Global Berry Horticulture Leader

Costa; Coffs Harbour; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Costa is a global leading grower, packer and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables, based in Australia. We seek a Horticulture Manager to provide technical leadership and cross-border support for our international berry operations from Coffs Harbour.

Travel internationally 2–3 weeks at a stretch and domestic travel are routine parts of the role. You will guide nutrient, crop health, and disease strategies, coach teams across cultures, and contribute to R&D and innovation

Qualifications

• A tertiary qualification in Horticulture, Agriculture, Science or a related discipline.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building and influencing skills across dispersed teams.
• Demonstrated experience in berry production with knowledge of commercial horticultural best practices.
• Strong technical capability to diagnose and resolve crop issues with data-driven decisions.
• Experience coaching or developing growers and horticultural teams.
• Proactive, practical approach with passion for innovation and continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert horticultural advice and technical support to international farm teams.
• Lead best-practice programs across crop nutrition, husbandry, pollination, pest and disease management.
• Coach and develop horticultural team members across the international business.
• Lead R&D and innovation projects to improve production outcomes.
• Monitor crop performance, identify risks and optimise yield and fruit quality.
• Support forecasting, planning and evaluation of new production sites.

Skills

Berry production

Horticulture leadership

Communication & stakeholder management

Training mentoring

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree in Horticulture/Ag Science

Job description

Costa is a global leading grower, packer, and marketer of premium quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Our success is built on a commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability across every part of our business.

The Costa Berry International category is a leader in varietal development, innovative farming practices and efficient farming operations. We currently grow in Morocco, China and Laos, with fruit exported and sold globally.

Why Join Costa?

At Costa, our people are our strength. When you join us, you’ll enjoy:

• A unique opportunity to work across global berry production operations and emerging growing regions.
• Exposure to leading-edge horticultural research, innovation and production technologies.
• A collaborative, high-performing team environment that values knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Ongoing career development opportunities within one of the world's largest berry businesses.

What we are looking for:

We are seeking a Horticulture Manager to join our Berry International team. This is a senior technical role responsible for providing horticultural expertise, technical leadership and growing support across our international berry operations.

You'll be comfortable working across different cultures, environments and production systems, building trusted relationships and influencing positive outcomes with, horticulturalists, farm teams and farm leaders. Success in this role relies as much on communication, coaching and relationship-building as it does technical expertise.

This is a full-time, on-site position based in Coffs Harbour, NSW and applicants must be located within commuting distance of Coffs Harbour or be willing to relocate. As a key member of our international berry team, you will also be required to:

• Travel internationally on a regular basis, typically for periods of 2 to 3 weeks at a time.
• Undertake regular domestic travel
• Work flexibly across time zones, including attending meetings outside standard business hours when required.

What you'll do:

• Provide expert horticultural advice and technical support to international farm teams.
• Drive the implementation of best-practice horticultural programs across crop nutrition, husbandry, pollination, pest and disease management.
• Coach, mentor and develop horticultural team members to build technical capability across the international business.
• Lead and contribute to research, development and innovation projects that improve production outcomes and support continuous improvement.
• Monitor crop performance, identify horticultural risks and implement strategies to optimise yield, fruit quality and plant health.
• Support crop forecasting, production planning and the evaluation of new production sites and opportunities across international markets.

What you'll bring:

• A tertiary qualification in Horticulture, Agriculture, Science or a related discipline.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building and influencing skills, with the ability to drive outcomes across geographically dispersed teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in berry production, ideally blueberries, with a strong understanding of commercial horticultural best practices.
• Strong technical capability in diagnosing and resolving crop nutrition, pest, disease and production issues, with the analytical skills to interpret data and drive informed decisions.
• Experience coaching, mentoring or developing growers, horticulturalists or farming teams.
• A proactive and practical approach, coupled with a passion for innovation, continuous improvement and grower success.

For a glimpse into the scale, innovation and global reach of Costa's international berry operations, view this video: https://youtu.be/aA29DmQqVjw?si=xAjlEYxmQU0plLlJ and to learn more about our BluGenix program, visit our website: https://blugenix.com.au/

If you're passionate about berry production, enjoy solving complex horticultural challenges and are excited by the opportunity to work across international operations, we'd love to hear from you.

Applications are reviewed as they are received – don’t wait, apply today and grow your career with Costa! Applicants must hold full Australian working rights to be considered for this role – sponsorship is not an option.