Beekeeper

• Minimum 30 hours per week guaranteed. 
• Employee will be based in Taranaki but may travel as required to other sites

Aim for the role:
To assist with the success and growth of the regional apiculture operation. To pursue the highest standards of beehives, land management, and beekeeping practices. To assist with the mentorship and growth of other beekeepers, which report both directly and indirectly to the Apiary manager.

Candidates must meet one of the following criteria:

• At least 1 year of relevant experience; OR
• Minimum Level 2 (Certificate) relevant to Industry - can substitute for the work experience

Applicants must have the following as per employer’s requirement:

• Must be physically fit
• Must pass pre-employment drug test
• Must provide a CV. Must provide verifiable references of previous employment history
• Must have right to work in NZ/be NZ resident/Citizen

Job responsibilities and expectations:

• Identify and control hive diseases and maintain good beehive hygiene
• Assess the strength of beehives and report findings
• To assess and control hive swarming, report, and take appropriate actions as necessary
• Complete hive manipulations, including locating and replacing queens
• To feed and record food storage of hives
• To make up nucleus colonies to recover any losses
• To efficiently super hives in production, reading the bloom correctly and using the correct amount of honey supers to maximise box weights and honey production
• To efficiently pull honey from beehives to ensure maximum crop value is achieved
• To efficiently move hives during hours of darkness
• To effectively winter down hives in preparation for winter
• Maximum of 12% winter lose for all beehives under management
• To continuously strive to improve beekeeping understanding and technique and pass down knowledge to junior beekeepers and other team leaders
• Assist with the timely and complete management of hives during rounds and season as per the seasonal plan
• August to February required to be available to work Saturdays
• Ensure less than 5% of Queenless beehives for all hives under Team Leaders management
• Maximum of 15 to 17 days between site checks 15th September to 15th December
• Maximum of 30 days between site visits August, January to May
• Identify, understand, and work towards delivering MH purpose, strategies, and goals.
• Actively drive continuous improvement of all areas to ensure best practice and ongoing improvement.
• Maintain enduring relationships with existing landowners to retain preferred land sites.
• Ensure our beekeeping team treats landowners and their properties with the highest level of respect.
• Update GIS Land and Hazard Database as required.
• To lead by inspiring others to pursue the Manuka Health vision and manage hives effectively within the parameters set by the Apiary Manager
• Engaging our beekeepers so they are committed to achieving Manuka Health goals.
• Own leadership behaviours that are consistent with the vision, goals, values, and priorities for Manuka Health.
• Support and if necessary, enforce company policy, reporting on non-compliance.
• To support and encourage junior beekeepers and team leaders by guiding their learning so that they may maximise their potential, develop their beekeeping skills, improve their performance, and become beekeepers of the future
• To lead by example
• To lead to the extent that your leadership becomes a shared effort, a shared vision, and a shared success

Please provide us with information as to your eligibility to work in New Zealand – if you are on a temporary visa or if you are a New Zealand citizen/resident.