Machinery Operators (Horticulture)

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Inspect field conditions and assess soil quality or crop progress prior to machinery deployment.
• Manually clear debris, obstacles, or equipment hazards from fields to enable safe tractor and other machinery operation.
• Operate tractors and other mobile agricultural machinery for land preparation, planting, fertilising, and harvesting crops.
• Adjust and control tractor speed, height, and depth of implements to ensure efficient and safe operation.
• Carry out routine maintenance and minor repairs on machinery to ensure optimal performance.
• Support ground-based operations, including pest and weed control, where mechanical access is limited or impractical.
• Assist in the transport, loading, and unloading of crops, soil, and equipment as required.
• Adhere to all health and safety regulations, ensuring safe work practices are followed at all times.
• Maintain accurate records of work completed, including machine logs and maintenance reports.

Requirements:

• Relevant tertiary qualification (Level 4 or higher) or a minimum of three years’ relevant work experience in horticulture, agriculture.
• Good understanding of operating, maintaining and adjusting agricultural machinery (knowledge will be tested at interview).
• Good understanding of health and safety in horticulture settings (knowledge will be tested at interview).
• Good communication skills, with the ability to work well with others both inside and outside the organisation.
• Clear police record.