Hands-On Plant & Equipment Maintenance

Silver Fern Farms; Gore; On-site; NZD 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

Silver Fern Farms is seeking a motivated Trades Assistant to join our Engineering team in Gore. This full‑time role supports maintenance and installation of plant and equipment across our site, helping minimise downtime and keep operations running safely.

You'll work alongside skilled tradespeople in a practical, fast‑paced environment, following lockout procedures and health and safety practices while learning and contributing to team performance.

Qualifications

• Experience in an engineering or industrial maintenance context is advantageous.
• Ability to follow lockout and permit‑to‑work procedures and health and safety practices.
• Willingness to learn and contribute to a practical team environment.

Responsibilities

• Assisting Engineering staff with plant repairs and maintenance activities
• Supporting planned maintenance programmes to minimise equipment failure
• Assisting with the installation and commissioning of plant equipment
• Supporting maintenance of pneumatic, hydraulic, conveyor and mechanical drive systems
• Operating and cleaning cold storage and freezing systems
• Undertaking general painting, cleaning, and site maintenance tasks as required
• Following lockout and permit‑to‑work procedures and maintaining strong health and safety practices
• Working collaboratively with Engineering and Operations teams to support site performance and reliability
• Relevant trades experience, mechanical aptitude, or experience in a similar industrial environment would be advantageous
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to safe work practices
• A positive attitude and willingness to learn and contribute to the team

Skills

Mechanical aptitude

Attention to detail

Safety conscious

Job description

Silver Fern Farms is seeking a motivated Trades Assistant to join our Engineering team in Gore. This full‑time role supports maintenance and installation of plant and equipment across our site, helping minimise downtime and keep operations running safely.

You'll work alongside skilled tradespeople in a practical, fast‑paced environment, following lockout procedures and health and safety practices while learning and contributing to team performance.