Production Supervisor - Tissue Culture Laboratory

Driscoll's Australia Pty. Ltd.; Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Parental Leave

Mentoring and Coaching

Employee Reward and Recognition

Annual Health Program

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Job summary

Driscoll’s Australia Pty. Ltd. invites an experienced Production Supervisor to lead daily tissue culture laboratory operations at our Pakenham facility.

You will manage a team of technicians, coordinate workflows, ensure safety and quality, and drive continuous improvements to meet production targets. Reporting to the Laboratory Manager, you will guide staff, maintain documentation, and oversee training, with a focus on maintaining high standards of hygiene and compliance in a state-of-the-art

Qualifications

• Qualifications or practical experience in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, biotechnology, laboratory operations, or a related field.
• Experience leading or supervising teams in horticultural, nursery, laboratory, manufacturing or other production environments.
• Ability to coordinate daily operations, prioritise workloads and achieve production targets in a fast-paced setting.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, 5S, continuous improvement or similar methodologies.
• Experience conducting time and motion studies and translating findings into process improvements.
• Ability to analyse operational data to support workforce planning and decision-making.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for coaching and developing staff.
• Well-developed organisational skills and attention to detail with documentation.
• Experience using Office and production, inventory or lab management systems; understanding quality/hygiene/OSH.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily tissue culture lab operations and rostering to achieve KPIs.
• Coordinate plant deliveries to nurseries and labs.
• Manage media inventory and stock records for production needs.
• Lead staff to ensure safe practices and compliance with procedures.
• Record and report tissue culture production metrics and activities.
• Induct and coach team in tissue culture techniques and lab practices.
• Drive continuous improvement to improve efficiency and productivity.

Skills

Horticulture background

Team leadership

Lean manufacturing

Time & motion study

Data analysis

Interpersonal communication

Documentation & records

Problem solving

Education

Horticulture/Plant science qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Laboratory management systems

Production/inventory systems

Job description

• Join a global berry brand and support the quality behind Driscoll's premium varieties
• Lead daily production activities within our Tissue Culture Lab, coordinating people, workflow and output to achieve production targets
• State of the art TC facility based in Pakenham, VIC

THE OPPORTUNITY

Set on an expansive site with brand-new facilities and equipment, including a state-of-the-art 1,200 sqm Plant Tissue Culture (TC) Laboratory capable of accommodating up to 50 staff, we have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Production Supervisor to join our team and oversee daily tissue culture operations.

Reporting to the Laboratory Manager, you will provide day-to-day leadership, guidance and support to a team of Laboratory Technicians and Assistants, ensuring production quality and quantity targets are achieved while maintaining high standards of safety, quality and compliance.

Ideally, you will bring experience from horticulture, a commercial plant nursery, plant tissue culture, or a similar production or laboratory environment, along with proven experience leading and developing teams. Candidates with manufacturing or laboratory operations experience are also encouraged to apply. Strong communication and people leadership skills are essential, as you will coach, train, and support staff while ensuring established protocols, procedures, and quality standards are consistently maintained.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the day-to-day operation of the TC Laboratory, including rostering, work allocation, training, delivering on KPIs, documentation management, hygiene controls and production reporting.
• Coordinating plant deliveries to nurseries and third-party laboratories.
• Monitoring media inventory levels to ensure availability meets production requirements, while maintaining accurate stock control records.
• Leading and supporting laboratory staff to ensure safe work practices and compliance with laboratory procedures.
• Recording, maintaining and reporting on tissue culture production activities and performance metrics.
• Inducting, training and developing team members in tissue culture propagation techniques and laboratory best practices.
• Supporting continuous improvement initiatives to enhance laboratory efficiency, quality and productivity.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

To be considered for this role, applicants will need to demonstrate capabilities in the following:

• Qualifications or practical experience in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, biotechnology, laboratory operations, or a related field.
• Experience leading or supervising teams within a horticultural, nursery, laboratory, manufacturing, or other production environment.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate daily operations, prioritise workloads, and achieve production targets in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience applying Lean Manufacturing, 5S, continuous improvement, or similar operational excellence methodologies.
• Demonstrated experience conducting time and motion studies and translating findings into practical process improvements.
• Ability to analyse operational data and performance trends to support workforce planning, resource allocation, and operational decision-making.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to train, coach, and develop team members.
• Well-developed organisational skills and attention to detail, including experience maintaining accurate records and operational documentation.
• Experience using Microsoft Office and production, inventory, laboratory, or similar management systems, with a sound understanding of quality systems, hygiene protocols, and workplace health and safety requirements.
• A proactive, hands-on approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement, with previous experience in plant tissue culture, nursery propagation, or commercial horticulture highly regarded.
• First Aid certification and/or relevant safety qualifications would be advantageous.
• Current valid driver’s licence required

ABOUT US

Driscoll’s Australia is an exciting joint venture company owned by Costa Group - Australia’s leading integrated growing and marketer of premium quality fresh produce and Driscoll’s (USA) – the world’s market leader in berries. Partnering with a broad grower base across a national footprint, Driscoll’s Australia supplies year round delicious, branded berries to consumers using exclusively patented varieties developed by our joint venture partners breeding programs. Since our inception we have successfully achieved significant yearly growth and market share, enabling us to become the market leader in our category.

BENEFITS

Want to join Driscoll’s? Our passion for berries extends to nurturing our people, we invest in your growth and prosperity through various benefits:

• Paid Parental Leave: Up to 12 weeks’ pay for the primary carer and up to 2 weeks for the secondary carer.
• Mentoring and Coaching: Programs designed to support your professional development with our local and global teams
• Employee Reward and Recognition: Service recognition awards and access to perks and discounted products through our recognition program
• Annual Health Program: Seasonal flu shots onsite
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Tailored well-being programs, confidential advice and big brand discounts!

Employee benefits are subject to eligibility requirements, please visit our website to learn more about accessing our benefits as a Driscoll’s employee.