Production Supervisor - Tissue Culture Laboratory

Driscolls Australia; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 120,000; 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 is seeking an experienced Production Supervisor for our state-of-the-art Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory in Pakenham, VIC. You will oversee daily tissue culture operations, provide day-to-day leadership to Laboratory Technicians and Assistants, and ensure safety, quality and targets are met.

You will lead, train and coach a team, manage workflow, and coordinate plant deliveries and reporting while upholding established protocols and continuous improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Qualifications or practical experience in horticulture, agriculture, plant science, biotechnology, laboratory operations, or a related field.
• Experience leading or supervising teams within horticulture, nursery, laboratory, manufacturing, or other production environments.
• 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 and performance trends to support workforce planning and decisions.
• Current valid driver’s licence.

Responsibilities

• Support day-to-day operation of the TC Laboratory, rostering, work allocation, training and KPI delivery.
• Coordinate plant deliveries to nurseries and third-party labs.
• Monitor media inventory levels and maintain stock records.
• Lead staff to ensure safe practices and regulatory compliance.
• Record and report tissue culture production activities and metrics.
• Induct and develop team members in tissue culture techniques and lab best practices.
• Support continuous improvement to boost lab efficiency, quality and productivity.

Skills

Horticulture knowledge

Team leadership

Lean Manufacturing

5S

Time and motion studies

Data analysis

Training and coaching

Education

Horticulture/agriculture background

Tools

Microsoft Office

Production management systems

Laboratory information 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.