Vine Manager

Southern Cross Horticulture – Edgecumbe, North Island At Southern Cross Horticulture, our goal is to develop and manage the world’s best kiwifruit orchards. As a Vine Manager, you will provide strategic direction, lift performance, and work to deliver top-quartile producing Orchards. In this position you will take ownership of a section of our Orchard, where you will work under the guidance of our Orchard Manager and Area Manager, training and upskilling as you go. You’ll join a family-owned business where people genuinely come first. With our high-performance culture, strong systems, and supportive leadership, you’ll feel the difference from day one. We offer you the autonomy to lead your operation while surrounding you with the right expertise to succeed. With a clear pathway toward Orchard Management, this is a role where you can continue to grow your career. The Role As a Vine Manager, you’ll lead the planning, execution, and optimisation of orchard operations, under guidance and support of your team. You will ensure orchards are run to the highest standard, achieving production, financial, and customer outcomes. Key responsibilities include: Learning and communicating with your Orchard Manager in a positive manner Leading orchard planning, canopy development, and crop yield performance Managing budgets, reporting, and customer communication Overseeing health, safety, and GAP compliance Coaching and mentoring Supervisors, Cadets and our workforce teams Building strong customer relationships and exceeding expectations Driving a culture of excellence, safety, and continuous improvement This is a hands-on leadership role, with around 90% of your time spent in the orchard leading people and ensuring smooth operations. About You Proven leadership under the vine with at least 3 years of experience across all seasons Strong knowledge of kiwifruit vine growth, training, and orchard inputs Financial acumen or the willingness to develop budgeting and reporting skills Strengths in planning ahead, problem-solving, and resilience Excellent communication and relationship-building capability A passion for coaching and developing people A valid NZ driver’s licence and eligibility to work in New Zealand Why SCH? Southern Cross Horticulture is driven by a clear mission: to create the world’s best kiwifruit orchards and enrich the lives of our people, customers, shareholders, and communities. With more than 40 years’ experience planting, growing, and exporting kiwifruit, we are one of New Zealand’s largest and most successful SunGold (G3) orchard developers and producers. From selecting land to designing, building, growing, and managing orchards, our expertise spans the full lifecycle. Our values—excellence, integrity, teamwork, strong relationships, and a positive attitude—guide everything we do. For more information about Southern Cross Horticulture Ltd visit:www.southerncrosshorticulture.co.nz #J-18808-Ljbffr