Farm Operations Assistant / Spray Operator

Sim Farms 2017 Limited; Lauriston; On-site; NZD 80,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

House provided

Work vehicle

Cell phone

Job summary

Sim Farms 2017 Limited – Lauriston, South Island, mid Canterbury, is seeking a full-time Farm Operations Assistant to join our three-person team. You will work on both the crop farm and our boom spraying operation, roughly 45 hours a week with peak weeks up to 65.

Responsibilities include machinery operation, boom spraying, irrigation management, livestock tasks, routine maintenance, and record-keeping using Trimble and monday.com.

Qualifications

• Willingness to perform tasks related to both crop farming and livestock management.
• Full driver's licence essential; Heavy Traffic licence desirable.
• Machinery operation experience – minimum 2 years.
• Ability to perform basic machinery maintenance.
• Strength and physical fitness for manual tasks over several hours daily.
• Clean criminal record and ability to pass a pre-employment drug test.

Responsibilities

• Machinery operation including drilling, spreading, cultivation, rolling, mowing and harvesting.
• Boom spray operation on home block and third-party farms.
• Irrigation management (pivot and linear).
• Livestock management tasks: drenching, vaccinating, tagging, dipping, weighing, shearing support, electric fence management.
• Routine plant, machinery and property maintenance.
• Workflow management & record keeping using Trimble, monday.com, iCloud, Tabula.

Skills

Willingness to work dual farming tasks

Full driving licence

Heavy Traffic licence

Machinery operation experience

Basic machinery maintenance

Strong physical fitness

Clean criminal record and drug test

Job description

Jora New Zealand will close on 9th September 2026. Thank you for being with us, we are cheering you on as you continue your career journey.

Farm Operations Assistant / Spray Operator

Sim Farms 2017 Limited – Lauriston, South Island

Mid Canterbury – Lauriston (between Methven and Ashburton)

About Us:

Sim Farms Ltd operates on 320ha of fully irrigated cropping land which has a diverse rotation of different grasses, cereals, radishes, chicory, plantain and legumes, as well as wintering approximately 6,000 store lambs. Most operations are carried out by the owners and our employees, with contractors used strategically throughout the year. As a business we focus on adopting new technology, infrastructure and ideas which make the operation more efficient, sustainable, enjoyable, and environmentally responsible.

Alongside our farm we also run a small boom spraying business that services some great, local clients. We operate two modern self-propelled sprayers, each with full auto-steering and auto-nozzle control.

About the role:

Due to our current employee's strong career progression and their subsequent relocation to Australia, we are now searching for a full-time, permanent Farm Operations Assistant to join our three-person, multitasking team. You will work on both our crop farm and in our boom spraying operation. Your usual hours of work will be 45 per week with seasonal peak requirements up to 65 per week.

You’ll perform a variety of tasks including but not limited to:

• Machinery operation - drilling, spreading, cultivation, rolling, mowing, harvesting
• Boom spray operation – both on the home block and third-party farms
• Irrigation management (pivot and linear)
• Livestock management and associated tasks - drenching, vaccinating, tagging, dipping, weighing, shearing support, electric fence management
• Scheduled plant, machinery and property maintenance
• Workflow management & Record keeping – Trimble, monday.com, iCloud, Tabula

Skills and experience required:

• Willingness to perform tasks related to both crop farming and livestock management
• Full drivers licence (essential) and Heavy Traffic licence (desirable)
• Machinery operation experience – minimum 2 years
• Ability to perform basic machinery maintenance
• The strength & physical fitness to perform manual tasks for several hours each day
• Clean criminal record and the ability to pass a pre-employment drug test.

What we will offer you:

• A strong hourly rate based on your skills and experience ($80-130k/annum)
• A recently refurbished, warm, four-bedroom house is available for your use. A separate rental agreement will be provided.
• Work vehicle with limited private use
• Cell phone, wet weather gear
• Ongoing training and career development with the ability to step up into a leadership role
• Several primary and secondary schools are nearby.

Note: To be considered for this role, you must have a valid New Zealand Work permit or be a NZ or Australian resident or citizen.