Irrigation Technicians

Highworth Orchards Limited is on the lookout for practical, hands-on Irrigation and Maintenance Technicians (4) to take ownership of irrigation, fertigation, and infrastructure maintenance across our newly developed and existing, high-tech orchard blocks. Based in the Bay of Plenty, this full-time role is vital in keeping our Kiwifruit Orchards thriving through smart water and nutrient delivery and proactive maintenance of critical systems. The role is a minimum of 30 hours per week, but will generally be 45 hours per week.

What You'll Be Doing

Irrigation & Fertigation

·         Operate and maintain advanced drip irrigation and fertigation systems

·         Monitor flow, pressure, and distribution across blocks, carrying out system flushes and checks

·         Apply fertilisers accurately and safely using automated systems with plans provided by the orchard manager.

·         Keep detailed application and maintenance records for audit and export compliance

Infrastructure Maintenance

·         Maintain key infrastructure, including sheds, posts, fencing, tracks, and frost protection

·         Identify and repair issues early, and support the installation of new systems as blocks develop

Team Support & Supervision

·         Lead and support team members in irrigation and maintenance tasks

·         Support other orchard operations such as planting, thinning, netting, and harvest prep

Health & Safety

·         Ensure fertilisers and chemicals are handled safely

·         Keep work areas tidy and hazard-free

·         Report incidents or risks promptly

What We're Looking For

·         Experience with large-scale horticulture development and operations

·         Experience with horticultural applications and fertigation will be viewed

·         Keep work areas tidy and hazard-free

·         Report incidents or risks promptly

·         Ability to work independently

·         Minimum 2 years experience and/or NZQF level 4 qualification.

Who You Are

·         Practical, reliable, and solutions-focused

·         Methodical with great attention to detail

·         Able to work independently and prioritise across the season

·         A strong communicator and team player

About us

We are a large horticulture grower/operator within the Bay of Plenty region, looking to expand our team to be able to continue to maintain and grow our horticultural operations.

We operate Monday – Sunday between the hours of 7:30am – 7:00pm, with some of the work being weather dependent.