Seasonal Orchard Assistant

Suncrest Orchard; Cromwell Community; On-site; NZD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite accommodation

End of season bonus

Job summary

Suncrest Orchard is seeking Seasonal Orchard Assistants in Central Otago to manage harvest operations from mid/late November through late January. You will work with the Suncrest Orchard team to oversee harvest logistics, weigh fruit, load trailers, assign trees, and perform quality checks in a safe, efficient manner.

These roles offer onsite accommodation options, a fixed-term seasonal contract, and potential end-of-season bonuses.

Qualifications

• Seasonal staff on fixed-term basis.
• Global Gap, SQF (HACCP) and GRASP accreditation.
• Willingness to work outdoors in Central Otago.

Responsibilities

• Weighing harvested fruit
• Loading trailers
• Assigning trees
• Quality and tree checks
• Setting up blocks before the harvest team goes in
• Cleaning up harvest blocks after harvest
• Irrigation & irrigation maintenance
• Transportation of harvested produce

Skills

Outdoor work

Teamwork

Seasonal work

Physical fitness

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.

• Working outdoors in beautiful Central Otago and making new friends from around the world.
• A range of onsite accommodation is available
• We pay an End of Season Bonus to those who work until the end of the export cherry season
• During your free time you can explore everything Central Otago has to offer - fishing or swimming on Lake Dunstan, cycling the local trails, a visit to one of the many local cellar doors, taking in the scenery on one of the walking tracks or just relaxing in the sun with friends. Days off present an opportunity to explore further afield and enjoy nearby Queenstown and Wanaka.

Suncrest Orchard a family-owned and operated orchard with 3 generations working hands-on in the business. We employ all our seasonal staff on a seasonal fixed-term basis. We are Global Gap, SQF (HACCP) and GRASP accredited. This means we are a safe, sustainable company practicing good agricultural practices and complying with national employment legislation.

The positions will start in between mid/late November and mid December and work will go through until the end of the export cherry season in late January/early February 2026. Our Seasonal Orchard Assistants work with the Suncrest Orchard team to manage the harvest and transportation of cherries from the orchard to the packhouse.

Duties include:
Weighing harvested fruit
Loading trailers
Assigning trees
Quality and tree checks
Setting up blocks before the harvest team goes in
Cleaning up harvest blocks after harvest
Irrigation & irrigation maintenance
Transportation of harvested produce