Peony Harvest and Picking Manager – Sheffield

Based in Sheffield Canterbury, Aunt Rosie is the largest Peony grower in NZ, exporting 60 tons of cut, semi-processed peony flowers by sea to European and American customers. We are a dynamic Dutch focused flower operation, that heavily leverages European growing, harvesting and logistics techniques. New Zealand’s peony season commences in March and continues through until December with the harvest. Sales start in November and will continue through until March.

Above all, the role requires a high level of communication and training. 30 seasonal workers who have no experience in flowers need to be trained and led during a highly stressful harvest.

• Must have previous managerial experience of large scale (7plus hectares) peony harvesting operations with experience leading large teams of 30+ seasonal staff
• Previous experience in bud removal, ensuring no plant damage or infection
• Must have chiller management experience overseeing a Bercomex bunching machine, including supporting CRM binders. Troubleshooting any issues.
• High levels of quality control and an eye for detail are key skills required for this role. Previous experience identifying and grading peony flowers for differing markets is required.
• Applicant must have at least 3 seasons picking experience including supporting a wide range of common peony varieties. Preferably with a European grower
• Previous processing experience for both air freight and sea delivered markets of the following varieties (Command Performance, Flame, Coral Sunset, Red Charm, Bowl of Cream, Duchesse de Nemours, gardenia, Henry Bockstoce, Alexander Fleming, Sarah Burnhardt, Flame, Nick Shalor)
• Applicant must have boom sprayer experience (24 meters) with a thorough understanding of fungicide and insecticide programs.
• Applicant must have experience with devising and implementing a picking plan while managing a harvest crew that’s supported by a conveyor.
• Applicant must have at least 3 seasons picking experience including supporting a range of peony varieties (Command Performance, Flame, Coral Sunset, Red Charm, Bowl of Cream, Duchesse de Nemours, gardenia, Henry Bockstoce, Alexander Fleming, Sarah Bernhardt, Flame, Nick Shalor)
• Extensive picking experience is mandatory for this role, with specific experience needed for training and directing an agile picking team.
• Candidate must understand picking each variety at ripeness state 2/3 – this is especially vital for supporting the European market which requires flowers to undertake 45 days of shipping.
• A considerable training/coaching aspect will be required, given 80% of pickers will be new to the role. This can be challenging given the variety of nationalities.
• It is expected the successful candidate will have strong communication and leadership skills.
• Applicants for this position will require NZ residency or a valid NZ work visa.

Benefits and Perks

• This is a 3-7 month contract, with an hourly rate of $30 + Holiday and Benefits. The expected hours for the role are dependent on the weather conditions and harvest requirements. Ordinarily:
• Pre-harvest 8am to 5pm Monday through Friday
• During peak period 7am to 7pm Monday through Sunday. Location is Sheffield based, accommodation and a car will be provided