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Useful experience for chemical production operators includes factory or laboratory work.

Chemical production operators may do some or all of the following:

• weigh, measure and mix ingredients for ointments, creams, tablets and liquid medication
• control the temperature and operation of machines
• apply coatings to some products for flavour, colour or protection
• operate and sterilise machines
• keep records, complete batch documentation and do paperwork.

Limited opportunities for chemical production operators

Chances of getting work as a chemical production operator are poor due to:

• the small size of the pharmaceutical industry
• stable demand from employers
• people usually staying in the role for a long time – about 10 to 15 vacancies come up each year.

Your chances are best in Auckland and Christchurch, as most of the factories where chemical production operators work are based in these cities. New Zealand Pharmaceuticals in Palmerston North is also a major employer of chemical production operators.  

According to the Census, 588 chemical production operators worked in New Zealand in 2018.

About 100 employers of chemical production operators in New Zealand

Chemical production operators work for pharmaceutical manufacturers, and there are about 100 of these in New Zealand. They manufacture pharmaceutical products for national and international markets.

Products manufactured in New Zealand include:

• cosmetics and health-related products (nutraceuticals)
• veterinary products
• biotechnical products (products for the health sector, which can be for human and animal consumption).

Competenz

0800 526 1800 - info@competenz.org.nz - www.competenz.org.nz

Chemical production operators may progress into supervisory or team leader roles. With experience they can move into managerial roles such as production manager.

• Production manager job information

They may also specialise in working with a particular product, such as prescription medicine, or a stage of the production process such as controlling the operation of a particular machine.

Chemical production operators need to be:

• accurate, with an eye for detail
• careful and safety-conscious
• practical and reliable
• able to work well in a team and unsupervised
• able to follow instructions
• good at basic maths and science.