Production Coordinator- Te Puna

Dms4kiwi; Tauranga; On-site; NZD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Bonus opportunities

Job summary

DMS is a proudly locally owned and operated orchard management and post-harvest company based in the Bay of Plenty. We’re looking for an experienced Production Coordinator to join our Te Puna team, reporting to the Packhouse Manager, coordinating day‑to‑day packing operations and ensuring safety, quality and efficiency.

You’ll manage production priorities, support Supervisors, lead staff on shift, and collaborate with cross‑functional teams to keep the operation running smoothly across

Qualifications

• Experience supervising or leading staff.
• Experience working in a production or operational environment.
• Ability to coordinate people, resources and competing priorities.
• Strong planning, prioritising and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across different teams.
• Confidence to make decisions, solve problems and escalate issues when required.
• Ability to stay organized during high‑pressure peak production periods.
• Good computer literacy and the ability to learn and confidently use operational systems.
• Positive, can‑do attitude with a solution‑focused approach.
• Strong commitment to Health & Safety and quality.
• Flexibility with hours during peak production periods.
• Willingness to learn and continuously improve.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate day-to-day packing operations in line with the agreed production and pack plans.
• Organise grower lines and packing requirements to ensure fruit is packed into the correct pack types and specifications.
• Coordinate with other Production Coordinators to set up graders and systems and ensure effective shift handovers.
• Monitor packing line performance, throughput, packout and cost, responding quickly to issues that may impact production, fruit quality, storage or inventory.
• Coordinate staff on shift, ensuring the right people are in the right roles based on production requirements.
• Provide clear direction and support to Production Supervisors and operational staff.
• Ensure packing reports, shift records and other required documentation are completed accurately and on time.
• Work closely with Site Management, Coolstore, Quality, EDI, Inventory and Systems teams to resolve operational issues and keep production moving.
• Coordinate repack operations during the repack season, ensuring production priorities and vessel cut-off times are achieved.
• Support avocado packing operations and ensure product meets required AIC quality standards.
• Monitor and promote LEAN and Kanban processes to support efficient production.
• Build positive working relationships across shifts, departments, staff and management.
• Communicate effectively with growers when they are onsite and provide appropriate information regarding their crop.
• Promote and maintain high standards of Health & Safety, quality and compliance across production.
• Ensure production activities comply with relevant DMS, BRC, Zespri, AsureQuality and BioGro requirements where applicable.
• Assist with seasonal planning and site preparation, including operational requirements, work orders, maintenance and production readiness.
• Support the Packhouse Manager and wider management team with projects, problem‑solving and continuous improvement initiatives.

Skills

Staff supervision

Production coordination

Planning and time management

Communication

Problem solving

Lean / Kanban

Team collaboration

Health & Safety

Tools

Operational systems

Inventory systems

Reporting systems

Job description

DMS is a proudly locally owned and operated orchard management and post-harvest company based in the Bay of Plenty. Our purpose is simple: “Increasing Grower Profit.” With state-of-the‑art packhouses in Te Puna and Te Puke, we’re consistently ranked among the top performers in kiwifruit and avocado packing and coolstore operations.

Our people are what make DMS special — we’re collaborative, professional, and passionate about what we do.

Our Values:

Together We Achieve | Positive Attitude | Show Initiative | Passion for Success | Consistent Customer Focus | Our People’s Wellbeing.

The Role

We’re looking for an experienced and motivated Production Coordinator to join our team at Te Puna.

Reporting to the Packhouse Manager, you’ll play a key role in coordinating day-to-day production activities and ensuring our packing operations run safely, efficiently and to the required quality standards.

This is a hands‑on operational role with responsibility for coordinating production teams, supporting Supervisors, managing production priorities and ensuring the right people, resources and information are in place to keep the operation running smoothly.

You’ll work across our kiwifruit, repack and avocado seasons, making this a varied role for someone who enjoys a fast‑paced environment, working with people and solving problems as they arise.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Coordinate day-to-day packing operations in line with the agreed production and pack plans.
• Organise grower lines and packing requirements to ensure fruit is packed into the correct pack types and specifications.
• Coordinate with other Production Coordinators to set up graders and systems and ensure effective shift handovers.
• Monitor packing line performance, throughput, packout and cost, responding quickly to issues that may impact production, fruit quality, storage or inventory.
• Coordinate staff on shift, ensuring the right people are in the right roles based on production requirements.
• Provide clear direction and support to Production Supervisors and operational staff.
• Ensure packing reports, shift records and other required documentation are completed accurately and on time.
• Work closely with Site Management, Coolstore, Quality, EDI, Inventory and Systems teams to resolve operational issues and keep production moving.
• Coordinate repack operations during the repack season, ensuring production priorities and vessel cut-off times are achieved.
• Support avocado packing operations and ensure product meets required AIC quality standards.
• Monitor and promote LEAN and Kanban processes to support efficient production.
• Build positive working relationships across shifts, departments, staff and management.
• Communicate effectively with growers when they are onsite and provide appropriate information regarding their crop.
• Promote and maintain high standards of Health & Safety, quality and compliance across production.
• Ensure production activities comply with relevant DMS, BRC, Zespri, AsureQuality and BioGro requirements where applicable.
• Assist with seasonal planning and site preparation, including operational requirements, work orders, maintenance and production readiness.
• Support the Packhouse Manager and wider management team with projects, problem‑solving and continuous improvement initiatives.

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for someone who can take ownership of their area, keep things moving and remain calm and organised when production gets busy.

You’ll bring:

• Proven experience supervising or leading staff.
• Experience working in a production or operational environment.
• The ability to coordinate people, resources and competing priorities.
• Strong planning, prioritising and time management skills.
• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across different teams.
• Confidence to make decisions, solve problems and escalated issues when required.
• The ability to remain organised and effective during high‑pressure peak production periods.
• Good computer literacy and the ability to learn and confidently use operational systems.
• A positive, can‑do attitude and a solution‑focused approach.
• A strong commitment to Health & Safety and quality.
• Flexibility with hours of work, particularly during peak production periods.
• A genuine interest in supporting, developing and getting the best out of people.
• A willingness to learn and continuously improve.

It would be great if you also have:

• Experience in the kiwifruit and/or avocado industry.
• Experience in a packhouse, food production or similar high‑volume operational environment.
• Experience using production, inventory, quality or reporting systems.
• Knowledge of Zespri, AsureQuality, BRC or other food safety and quality requirements.
• Experience with LEAN, Kanban or continuous improvement processes.

Why Join DMS?

- Make a real impact – play a key role in keeping our production operation running efficiently and effectively.

- Variety throughout the year – work across kiwifruit, repack and avocado operations.

- Great team culture – work alongside a supportive and experienced operational team that values collaboration and respect.

- Grow your leadership experience – develop your skills in production coordination, people leadership and operational management.

- Locally owned and operated – be part of a successful Bay of Plenty business with strong industry relationships.

- Competitive remuneration and benefits, including health insurance and bonus opportunities.

If you’re an experienced production professional who enjoys working with people, solving problems and being at the heart of a busy operation, we’d love to hear from you.

Join DMS and help us deliver safe, efficient and high‑quality production for our growers and customers.