General Manager Southern Citrus

Agri Talent; Mildura; On-site; AUD 210,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vehicle benefits

Relocation assistance

Housing assistance

Superannuation

Job summary

Agri Talent is seeking a seasoned senior production leader to oversee four geographically dispersed citrus farms in Victoria. You will manage farm budgets, drive production KPIs, and mentor Farm Managers while improving yield, quality and cost efficiency.

The role requires hands-on leadership on farms, strategic planning and close collaboration with packing, commercial and supply chain teams to align volumes and customer requirements.

Qualifications

• Significant practical experience in large-scale citrus production.
• Ability to assess performance on-ground and make commercially sound decisions.
• Experience building leadership capability and succession pathways.

Responsibilities

• Lead Farm Managers and teams across four assets.
• Improve yield, quality, packout, labour productivity and cost of production.
• Oversee crop forecasting, harvest planning and execution across the season.
• Manage budgets, forecasts, KPIs, cost performance and capital priorities.
• Drive irrigation, machinery, infrastructure and orchard improvement initiatives.
• Collaborate with packing, commercial and supply chain teams.

Skills

Leadership

Budgeting

Crop forecasting

Irrigation efficiency

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Science/Horticulture/Agronomy

Job description

Your Employer

Our client is a committed, Australian-owned, vertically integrated fresh produce business with farming, packing, sales and marketing operations across several of Australia’s key horticultural regions. Its portfolio currently includes almost 3,000 hectares of permanent plantings across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia, supported by significant packing and processing capability.

The business has invested heavily in its own farms, people and production capability. More than 1,700 hectares of orchards are protected by horticultural netting, with established plantings forecast to continue expanding towards 2030.

The Southern Citrus portfolio encompasses more than 1,000 hectares across the Mildura, Swan Hill, Hillston and Griffith regions. With substantial orchard development already completed and younger plantings progressing towards maturity, this is an opportunity to continue to drive quality and financial performance.

The Role

Reporting to the Head of Production, you will have overall accountability for the operational, horticultural and financial performance.

This is a hands-on leadership position. You will spend meaningful time across the farms, mentoring experienced Managers, establishing clear standards, objectives and key results.

The key tasks of this role are to:

• Lead Farm Managers and operational teams across four geographically dispersed assets.
• Improve marketable yield, fruit quality, packout, labour productivity and cost of production.
• Oversee crop forecasting, harvest planning and execution across the southern citrus season.
• Manage farm budgets, forecasts, production KPIs, cost performance and capital priorities.
• Drive irrigation efficiency, machinery, infrastructure and orchard improvement initiatives.
• Build leadership capability, succession pathways and accountability across farm teams.
• Work closely with packing, commercial and supply chain teams to align fruit volumes, timing, specifications and customer requirements.

About You

You are a seasoned professional and bring significant practical experience in large-scale commercial citrus production. You have the technical capability to add value to the work of experienced Farm Managers and specialist agronomic advisers.

You are motivated by getting out onto farms, finding out for yourself, independently assessing performance and making commercially sound decisions. You will excel as a leader, gathering information on the ground with your teams, developing plans, assigning tasks, reviewing, recognising and rewarding. You understand that the motivation and discretionary effort of your front line people translates into financial performance. You take personal accountability for knowing how your people are inducted, trained, developed and promoted.

A tertiary qualification in Agricultural Science, Horticulture, Agronomy or a related discipline will be well regarded but practical farming capability and relevant citrus experience are particularly important.

The Benefits

This is a substantial senior production leadership opportunity with responsibility for one of the organisation’s major farming portfolios. It is owned by one of Australia’s most respected public companies.

Mildura is the preferred base. Set on the Murray River in north-west Victoria, it combines a major regional service centre with a strong horticultural community, restaurants and local produce, sport and recreation, cultural events and access to the river and surrounding landscapes. Mildura is approximately 550 km from Melbourne and 400 km from Adelaide.

In addition to the location, other benefits include:

• Indicative base salary of approximately $225,000 negotiable, dependent on experience and final approval.
• Superannuation in addition to base salary.
• A vehicle or vehicle benefits as required.
• Relocation or housing assistance may be considered for the successful candidate.