Senior Production Lead - Citrus Packing & Ops

Mildura Fruit Company; Mildura; Hybrid; AUD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Mildura Fruit Company, a leading citrus packing and export business based in Mildura, is seeking an experienced production leader to run the day-to-day operations of our large-scale facility. You will oversee processing, packing, storage and dispatch, while aligning schedules with fruit intake and customer orders.

You will manage a permanent and seasonal workforce, drive safety and quality through GMP standards, and partner with Operations, Maintenance, Grower Services and Sales to continuously

Qualifications

• Proven management experience in large-scale fresh produce processing, packing or food manufacturing.
• Experience leading permanent and seasonal workforces in a fast-paced operation.
• Knowledge of production flow, labour planning and productivity improvement.
• GMP, food safety and workplace health and safety understanding.
• Leadership skills and ability to build high-performing teams.
• Experience with production scheduling, performance metrics and efficiency measures.
• Commercial and financial capability within a large processing or packing operation.
• Strong communication, decision-making and problem-solving skills.
• Flexibility to work extended or irregular hours during peak seasons.
• Experience in large-scale citrus processing and packing is highly regarded.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of packing facility: processing, grading, packing, storage and dispatch.
• Develop and manage production schedules to align fruit intake, capacity and orders.
• Monitor labour efficiency, overtime, throughput and KPIs.
• Plan shift structures and labour requirements for permanent and seasonal staff.
• Maintain a hands-on presence on the production floor, especially during peak season.
• Respond quickly to changes in fruit quality, labour availability and equipment uptime.
• Collaborate with Operations, Maintenance, Grower Services, Sales and Quality teams to optimize flow.
• Lead safety-first culture and uphold food safety, GMP, hygiene and housekeeping.
• Support recruitment, induction, training and performance management.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance safety, quality and productivity.

Skills

Production management

People leadership

Production flow

GMP & safety

Safety leadership

Scheduling metrics

Commercial finance

Communication skills

Flexibility

Citrus processing

Job description

Mildura Fruit Company, a leading citrus packing and export business based in Mildura, is seeking an experienced production leader to run the day-to-day operations of our large-scale facility. You will oversee processing, packing, storage and dispatch, while aligning schedules with fruit intake and customer orders.

You will manage a permanent and seasonal workforce, drive safety and quality through GMP standards, and partner with Operations, Maintenance, Grower Services and Sales to continuously