What is a typical day for you at work? Tell us a bit about your role/duties?

As Day Shift Manager at Opal’s Wiri site in Auckland, my focus is making sure the shift runs safely, efficiently and according to plan. Each day starts with reviewing production priorities and addressing any safety, quality or operational challenges that come up.

I work closely with team leaders and crews across the site to keep things running smoothly, while also coordinating with other departments. A big part of my role is being out on the floor, solving problems, managing priorities and helping create an environment where people can do their best work.

Tell us about your career background, previous roles and industry experience.

I’ve been with Opal for 19 years, starting on the production floor operating machines. Over the years, I’ve worked across day, night and afternoon shifts, building experience across different parts of the operation. My leadership journey began as a Team Leader before moving into a Shift Manager role on afternoon shift, and now days. Having worked across a range of areas, I’ve gained a good understanding of both the operational side of the business and what it takes to build strong teams.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Definitely the people. I enjoy working with people from different backgrounds and bringing those experiences together as one team. The most rewarding part is seeing someone grow in confidence, take on new challenges and succeed in their role. It’s great being part of an environment where people support each other and where everyone is working towards the same goals.

What has been your most memorable project or accomplishment at Opal so far?

One of my proudest achievements was being recognised as Printing Trainer of the Year. Having completed the NZQA printing qualifications myself, it was rewarding to be recognised for helping others develop their skills and gain qualifications of their own.

I’m also proud of the health and wellbeing initiative we’ve recently introduced at Wiri. Having always enjoyed sport, particularly rugby, and now spending a lot of time training and doing CrossFit outside of work, I wanted to create an opportunity for our team to come together and be active. We’ve started running regular CrossFit-style fitness sessions on site, and it’s been great to see people of all ages and experience levels getting involved and thinking about their own wellbeing and longevity.

The best part has been seeing the positive impact it has on the team, not just from a fitness perspective, but also in the connections and relationships being built across the site.

Visit our careers page to start your journey at Opal.