager to lead a portfolio of products and drive their development, performance and ongoing improvement.

This is a pivotal leadership role where you will take end-to-end accountability for product design, quality and delivery, while leading and developing a team of engineers. You’ll work closely with Product Portfolio Managers and cross-functional teams to ensure products meet customer needs, are commercially viable, and are delivered efficiently.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the design, development and lifecycle management of assigned products
• Ensure designs meet cost, reliability, safety and functional requirements
• Drive continuous improvement, innovation and standardisation across product lines
• Manage and develop a team of engineers, fostering performance, capability and engagement
• Oversee design quality, documentation and compliance requirements
• Provide technical input to support sales, marketing and customer solutions
• Manage project timelines, budgets and resource allocation across multiple priorities
• Collaborate across engineering, manufacturing, sales and project teams to deliver outcomes
• Lead resolution of warranty and product performance issues, including root cause analysis

About You

You are a strong technical leader with a passion for design excellence and developing high-performing teams.

You will bring:

• Proven experience in mechanical/machinery design, ideally in a similar industrial environment
• Demonstrated people leadership experience and ability to build collaborative teams
• Strong 2D/3D CAD capability and engineering analysis skills
• Experience in design for manufacture and cost optimisation
• Ability to manage multiple projects and deliver to deadlines
• Excellent problem-solving and communication skills
• A relevant engineering qualification (Mechanical, Mechatronics, or similar or relevant experience)
• Exposure to FEA/simulation tools (e.g. ANSYS) and/or water treatment design (desirable)

Why Join Wyma?

• Work with a globally recognised agritech business
• Be part of a supportive, values-driven culture
• Access to modern, world-class facilities in Christchurch
• Opportunity to lead, influence and shape product innovation
• Ongoing professional development and leadership growth

If you’re ready to take the next step in your leadership career and make a meaningful impact in a global engineering environment, we’d love to hear from you.

Please note that only those with the legal right to work in NZ will be considered.