Quality Control

Job Title: Quality Control 
Employer: CentralPac Ltd
Location: Cromwell, Central Otago

About the role

CentralPac Ltd is recruiting Quality Control team members for the 2025-26 cherry harvest season. These fixed-term positions are essential for monitoring fruit quality throughout the packing process to ensure all product meets CentralPac, customer, and export standards. QC staff inspect fruit, record accurate data, and report any issues promptly to maintain consistency, compliance, and overall product integrity.

Key responsibilities

• Inspect fruit at key stages of the packing process to verify compliance with export specifications
• Check size, colour, stem condition, softness, splits, and other defects
• Assess both packed and reject fruit
• Record inspection results accurately using QC sheets and tablets
• Complete water temperature and fruit condition records as required
• Report out-of-spec fruit, packaging issues, or recurring faults to the Unitec Operator or Shift Coordinator
• Ensure traceability by linking all QC records to the correct packrun, grower, and market
• Maintain clean, tidy, and safe work areas
• Follow CentralPac food safety, hygiene, and handling procedures
• Participate in post-season reviews and provide feedback on quality trends and improvement opportunities

Minimum requirements

• At least 6 months of relevant experience
• Understanding of fruit quality standards or previous experience in packhouse, horticulture, or quality control environments
• Ability to identify defects and follow inspection procedures
• Competent user of tablets or basic computer systems for recording QC data
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy
• Ability to work effectively under pressure in a fast-paced environment
• Good communication skills
• Commitment to the full harvest period
• Reliability, punctuality, and ability to follow food safety and hygiene protocols

Job Details

Term: fixed-term/seasonal role, 01 November 2025 – end of harvest or 28 February 2026 (whichever is sooner)
Pay Rate: $26 per hour
Hours: Minimum 30 hours per week, up to 50 hours per week depending on harvest conditions. Hours of work will be rostered Monday to Sunday, and from peak season on working either early morning shifts (~6:00 am start) or late afternoon/evening shifts (~4:00 pm start). You may be required to work Statutory Holidays or in the late afternoon/evening shift, and must be available for the full harvest period.

A full Job Description can be provided on request.

Please apply with your CV, including 2 x references.

Applications close on 4th December 2025, or earlier if we find the right candidate.