Employer: The Trustee for The Mullee Family Trust

Position: Crop Inspector

Employment Type: Permanent, Full-time.

Salary Range: $75,000 - $85,000 per annum plus Superannuation

Location: 14 Sanctuary Drive, Woolgoolga NSW 2456

ABN: 11 443 151 387

Position Overview: We are seeking a Crop Inspector to support our farming operations in Woolgoolga. This position plays an important role in making sure our blueberry crops and other produce meet quality, safety, hygiene and grading standards before being supplied to buyers.

The Crop Inspector will inspect crops in the field, check harvested produce, monitor grading and packing, identify pest or disease issues, collect samples, maintain inspection records and provide feedback to farm management. The role will also assist with food safety, traceability, post-harvest handling and quality assurance procedures across the farm. The role is also responsible for preparing clear inspection records and supporting compliance with buyer, food safety, biosecurity and industry requirements.

This is a practical role suited to someone with experience in horticulture, crop inspection, fruit inspection or agricultural quality control.

Benefits

Why Join Us:

• Competitive annual salary plus superannuation.
• Full-time role with an established Woolgoolga farming business.
• Hands-on work in crop inspection, grading and quality control.
• Opportunity to work with blueberries, avocados and raspberries.
• Support produce quality for supply to major wholesalers.

Task & responsibilities

Key Accountabilities

Job Responsibility:  

Inspect crops, plants and agricultural produce to ensure compliance with government, industry and buyer standards relating to quality, health, hygiene and grading.

The main responsibilities will encompass, but are not limited to:

• Inspect blueberry crops and other produce to identify quality issues, pest or disease impact, crop condition, ripeness and market readiness.
• Check harvested fruit for size, colour, firmness, shape, texture, defects, contamination and general presentation.
• Grade produce during picking, sorting, packing and dispatch to ensure it meets buyer requirements, company standards and relevant industry expectations.
• Develop, implement, monitor and review quality assurance procedures across berry production, harvesting, packing, storage and dispatch.
• Conduct routine testing and visual inspections of produce for quality, size, maturity, firmness and contamination risks.
• Collect crop and produce samples for quality checks, testing and recordkeeping.
• Use suitable inspection and testing tools such as Brix meters, moisture meters, pest monitoring tools and other farm inspection equipment where required.
• Monitor hygiene and food safety practices across the farm, packing areas, storage areas and transport preparation areas.
• Monitor and assist with HACCP, HARPS, Freshcare and other food safety or quality procedures used by the business.
• Identify and report non-conforming produce, crop damage, pest activity, disease symptoms, contamination risks or poor handling practices.
• Inspect incoming materials such as seedlings, fertilisers, packaging supplies and containers where required to identify quality, hygiene or biosecurity risks.
• Check packing, labelling, storage, loading and handling practices to ensure produce is kept in good condition and ready for supply.
• Ensure chemical handling, produce handling and storage practices are followed in line with farm procedures and food safety requirements.
• Maintain inspection records, grading notes, sampling results, quality reports and traceability documents.
• Provide feedback to the Trustee, farm managers, farmhands, pickers, contractors and packing staff about crop quality, grading, pest issues and handling requirements.
• Advise farm management and workers on grading, packing, loading and handling requirements to maintain produce quality and compliance.
• Advise management on practical and cost-effective actions to reduce crop losses caused by pests, disease, poor handling or quality defects.
• Assist with internal checks, buyer requirements, audits, compliance reviews or investigations where required.
• Recommend practical improvements to help maintain crop quality, reduce defects and improve produce handling.

Role Requirements

• Availability to work full-time hours in accordance with farm operations.
• Ability to carry out inspections and quality checks in field and packing environments.
• Ability to follow food safety, hygiene, quality and workplace health and safety procedures.
• Ability to maintain accurate inspection and quality records.
• Ability to identify and report crop, produce, pest, disease, hygiene and compliance issues.
• Ability to apply buyer, industry, food safety and regulatory requirements when inspecting crops and produce.
• Ability to communicate clearly and respectfully with management, staff, contractors, buyers and external service providers.
• This position is open to Australian citizens, permanent residents and holders of valid work visas.

Application Process: Interested candidates are invited to submit their updated CV and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role. Applications must be complete to be considered. Only shortlisted applicants will be notified.

Qualification & experience

Skills and Experience Required

• Diploma or higher qualification in Agriculture, Horticulture, Food Processing Technology, Food Science, Quality Assurance, Primary Production or a related field.
• Minimum 1–2 years’ relevant experience in crop inspection, fruit inspection, agricultural quality control, fresh produce handling or a similar farming environment.
• Strong knowledge of crop quality, produce grading, food safety, hygiene and post-harvest handling.
• Understanding of HACCP, HARPS, Freshcare and Australian food safety requirements.
• Hands-on experience working in rural farming environments and dealing with primary produce.
• Ability to identify crop defects, pest damage, disease symptoms, contamination risks and produce quality issues.
• Experience using farm inspection, sampling, testing, packing or quality control tools is highly regarded.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to make practical decisions in the field.
• Good communication skills and ability to work with farm workers, contractors, management, buyers and external advisers.
• Ability to work independently in field, farm, packing and storage environments.