Technical Operations Manager - Orchards

At Mr Apple, we don’t just grow apples — we grow people, expertise and the future of horticulture. We’re looking for a Technical Operations Manager – Orchards to help lift consistency, quality, and technical performance across our orchard operations.

In this hands-on technical role, you will work closely with the Head of Orchards providing deep technical expertise across orchard technical systems. You will ensure spray programmes, maturity decisions, and labour execution are tightly aligned, enabling fruit to be picked at optimal quality, yield, and performance.

What you’ll be doing:

• Technical Orchard Leadership & Support: Lead spray programmes across the business, providing practical technical guidance on planning, timing, product use, equipment performance, and best-practice application.
• Fruit Maturity Monitoring & Harvest Readiness: Guide consistent maturity monitoring and help Orchard Managers interpret and use data for decision making.
• Labour Movement Aligned to Maturity: Working with Orchard Managers to provide technical input for prioritising blocks and aligning labour movement with fruit maturity and harvest readiness.
• Irrigation Systems & Water Management: Accountable for effective irrigation systems and water management across orchard sites to improve tree performance, yield, and fruit quality.
• Orchard Redevelopment & Technical Projects: Provide technical input into orchard redevelopment, new plantings, infrastructure upgrades, and other practical orchard projects.
• R&D and Applied Research: Oversight of translating research, trials and industry insights into practical orchard improvements that support better technical decision-making.

Who you are:

• Technical expertise in apple growing systems, orchard performance, and crop outcomes.
• Experience across spray programmes, machinery, irrigation, and orchard operations.
• A relevant horticulture, agriculture or related qualification, or equivalent practical experience.
• Sound problem-solving skills, with the ability to diagnose technical issues and recommend practical solutions.
• Confidence working hands-on across sites and alongside operational leaders.
• The ability to turn technical advice into clear actions.
• A curious, improvement-focused mindset with openness to new technology, digital tools, and AI-enabled ways of working.

What we offer:

• A rare opportunity to shape technical orchard performance at New Zealand’s largest apple grower and exporter.
• The chance to make decisions that directly influence fruit quality, yield, and orchard outcomes across multiple sites.
• A role where your technical expertise is valued, trusted, and used to solve real orchard challenges.
• Variety, challenge, and the satisfaction of seeing your advice turn into practical action in the orchard.
• Opportunities to keep learning, trial new ideas and contribute to the future of high-performing horticulture.
• A supportive, values-led team that is stronger together, future-focused, and always growing.

If you want to be part of a business that delivers world-class apples through world-class orchard expertise, we’d love to hear from you.