Jobs in New Zealand

• Position description: Typically these positions involve assisting the Farm Manager/Owner in all activities on the farm, but without ultimate responsibility for pasture and herd management.
• Suitable candidates: These positions suit most entrants into the New Zealand Dairy industry, as they provide an opportunity to learn New Zealand dairy farming systems under supervision. They are a necessary step in climbing the dairy industry "ladder".
• Activities include, amongst other things: Milking cows (Machine milking through rotary or herringbone sheds); Feeding out stock; Basic tractor work; Use of 2 and 4-wheel farm motorbikes; Calf rearing; Close monitoring of cows during calving and mating periods; Basic pasture management; Basic animal health identification & treatment; Fencing; General farm maintenance work
• Typical working hours: These hours vary significantly from farm to farm and season to season, ranging from 50 hours a week (quiet periods) to 85 hours a week (e.g. during peak calving season).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period: Usually minimum of a year (or longer)
• Typical salary range: $27,000 - $38,000 per annum depending on the level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

• Position description: Typically these positions involve assisting the Farm Manager/Owner in all activities on the farm, but with significant individual responsibility for pasture and herd management.
• Suitable candidates: These positions suit most candidates who have at least one year's New Zealand dairy farming experience or significant overseas experience. They are a necessary third step in climbing the dairy industry "ladder".
• Activities include, amongst other things: Same as the assistant herd manager: Milking cows (Machine milking through rotary or herringbone sheds); Feeding out stock; Basic tractor work; Use of 2 and 4-wheel farm motorbikes; Calf rearing; Close monitoring of cows during calving and mating periods; Basic pasture management; Basic animal health identification & treatment; Fencing; General farm maintenance work assistant herd manager position. Plus significant pasture and herd management responsibilities.
• Typical working hours: These hours vary significantly from farm to farm and season to season, ranging from 50 hours a week (quiet periods) to 85 hours a week (e.g. during peak calving).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period: Usually minimum of a year (or longer)
• Typical salary range: $38,000 - $45,000 per annum depending on the level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

• Position description: Typically these positions involve full management responsibilities for all activities on the farm. They will usually involve supervising other farm employees. Reporting is usually to the farm owner.
• Suitable candidates: These positions suit most candidates who have at least two to three year's New Zealand dairy farming experience or substantial overseas dairy experience. They are a necessary second step in climbing the dairy industry "ladder".
• Activities include, amongst other things: Full farm management responsibilities including labour.
• Typical working hours: These hours vary significantly from farm to farm and season to season, ranging from 50 hours a week (quiet periods) to 85 hours a week (e.g. during peak calving season).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period: Usually minimum of a year (or longer)
• Typical salary range: $45,000 - $60,000 per annum depending on the level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

• Description: For simplicity these are combined here. Essentially these positions are the interim step between farm management and sharemilking. They involve all the responsibilities of a farm manager but with added incentives and financial responsibility. Usually candidates have to provide their own motorbikes and are responsible for the costs of all labour on the farm. In return you receive a percentage of milk payout (between 22% and 25%) or a set price per kilogram of milk solids produced. Full farm management responsibilities including labour.
• Attraction: Such arrangements incentivise managers and allow them to gain the skills necessary to progress to sharemilking.
• Contract term: Typically 1 to 3 years.

• Description: Sharemilking involves sharing milk income and farm costs (theoretically 50:50 but recently with more costs weighted to the sharemilker) but with the sharemilker retaining 100% of income from stock sales. The farm owner retains ownership of the farm and the sharemilker provides his/her own cows, farm machinery and essentially farms the farm as if it were his/her own. This usually entails the sharemilker providing a deposit and borrowing the remaining funds from a bank to finance the purchase of machinery and stock.
• Attraction: Sharemilking provides the attraction of running your own business, with all the attached risks and responsibilities. It has traditionally provided substantial financial rewards that allow progression to farm ownership. Whilst farms in New Zealand have now become very expensive in relation to farming returns, good sharemilkers are still managing to achieve their dreams of farm ownership through sharemilking.
• Contract term: Typically 3 years

