Farm Supervisor

Lucas M Limited is an agricultural labour and operations management company based in the Tasman/Nelson region. We place skilled workers across a range of horticultural operations — including hops, berries, and specialist crops — and pride ourselves on high standards of team management, compliance, and on-farm performance. Our clients include some of the region's leading horticultural producers.

We are seeking an experienced Farm Supervisor to oversee day-to-day horticultural operations across multiple client sites in the Tasman region. This is a permanent, full-time position suited to someone with strong organisational and team leadership skills.

Key Responsibilities

• Supervise and coordinate teams of up to 30–40 seasonal and permanent workers across hops, berry, and other horticultural operations

• Plan and allocate daily work tasks; monitor team output and quality against production targets

• Maintain accurate records of work hours, outputs, and compliance activities

• Conduct on-farm quality checks and ensure crop handling standards are met

• Train and induct new workers in safe work practices, task requirements, and company standards

• Liaise with farm clients and Lucas M management to plan seasonal workloads and address operational issues

• Ensure compliance with health and safety legislation, employment obligations, and client requirements

• Work across multiple sites including weekend shifts as required by seasonal operational demands

Skills and Experience Required

Essential:

• Minimum 2 years' experience in a supervisory or team leadership role in any industry — experience managing teams, allocating tasks, and monitoring performance is essential

• Demonstrated ability to organise, direct, and oversee a team of workers to meet output and quality targets

• Strong record-keeping and reporting skills — experience with quality monitoring, compliance reporting, or auditing highly valued

• Willingness and ability to quickly learn horticultural operations and crop handling requirements (on-the-job training provided)

• Current, full New Zealand driver licence (required to travel between work sites)

• Good English communication skills — both written and spoken

• Ability to work weekends and flexible hours in line with seasonal demands

Preferred (not required):

• Experience working in NZ horticulture, farming, or packhouse environments (advantageous but not required)

• Relevant tertiary qualification in any field — agriculture, horticulture, business, management, or similar

• Familiarity with NZ employment obligations and health & safety requirements

• Experience managing diverse, multicultural teams

• Background in auditing, compliance, quality assurance, or operations management

What We Offer

• Competitive salary: $26–$35 per hour depending on experience

• Permanent, full-time position with a growing and reputable company

• Variety of work across multiple farms and horticultural sectors

• Supportive team environment with clear operational structure

• Opportunities to grow into a senior operations management role