Quality Controller
Quality Controller: Fulltime fixed-term role starting February 2025
Orchard Work &
Horticultural Jobs
Motueka Job Opportunities
Fairfield Orchards Ltd is a dynamic horticultural operation specializing in apple and kiwifruit production. Our properties are located in the picturesque Motueka region, where we cultivate, pack, and store high-quality fruits for the export market.
We offer a variety of seasonal and permanent orchard job opportunities. From to Tractor & forklift operators, orchard hands & supervisors to seasonal work such as fruit picking and packhouse jobs in Motueka. We value the people who choose to work with us and offer a good hourly rate, accommodation, support staff and social opportunities.
Current Job Vacancies
Irrigation Technician
Fulltime permanent role to specialise in irrigation and irrigation maintenance.
Coolstore Forklift Operator
fulltime permanent role for someone as a Forklift operator capable of stacking into coolstore racking during the harvest season, and as a general hand in the off season.
General Orchard Hands
We have full-time permanent employment available for General Orchard Hands. The work you do will vary depend on your skills and experience.
Orchard Supervisors
We have full-time permanent employment available for Orchard Supervisors. The work is varied and changes throughout the year.
Who
We are always interested in talking to people that are keen to work in horticulture and bring their enthusiasm and skills to the team. If you are looking for fulltime work, please feel free to contact us to see what we have available. We often have positions available for computer-savvy people and people that would enjoy working outdoors in the orchards outside the picking & packing season.
When
Our season work (fruit picking and packing) begins in late summer in mid February, and peaks in March every year. We are looking to recruit skilled staff at the start of the season but we always have work throughout the season. Although quieter in the winter months we have a variety of orchard work with pruning and maintenance. October and Spring brings a burst of activity with thinning.
Where
Our Packhouse is situated in Riwaka, just 5 minutes from the vibrant township of Motueka. It's a great place to live and work with access to the Abel Tasman National just a 15 minute drive away. Surrounded by beautiful beaches, valleys and mountains our region clocks up some of the longest sunshine hours in the country.
Current Orchard Job Vacancies
Kiwifruit Fruit Thinners (Seasonal Fixed term)
Description: We have vacancies for 20 fixed term kiwifruit thinners starting early/mid October. We expect this work will lead into apple thinning which will finish just before Christmas in mid December.
After the kiwifruit and apples have finished flowering the small bunches of tiny fruit are reduced in size. Using your fingers, some of the fruit is removed. This helps the remaining fruit to grow to a target size with a certain number on each tree or vine.
This is physical work. You will have your arms raised over your head for most of the time as you remove fruit from kiwifruit vines. If you are very tall or short it may be difficult. Apple thinning may require working on orchard ladders.
Start date: The start date is dependant upon growing conditions.
Hours:Our normal hours are 7.30am to 4.30pm Mon – Fri and longer hours including Saturday work will necessary if the weather has been poor during the week, or during the harvest season.
Rates: From $22.70/hr. Other tasks may be paid on piecework or contract rates.
Requirements: All applicants will need to have photo ID and proof they are eligible to work in NZ.
Non-NZ residents without the right to work in New Zealand need not apply.
For more information please email hr@fairfieldorchards.co.nz or call 03 5284599 or click below to apply online. We look forward to working with you!
Coolstore Forklift Operator
Description:
Starting in March 2024, we have a vacancy for a fulltime permanent role for someone as a Coolstore Forklift operator who is capable of stacking into 4 tier racking during the harvest season from March to August (or longer). Outside the harvest you assist with other orchard work.
During the harvest season, you will be responsible for loading and unloading bins of fruit from our trucks at our main site and coolstores. You'll be moving bins and finished pallets of fruit around the coolstores and loading export containers.
This is a flexible role and could suit people with a wide range of abilities and skills. It may suit someone looking for seasonal work or fixed term contract. Feel free to talk to us about the role.
$25 - $35 per hour
Full time
Hours: Our normal hours are 7.30am to 4.30pm Mon – Fri and some Saturday work will necessary if the weather has been poor during the week.
Requirements: You will need to have forklift experience. Experience with racking is highly desirable. All applicants will need to have photo ID and proof they are eligible to work in NZ.
Do not apply if you are not eligible to work in New Zealand.
For more information please email hr@fairfieldorchards.co.nz or call 03 5284599 or click below to apply online. We look forward to working with you!
