Senior Crop Manager

PeoplePlus; Gisborne; On-site; NZD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

LeaderBrand is seeking a Senior Crop Manager to lead our fresh-market sweetcorn and seed maize crops in Gisborne. This hands-on senior role focuses on getting details right, timely decisions, and field presence to drive crop performance.

You’ll join a leading NZ fresh-produce business and work with the Business Manager – Crop Production and a team of Senior Crop Managers.

Qualifications

• Experience in crop management or agronomy.
• Practical knowledge of irrigation and farm machinery.
• Leadership of seasonal staff and cross-functional teams.
• Understanding of HACCP or quality systems is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day agronomy and crop management of sweetcorn and seed maize.
• Plan planting programmes to meet harvest and sales windows.
• Manage irrigation, nutrition, crop protection, maturity, yield and quality.
• Monitor crops and use data to guide decisions.
• Collaborate with planning, harvest, operations, logistics and sales teams.
• Lead seasonal staff and ensure safe field operations.
• Trial new varieties and growing practices to improve yield and quality.
• Contribute to crop budgets, forecasting and continuous improvement.

Skills

Crop management

Field judgement

Irrigation management

Farm machinery

Farm-management software

Team leadership

Planning & scheduling

stakeholder management

Education

Agriculture or agronomy qualification

GROWSAFE certificate

Tools

Farm-management software

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.

Want ownership of a major sweetcorn programme — from planting plan through to harvest?

LeaderBrand is looking for an experienced Senior Crop Manager to lead our fresh-market sweetcorn and seed maize crops in Gisborne. This is a hands‑on senior role for someone who knows that strong crop results come from getting the details right, making timely decisions and being out in the field.

You’ll join one of New Zealand’s leading fresh‑produce businesses and work alongside our Business Manager – Crop Production and a team of Senior Crop Managers.

What you’ll be doing

Lead the day‑to‑day agronomy and crop management of sweetcorn and seed maize.

Plan planting programmes to meet harvest and sales windows.

Manage irrigation, nutrition, crop protection, maturity, yield and quality.

Monitor crops closely and use data to make sound, practical decisions.

Work with planning, harvest, operations, logistics and sales teams to deliver the right crop at the right time.

Lead seasonal staff and support safe, efficient field operations.

Trial new varieties, technology and growing practices that improve yield, quality and consistency.

Contribute to crop budgets, forecasting and continuous improvement.

What you’ll bring

You will ideally have experience in crop management, agronomy, broadacre, row‑crop, vegetable or horticultural production, along with:

Strong practical crop‑production knowledge and field judgement.

Experience with irrigation, farm machinery and farm‑management software.

Confidence managing planting, crop inputs and harvest timing.

An understanding of HACCP and NZGAP or GlobalG.A.P.

Good planning, communication and stakeholder‑management skills.

Experience leading teams, including seasonal labour, is an advantage.

A practical approach to problem‑solving and a willingness to try better ways of doing things.

A full NZ driver licence or equivalent international licence.

An agriculture or agronomy qualification and GROWSAFE certificate would be useful, but are not essential.

Why LeaderBrand?

LeaderBrand is a large, family‑owned fresh‑produce business with the scale, technology and ambition to keep improving. You’ll have genuine ownership of your crop programme, support from experienced people around you, and the opportunity to test new ideas rather than simply follow last season’s plan.

This is a full‑time, Gisborne‑based role. The position is a minimum of 40 hours per week, with additional hours required during peak seasonal periods.

People Plus is proud to be managing this recruitment process on behalf of LeaderBrand Produce.