Harvest Assistant Manager - Colignan

Costa Group; Colignan; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Costa Group, Australia’s largest grower and marketer of fresh fruit and vegetables, seeks a Harvest Assistant Manager. You will lead in-field operations across grape harvests, pruning, and crop manipulation with a strong focus on safety, quality, and productivity.

Responsibilities include coordinating labour, supervising crews, and ensuring daily safety and quality checks. Adaptability to early starts, weekends and variable hours is essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a supervisory role on a large agricultural property.
• Technical knowledge of grape harvest operations would be advantageous.
• Time management and ability to drive adherence to production deadlines.
• Ability to communicate with a large and culturally diverse workforce.
• Computer literacy (Microsoft Office) required.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate year‑round harvest activities and mobilise labour including contractor workers.
• Supervise, train and performance manage work crews to boost productivity and efficiency.
• Ensure harvest supervisors and quality controllers conduct daily performance and quality assessments.
• Deliver daily pre-start toolbox talks reinforcing safety and quality standards.

Skills

Labour mobilisation

People management

Safety culture

Harvest ops knowledge

Time management

Communication

MS Office

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Costa is Australia’s largest grower, packer and marketer ofpremium quality fresh fruit and vegetables and has substantial farmingoperations throughout Australia, supplying a wide variety of products to exportmarkets and supermarket chains across the nation.

Who we are looking for:

Reporting to the Harvest Manager, the Harvest AssistantManager will plan and coordinate efficient harvest processes and timely labourmobilisation plans to achieve safety, quality, and worker performance andproductivity standards across consecutive grape harvest (Jan-May), pruning(Jun- Aug) and crop manipulation (Sept – Dec) as a full grape seasons.

A high level of adaptability regarding work hours includingthe availability to work early starts and after hours and weekends, subject tooperational requirements and weather conditions, is essential.

What you’ll be doing:

The Harvest Assistant Manager is primarily responsible forensuring designated worker/labour cohorts carry out in-field operations such asfruit picking/pruning in accordance with company operating procedures andtechnical specifications. The ability to drive a ‘people first’ safety culturein the field and ensure adherence to stringent food safety and qualityoutcomes, is critical to the success of this role.

Other responsibilities:

• Coordinateyear-round harvest activities and mobilise labour including contractorworkers to meet operational requirements.
• Supervise,train and performance manage work crews to encourage their initiative andenthusiasm and increase their productivity and efficiency on a consistentbasis throughout harvest.
• Ensureharvest supervisors and harvest quality controllers conduct daily workerperformance and quality assessments so issues are identified and outcomescommunicated to workers.
• Deliverdaily pre start toolboxes, reinforcing safety and quality standards.

What you’ll bring to the role:

We’re looking for someone with…

• Minimum3 years’ experience in a supervisory role, preferably on a large-scalehorticultural property.
• Technicalknowledge of grape harvest operations and activities would beadvantageous.
• Timemanagement and the ability to drive workers’ adherence to productiondeadlines.
• Abilityto communicate with a large and culturally diverse workforce.
• Computerliteracy (Microsoft Office, Word, Excel).

We care for our people:

People are the heart of Costa. Our employees enjoy some ofthe best benefits and conditions in the industry. From competitive pay tohealth, wellbeing, and further learning and development opportunities. Nomatter the role, you will always benefit from a caring environment thatencourages and supports you to thrive, grow and connect.