Name: Wendy Walker

Years in industry: 22

Job Title: Production manager, New Zealand King Salmon Ready to Eat Factory

Location: Nelson

It is not only the aroma of freshly smoked salmon that makes Wendy Walker's job enviable but also the smiles and successes that surround her each day.

As production manager for New Zealand King Salmon's ‘Ready to Eat' factory, it is Wendy's role to meet daily orders of the popular smoked salmon for local and international markets, to provide guidance and opportunities for her staff to achieve the National Certificate in Seafood Processing, and also as a key player in product innovation.

It's a great career says Wendy, and very achievable in the seafood industry.

Fun days with opportunities

"When I first started here I didn't know one end of a salmon from the other, but then there was the chance to complete the New Zealand Qualification's Authority (NZQA) unit standards in seafood processing so I went for it," she says.

Wendy says a job in seafood processing offers huge scope for any person wanting a career with a clear pathway to progress, as well as a great social environment.

"I loved the social side of the job and the chance to take on more responsibility if you wanted to, which I did," she says.

Wendy appreciated the flexibility with hours to suit whether you're a mum, like herself, wanting to work in the evenings, or earn a bit of extra money on the weekend.

Masters not Jacks

"All New Zealand King Salmon staff are encouraged to achieve unit standards with the goal of certification in seafood processing, and we have a very high success rate," says Wendy who herself developed unit standards in conjunction with NZQA.

 "It's a really useful qualification and people can work toward it during work hours and gain the knowledge to really master their jobs. We get to be the best we can be here."

From concept to supermarket shelves

Product innovation and quality improvement play a large part in Wendy's role. Her previous experience in the factory and as a supervisor meant she developed a keen eye for how to do things differently.

"From collaborating with technology companies to develop new, more efficient machinery to talking with chef's and marketers to develop new products, I'm involved in the entire process. We were recently approached by our marketing team about creating salmon pastrami, so we trialed recipes and processes and found we could do it. It is a fantastic success. We're involved all the way, including how to best package the product - after all it's the staff that do the job daily who are the masters."