Irrigation Manager

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Our client is a globally backed agribusiness with a diverse portfolio across tree cropping, viticulture and broadacre cropping. Near Renmark in South Australia's Riverland, they operate a 1,200ha almond orchard at peak production, a flagship property managed for owners who expect solid returns alongside strong environmental and sustainability standards.

Irrigation sits at the centre of the operation: water use efficiency and irrigation trial programs run continuously alongside the production program, backed by substantial infrastructure spanning river pumps, mainlines, storage dams, storage pumps and infield systems.

You'll join a well-resourced environment: structured systems, Agworld for operational planning, agronomist support and a permanent team of 11 supplemented by seasonal casuals through peaks.

The Role

Reporting to the Farm Manager, you will own the operation and maintenance of the full irrigation system, from the river pumps through to on-farm infrastructure, running your team alongside an Operations Manager who leads the operations crew.

You'll schedule irrigation across electronically managed, complex systems, manage fertigation, keep application records accurate, and run efficiency checks across the system, acting on what they show. Three Irrigation Hands report to you, with resourcing shared across the site: operations staff support irrigation through peak periods, and your irrigators job-share into harvest.

This is a hands-on role. You'll be in the orchard alongside the team, and the irrigation crew carries general maintenance alongside water delivery: weed control, spot spraying and property upkeep. You'll also assist in developing operational budgets for irrigation and infrastructure maintenance, and help drive gains in reliability, efficiency and margin.

Key Responsibilities

• Schedule & Deliver Irrigation. Schedule irrigation using all available technologies and methods, manage fertigation, and maintain accurate application records.
• Maintain Infrastructure. Keep river pumps, mainlines, storage dams, storage pumps and infield infrastructure reliable; maintain filter, valve and pump sheds; find leaks and repair them in the field.
• Lead the Team. Supervise, coach and develop the Irrigation Hands, manage workloads, run appraisals and deliver inductions, keeping role clarity across the team.
• Manage Budgets & Improvement. Assist in developing and recording operational budgets, liaise with service providers, and drive productivity, reliability and margin gains through labour, consumables and stock management.
• Own Safety & Compliance. Carry full WHS obligations for the function, manage risk and incident reporting, and maintain environmental compliance across the irrigation program.

What You Bring

You're a hands-on irrigation professional who keeps accurate records, solves problems on the ground, and coaches the people around you.

Essential:

• Irrigation operation and management experience in a horticulture cropping environment.
• Almond or tree crop production experience preferred.
• Experience with electronically managed, complex irrigation systems.
• Demonstrated people management.
• Cost awareness across labour, consumables and stock.
• Experience developing and tracking operational budgets (preferred, not essential).

Individuals coming from an Irrigation Supervisor or similar position, ready to step into their first management role, are encouraged to apply.
What You'll Gain

• Package: $95k - $105k + Super + work vehicle + 10% Bonus. Salary reviewed annually.
• Sponsorship: Available for the right applicant.
• Support: A well-resourced environment with structured systems, processes and agronomy support.
• Growth: Scope to further progress towards farm management.

How to Step Forward

For more information or a confidential chat, please contact Nick Marchant, Director, on 0466 333 066 or Lemuel Cruz, Talent Specialist, on [0468 093 444](tel:0468 093 444).

Who Are March

March offers permanent recruitment and workforce planning services tailored exclusively to Australian agribusinesses. We're about connecting top talent with great businesses - plain and simple.