Truck Driver / Excavator Operator
Description: We have a vacancy for a fulltime permanent role as a Truck Driver and excavator operator. During the harvest season, you would be responsible for loading and transporting bins of fruit from our orchards to our main site and coolstores. The role does not involve shipping containers to and from Port Nelson but the occasional visit to the Port might be required. We do require a Class 5 license for the truck work. You will often be loading the bins of fruit so some forklift experience is desirable. You will be performing maintenance checks, ordering road miles and keeping the trucks operational.
Outside of the harvest season you will work as an excavator or machinery operator. This is a flexible role and we will tailor it to take advantage of your abilities, skills and experience. We're happy to discuss changing this role in ways that might suit you better.
$25 - $35 per hour
Full time
Hours: Our normal hours are 7.30am to 4.30pm Mon – Fri and some Saturday work will necessary if the weather has been poor during the week.
Requirements: You will need to have your Class 5 license. All applicants will need to have photo ID and proof they are eligible to work in NZ.
For more information please email hr@fairfieldorchards.co.nz or call 03 5284599 or click below to apply online. We look forward to working with you!
Orchard General Hands & Supervisors
Description: We have full-time permanent employment available for General Hands and Supervisors.
As a general hand, your work could include spraying, tractor driving, general orchard work, and perhaps packhouse and yard work during the harvest season. The work you do will vary depend on your skills and experience. You'll be gaining horticulture knowledge as you work and gaining good experience.
As a supervisor you would be supervising a team of workers, recording the work done, and monitoring and correcting their work as necessary. You would be working under and supported by the senior Orchard Manager. The work is varied and changes throughout the year. You'll receive additional training if needed.
Already having horticultural experience in pipfruit and kiwifruit, and qualifications such as Growsafe, would be an advantage. We can provide full training to the right people and we will adjust the role to suit your experience and skills. We can provide a generous remuneration package.
If you have supervisory experience we would be very interested in talking to you about working with us.
You must be reliable, physically fit and have reliable transport. You will need a NZ Driver’s license. You must be legally able to work in NZ.
Hours: Our normal hours are weather dependant but generally 7.30am to 4.30pm Mon – Fri with some Saturday work. Longer hours maybe required during peak season (late March & April).
Requirements: All applicants will need to have photo ID and proof they are eligible to work in NZ. A valid Drivers license must be supplied for this role.
For more information please email hr@fairfieldorchards.co.nz or call 03 5284599 or click below to apply online. We look forward to working with you!
SEASONAL WORK
APPLE TREE PRUNING
Taking up a large part of the cooler winter months, pruning is important to maintain the health and form of the tree. Duties involved are opening up the tree by removing laterals or new wood growing up vertically, removing obvious old branches that are shading new wood, identifying canker for removal. This enables the tree can put all its energy into producing blossoms and fruit for us, and will let in optimum light for colouring up our fruit. Kiwifruit pruning is all overhead work, cutting out old vines, and tying a designated number of vines per bay for the next season. Both jobs, use secateurs & loppers. Pruning is usually paid on a per tree or Row basis, with kiwifruit paid by a per bay basis.
FRUIT THINNING
In late spring and early summer after the blossom has fallen, thinners move through the orchards selectively removing fruit and “thinning” bunches of baby apples so the trees will grow the ideal number of perfectly sized juicy apples.
FRUIT PICKING
The excitement and anticipation builds in late summer as the fruit reaches maturity and is finally ready for picking. Our apple crop is 100% intensive plantings in dwarf style trees with high colour varieties, so this means you don’t have to travel to far to fill your bag & bin. We start our picking programme in Early February through until Mid May, using both modern mobile platforms, where you pick onto a conveyor belt that feeds into picking bins as well as the traditional ladder and bag style picking.
FRUIT PACKING (Packhouse work)
Our packhouse operates from late summer to early winter. The fruit is gently washed, sorted and graded by machinery, then the apples are carefully placed into trays, packers turn fruit to best side up and place the trays into cartons by hand, where it then goes by conveyor belt to be stack and labelled by machinery.
For more information please email hr@fairfieldorchards.co.nz or call 03 5284599 if you are interested in any of this type of work. We look forward to working with you!
What it's like to work with us
“Working at Fairfield Orchards has been a great experience. I come back every season as we're treated like people, we have a good laugh and the pay is pretty good too!”
“Working at Fairfield Orchards has been a great experience. I come back every season as we're treated like people, we have a good laugh and the pay is pretty good too! ”
“Working at Fairfield Orchards has been a great experience. I come back every season as we're treated like people, we have a good laugh and the pay is pretty good too!.”
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