Horticulturist

Costa; Atherton; On-site; AUD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

Full IT kit

Job summary

Costa is seeking a Horticulturist to join our Berry team in Far North Queensland. This permanent, field-based role focuses on crop health, IPM, nutrition and irrigation across FNQ farms.

Reporting to the Horticulture Manager, you will turn data into practical recommendations and work across multiple farms. Ideal candidates have a degree in Horticulture and experience in commercial production, with strong scouting and data-interpretation skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture or equivalent.
• Experience in commercial horticultural production, preferably berries or high-value crops.
• Solid knowledge of crop scouting, pest and disease identification and Integrated Pest Management (IPM).
• Knowledge of crop nutrition and irrigation in soil or substrate systems.
• Understanding of chemical labels, permits, withholding periods, MRLs and rotation.
• Ability to interpret field data and translate findings into practical actions.

Responsibilities

• Monitor crop health, nutrition, irrigation, pests and disease across farms.
• Lead IPM strategies using scouting data to guide control decisions.
• Coordinate and support farm scouts, including data collection and training.
• Schedule spray requests based on field scouting and crop needs.
• Assist with horticultural trials and improvement programs to boost yield and ROI.
• Analyse monitoring and trial results and communicate findings to farm teams.
• Support activities while ensuring IPM programs stay within seasonal budgets.
• Collaborate with the Horticulture Manager and farm teams to identify risks to crop health and yield.

Skills

Commercial horticulture experience

Crop scouting knowledge

IPM knowledge

Crop nutrition & irrigation

Data interpretation

Driver's license

Education

Bachelor's degree in Horticulture

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.

Costa's Berry Category operates farms across Australia, producing premium-quality berries for customers and consumers. Our Far North Queensland operations form an important part of our growing network, supported by experienced farming, horticultural and technical teams.

Why Join Costa?

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

• Permanent full-time employment with a leading Australian horticultural business
• Hands-on technical experience across crop health, nutrition, irrigation, pest and disease management and IPM
• Variety across multiple farms, working throughout the Atherton Tablelands
• Opportunities to grow your horticultural expertise through field trials, monitoring and improvement programs
• A practical, field-based role working alongside experienced horticultural and farming teams
• Tools to support the role including a full IT kit
• Paid parental leave - up to 14 weeks for eligible primary carers and 6 weeks for eligible secondary carers

The role is primarily field-based, with flexibility required during peak periods, including early starts and occasional weekend work where required to support critical pest, disease and spray timing requirements.

What we are looking for

We're seeking a Horticulturist to join our Berry team in Far North Queensland.

Reporting to the Horticulture Manager, you'll support the delivery of horticultural programs across our FNQ farms, with a strong focus on crop health, pest and disease management, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), nutrition, irrigation, crop vigour and yield.

This is a permanent full-time, field-based role suited to someone who enjoys being out in the crop, using data and observations to identify issues early and turning technical information into practical recommendations.

What you'll do

• Monitor crop health, nutrition, irrigation, pest and disease, growth stages and pollination across farms
• Lead and implement IPM strategies, using scouting data to support timely pest and disease control decisions
• Coordinate and support farm scouts, including training and consistent collection of field data
• Schedule spray requests based on field scouting and crop requirements
• Assist with horticultural trials and improvement programs to enhance crop performance and return on investment
• Analyse and communicate monitoring, trial and crop performance findings to horticultural and farm teams
• Support horticultural activities while ensuring chemical and IPM programs operate within seasonal budgets
• Work closely with the Horticulture Manager and broader farm teams to proactively identify risks to crop health and yield

What you'll bring

• A Bachelor's degree in Horticulture or equivalent
• Experience in commercial horticultural production, ideally berries or other high-value crops
• Sound knowledge of crop scouting, pest and disease identification and Integrated Pest Management
• Knowledge of crop nutrition and irrigation in soil and/or substrate production systems
• An understanding of chemical labels, permits, withholding periods, MRL requirements and mode-of-action rotation
• The ability to interpret field and crop data and turn findings into practical recommendations
• Strong communication, organisation and problem-solving skills
• A driver's licence
• Current chemical accreditation, such as ChemCert or AQF Level 3 chemical application, or willingness to obtain it
• The ability to work independently and travel regularly between farms across the FNQ region

Experience running horticultural field trials, working with beneficial insects or applying IPM principles in tropical or subtropical production will be highly regarded. Knowledge of food safety and quality systems such as Freshcare or GLOBALG.A.P. would also be advantageous.

Costa is seeking applicants who can demonstrate their behaviour in line with the Costa Values About - Costa Group