Orchard Cadet

About Southern Cross Horticulture: Southern Cross Horticulture is a New Zealand family-owned operation that has been planting, growing, and exporting kiwifruit for more than 40 years. Today, Southern Cross Horticulture is one of New Zealand's largest and most successful orchard developers and producers of SunGold (G3 Kiwifruit). For more information, visit: mission is to create and manage the best kiwifruit orchards in the world. This serves our purpose of enhancing the lives of our team, customers, shareholders, and community. We pride ourselves on our core values: Excellence, Integrity, Teamwork, Relationships, and Attitude. These values are at the heart of everything we do, and we are committed to fostering a supportive and dynamic environment that promotes personal and professional growth.
About the Role: We are looking for motivated Orchard Cadets who are not only technically skilled but also a strong cultural fit with our values. As a Orchard Cadet, you will play a crucial role in overseeing and managing the day-to-day operations of our 35 to 40-hectare orchard. You will lead and train teams, plan and execute orchard tasks, and ensure that all activities are completed to the highest standards of quality, on time, and within budget, all while upholding the highest standards of quality and safety.
Key Responsibilities: Lead and Train Teams: Effectively engage, train, and supervise multiple labour teams to achieve quality outputs and daily productivity targets, fostering a culture of excellence and teamwork.Orchard Planning and Execution: Update the orchard planner and execute all tasks throughout the season in a timely and efficient manner, adhering to quality specifications and budget constraints.Stakeholder Management: Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to ensure the smooth operation of the orchard and quickly resolve any issues or conflicts.Performance Management: Oversee the performance of orchard team members, including conducting site inductions, managing daily processes, and fostering a positive team environment.Health and Safety Compliance: Ensure full compliance with all health and safety regulations, including machinery checks, hazard reporting, PPE use, and adherence to company policies such as the drug and alcohol policy.What We're Looking For: A commitment to Excellence: Always striving to better your best and deliver high-quality results.Strong Integrity: Do the right thing, even when no one is looking.Effective Teamwork: Collaborate with others to succeed and support a positive team environment.Build strong Relationships: Develop trust with colleagues, contractors, and stakeholders.Bring a positive Attitude: Approach every day with your best self.Resilient and patient problem solver, able to adapt to changing conditions and challenges.Strong forward-planning and prioritisation skills.Physically fit to manage the demands of the role.Valid NZ driver's licence and legal right to work in New Zealand.Understanding of kiwifruit cycle and orchard tasks.What We Offer: Competitive salary package.Excellent career opportunities for growth and advancement within a leading horticulture company.Ongoing training and professional development to enhance your skills and knowledge.A supportive and dynamic work environment that values its employees.If you are passionate about leading the teams, thrive in a high-performance environment, align with our values and are looking for a challenging and rewarding opportunity with a company that values excellence and its employees, we'd love to hear from you Apply today with your CV and cover letter and join a world-class team