Quality Controller

Montague Farms; City of Greater Shepparton; On-site; AUD 34,000 - 44,000; Part time

Benefits offered by this job

Weekly pay

Casual rates

Exposure to diverse horticulture and多种

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Safety-focused environment

Job summary

Montague Farms is seeking experienced Quality Controllers to join the Farm Operations team at Ardmona in the Goulburn Valley. You will spend time in the orchard assessing fruit as it is picked, ensuring quality standards are understood and consistently achieved.

Working closely with farm, quality and operations teams, you will inspect fruit, test maturity and report defects. This hands-on role requires practical horticultural knowledge and strong attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Experience in horticulture or agriculture, especially apple/stone fruit/cherries.
• Ability to assess fruit quality and identify defects.
• Knowledge of orchard pests and diseases and their impact on fruit quality.
• Experience with fruit maturity and quality testing.
• First Aid certificate is highly regarded.

Responsibilities

• Inspect fruit in the orchard during picking and harvesting activities.
• Monitor fruit quality against specifications and identify defects or quality concerns.
• Complete quality testing including brix, pressure, fruit size, colour and starch.
• Identify and report pests, disease and factors affecting fruit quality.
• Grade, assess and record defects and quality results in Freshcloud.
• Communicate daily quality specifications with farm teams and supervisors.
• Monitor picked and packed fruit to ensure quality standards are met.
• Escalate quality concerns to Farm Manager or Quality team.
• Maintain accurate, timely quality records.
• Support farm teams to improve fruit quality, yield and pack-out outcomes.

Skills

Horticulture experience

Quality testing

Pest and disease knowledge

Strong communication

Record keeping

Independent worker

Outdoor work

Education

Horticulture

Agriculture

Related field

Tools

Freshcloud

Job description

Montague Farms is one of Australia’s established horticultural businesses, with orchards across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania producing apples, pears, cherries, stone fruit, grapes and citrus.

We are looking for experienced Quality Controllers to join our Farm Operations team at Ardmona in the Goulburn Valley.

Ideally from early November 2026 to end of June 2027.

This is a hands-on, field-based role for someone who understands fruit quality and enjoys working closely with orchard teams. You’ll spend much of your time in the orchard, assessing fruit as it is picked and helping ensure our quality standards are understood and consistently achieved.

About the role

Working closely with our Farm, Quality and Operations teams, you will:

• Inspect fruit in the orchard during picking and harvesting activities.
• Monitor fruit quality against agreed specifications and identify defects or emerging quality concerns.
• Complete quality testing including brix, pressure, fruit size, colour and starch testing.
• Identify and report pests, disease and other factors affecting fruit quality.
• Grade, assess and accurately record fruit defects and quality results in fresh cloud .
• Communicate daily quality specifications and expectations with farm teams and supervisors.
• Monitor picked and packed fruit to ensure required quality standards are being achieved.
• Escalate quality concerns promptly to the relevant Farm Manager, Supervisor or Quality team.
• Maintain accurate, timely and reliable quality records.
• Support farm teams to improve fruit quality, yield and pack-out outcomes.
• Undertake Other administrative duties as required by the Quality Assurance manager
• Informing pickers of improvements observed or required to maintain and improve the quality of being picked.

About you

We’re looking for someone who brings practical horticultural knowledge, sound judgement and strong attention to detail.

Ideally, you will have:

• Previous experience in horticulture or agriculture, particularly within apple, stone fruit or cherry orchards.
• Practical experience assessing fruit quality and identifying defects.
• Knowledge of common orchard pests and diseases and their impact on fruit quality.
• Experience completing fruit maturity and quality testing.
• A qualification in Horticulture, Agriculture or a related field.
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to raise quality concerns when something isn’t right.
• Good record-keeping skills and a commitment to accurate, real-time information.
• The ability to work independently while being an active part of the wider farm team.
• A practical, proactive approach to Work Health and Safety.
• The physical capacity to work outdoors and across orchard environments.
• Ability to use Quality Control Apps such as Freshcloud
• A current First Aid Certificate will be highly regarded.

At Montague Farms, you’ll be part of a business where quality starts in the orchard and where your work has a direct impact on the fruit we grow and deliver.

What we offer

We offer:

• Competitive casual rates and weekly pay.
• A hands-on role within an experienced orchard team.
• Exposure to a diverse horticultural operation and multiple fruit varieties.
• Opportunities to build your skills and grow your career within agriculture.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• A supportive, practical and safety-focused working environment.