• Position description: Typically these positions involve assisting the Farm Manager/Owner in all activities on the farm, usually as part of a small team. It is advantageous (but often not essential) to have your own working dogs.
• Suitable candidates: These positions suit most entrants into the New Zealand Drystock industry, as they provide an opportunity to learn New Zealand farming systems under supervision. They are an ideal and necessary first step in climbing the industry "ladder".
• Activities include, amongst other things: Daily shifting of stock; Feeding out stock; tractor work; Use of 2 and 4-wheel farm motorbikes; monitoring of cows and ewes during calving and lambing; Basic pasture management; Basic animal health identification & treatment; Fencing; General farm maintenance work
• Typical working hours: These hours vary from farm to farm and season to season. A range would be from 55 hours a week (quiet periods) to 70 hours a week (e.g. during calving, lambing, shearing and docking).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period:Usually minimum of one year (or longer)
• Typical salary range: $26,000 - $32,000 per annum depending on level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

• Position description: Typically these positions involve assisting the Farm Manager/Owner in all activities on the farm, as 2nd in charge on the farm. This position usually requires you to have your own working dogs.
• Suitable candidates: These positions suit candidates progressing towards Farm Manager level. They usually require at least one year's New Zealand experience or significant overseas experience.
• Activities include, amongst other things: Activities are similar to those of a Shepherd but with significantly more pasture management responsibility; Responsibility for animal health identification & treatment; Fencing; General farm maintenance work
• Typical working hours: These hours vary from farm to farm and season to season. A range would be from 55 hours a week (quiet periods) to 70 hours a week (e.g. during calving, lambing, shearing and docking).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period:Usually minimum of one year (or longer)
• Typical salary range:$32,000 - $40,000 per annum depending on level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

• Position description:Typically these positions involve full management responsibilities for all activities on the farm. They will usually involve supervising other farm employees. Reporting is usually to the farm owner.
• Suitable candidates:These positions suit most candidates who have at least two to three year's New Zealand drystock farming experience or substantial overseas drystock experience.
  A progression of this position can involve some level of equity partnership with the farm owner, essentially allowing the drystock industry to compete with the lucrative Sharemilking "equivalent" in the dairy industry.
• Activities include, amongst other things: Full farm management responsibilities including labour.
• Typical working hours:These hours vary significantly from farm to farm and season to season. A range would be from 50 hours a week (quiet periods) to 85 hours a week (e.g. during peak calving season).
• Leave: 4 weeks a year
• Typical contract period:Usually minimum of one year (or longer)
• Typical salary range:$40,000 - $70,000 per annum depending on level of New Zealand & other experience.

These figures are before tax and other bonuses (e.g. meat) and benefits e.g. housing (usually provided free).

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Dairy:

Farm Manager (Dairy, Sheep/Arable, Beef) - National Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 AND a minimum of three years relevant experience.

Herd Manager - National Certificate Level 2 or above in agriculture AND two years' experience.

Assistant Herd Manager - National Certificate Level 2 or above in agriculture AND/OR two years' experience.

Sheep and beef:

Farm Manager (Dairy, Sheep/Arable, Beef) - National Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 AND a minimum of three years relevant experience.

Senior Shepherd / Stock Manager - National Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 AND three years' experience.

Shepherd - National Certificate in Agriculture level 2 or above AND/OR minimum of one year's experience.

Note:

The requirements listed above are posted regularly on the NZIS website as part of the Temporary Skills shortage list. This list was compiled on 8 December 2006. Please check the NZIS website for any updates.

These requirements are specifically relevant for the Waikato. Different areas may from time-to-time have slightly different requirements.

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There are two commonly-used methods:

1. Obtain a job offer from a New Zealand employer and then apply for a Work Visa through your applicable New Zealand High Commission. Once settled in New Zealand, you can then apply for Residency if you plan to stay more permanently.
2. Or apply for residency before leaving your native country. It's likely that you'll need a New Zealand job offer in an applicable sector first to be accepted.

We recommend that you work through the quick checklist for NZ residency applicants to ascertain your suitability for residency.

Note: Greenstone Recruitment assists its candidates with all work visa applications and the securing of job offers.

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