Packhouse Team Leader Cherries

Central Orchard Management Ltd.; Cromwell Community; On-site; NZD 42,000 - 64,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Performance bonus

Shift bonus

Leadership training

Hands-on leadership

Temperature-controlled environment

International crew

Supportive management

Job summary

Central Orchard Management Ltd. in Cromwell (Central Otago, NZ) is seeking a Packhouse Team Leader for the summer harvest season (Dec 2026–Feb 2027). You will lead and support the shift team to meet production targets while maintaining quality, safety and teamwork on a busy packhouse floor.

The role provides hands-on leadership experience in a fast-paced environment, with opportunities to work alongside an international crew and develop management skills during peak season.

Qualifications

• Experience in a packhouse, production environment or team leadership is advantageous, attitude and willingness to learn matter most.

Responsibilities

• Lead, support and motivate your team throughout the shift.
• Keep your team focused on production targets and quality.
• Coordinate workflow and adapt to daily needs.
• Communicate clearly with staff, supervisors and management.
• Identify and troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively.
• Monitor quality, productivity, attendance and team performance.
• Help maintain a safe, clean and efficient working environment.
• Work closely with other Team Leaders and supervisors to keep the packhouse running smoothly.
• Work in a chilled, temperature-controlled environment.

Skills

Natural leader

Strong communicator

Proactive solutions-focused

Flexible and organised

Reliable and quality-focused

Job description

PACKHOUSE TEAM LEADER WANTED – SUMMER JOB IN CROMWELL
Location: Cromwell, Central Otago, New Zealand
Season: Summer 26/27 (December 2026 - January/February 2027)
Job Type: Seasonal Work | Fixed-term

Ready to step up and lead?

Join our busy packhouse team and take on a key leadership role during the Central Otago cherry harvest.

As a Packhouse Team Leader, you’ll be responsible for guiding and supporting your team on the production floor, helping achieve daily production targets while maintaining high standards of quality, safety and teamwork.

This is a great opportunity to build practical leadership experience, develop your management skills and work alongside an international team during one of the busiest and most exciting times of the year.

About the Role

As a Packhouse Team Leader, you’ll manage a group of packhouse staff to meet production targets, maintain top quality and keep operations safe and efficient. You’ll motivate your team, solve problems on the go and coordinate with other leaders to keep everything on track.

What the job involves:

• Lead, support and motivate your team throughout the shift
• Keep your team focused on production targets and quality standards
• Coordinate workflow and adjust to daily needs
• Communicate clearly with staff, supervisors and management
• Identify and troubleshoot issues quickly and effectively
• Monitor quality, productivity, attendance and team performance
• Help maintain a safe, clean and efficient working environment
• Work closely with other Team Leaders and supervisors to keep the packhouse running smoothly
• Work in a chilled, temperature-controlled environment

Shifts & working hours

During peak harvest, our packhouse operates extended hours and flexibility is important.

Depending on fruit volumes and operational requirements, you may be rostered for:

• Early morning shifts, with starts around 6:00 am
• Late afternoon / evening shifts
• Shifts generally range from6–10 hours, depending on fruit volumes
• Weekend work is required, with rostered days off during the week
• Somepublic holiday work may be required during peak periods

Harvest volumes can change from day to day, so the ability to be flexible with shifts is important.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for someone who is confident taking responsibility, enjoys working with people and can keep a team focused during a busy harvest.

• Natural leader – confident taking responsibility, giving direction and motivating others
• Strong communicator – approachable, respectful and able to work well with a diverse team
• Proactive and solutions-focused – able to stay calm, solve problems and make decisions when things get busy
• Flexible and organised – able to adapt to changing production needs and keep your team on track
• Reliable and quality-focused – committed to high standards, productivity, safety and teamwork

Previous experience in a packhouse, production environment or team leadership is an advantage, but the right attitude and willingness to learn are just as important.

What You’ll Get

• Competitive pay – reflecting experience, teamwork and reliability
• Performance bonus – rewarding those who stay the season with strong attendance and high performance
• Shift bonus – for working late afternoon/evening shifts during peak season
• Leadership training – build skills you can use anywhere
• Hands-on leadership experience – develop your own style in a real-world environment
• Temperature-controlled working environment – a break from the Central Otago summer heat
• Work with an international crew – lead people from all over the world
• Supportive environment – work closely with management and other leaders

Join Us!

If you’re motivated, reliable and ready to take on more responsibility, we’d love to hear from you.