Kōanga Assistant Garden Manager

We are looking for an amazing, dedicated, passionate person to join our gardening team. If you think this is you, we would love to hear from you. 

Kōanga Institute is seeking an experienced and passionate Assistant Garden Manager to work with our Head Garden manager and our small, hardworking Garden Crew. As the Assistant Garden Manager, you will be responsible for management support and caring for the seed production gardens, local regenerative food production gardens, and the growing perennials garden. You will work closely with the Garden Manager to plan seed gardens each year and ensure that Kōanga Best Practice processes are being upheld and implemented in each garden. In addition, once trained, you will provide support, guidance, and tuition to each member of the Garden Crew, enabling them to manage and take care of a garden of approximately 300-400sqm.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Management support and leadership of the Garden Crew
  • Manage and care for the seed production gardens, local regenerative food production gardens, and the growing perennials garden.
  • Plan seed gardens each year in consultation with the Production Manager.
  • Provide support, guidance, and tuition to each member of the Garden Crew, enabling them to manage and take care of a garden of approximately 300-400sqm.
  • Teach and train the Garden Crew on Kōanga Best Practice, including bio-intensive growing, seed production and processing, and fertiliser creation.
  • Collaborate on the development of new regenerative systems.

Requirements

  • Experience in food production in the horticulture or agriculture industries is essential.
  • Team management and team building experience required.
  • Basic practical handy skills to fix and build when necessary.
  • A strong work ethic and a passion for regeneration and regenerative food systems.
  • Experience in teaching and training is highly appreciated.
  • Enjoyment of physical outdoor work, all year round.
  • Interest in sustainable agriculture and a desire to learn and develop new skills.

Key Skills

  • Team development and management.
  • Time management and organisational skills.
  • Practical problem solving skills.
  • Outdoor work experience and/or extensive experience in the outdoors.

Personal Skills and Attributes

  • Comfortable supervising staff and working in a team.
  • A proactive individual who enjoys being involved.
  • A solutions-based thinker.
  • Confident speaking to the camera when necessary for online marketing and social media campaigns.
  • Joining the Kōanga team is an opportunity to be a part of a regeneration legacy and to learn and develop regenerative systems.
  • Personal Skills and Attributes

Working Hours and Remuneration:

40 hours per week.
● Holidays are staggered to ensure that the bulk (3 weeks) of holiday time is during the
off-season in the garden, mid-May to late July. Three holiday days can be applied for at either Christmas or New Year on top of Public Holidays, and any remaining holidays can be taken by negotiation at any time other than September, October, November, or December.
● Remuneration: $25.00 per hour

Joining the Kōanga team is an opportunity to be a part of a regeneration legacy and to learn and develop regenerative systems.

If you have a strong work ethic with a commitment to sustainability, and like working in the outdoors, please email us at [email protected]  with your resume and a cover letter explaining why you would be the ideal candidate for this role.

Accommodation
A cabin on-site at Koanga.

Koanga operates pretty much off-grid and none of the Cabins have mains power, though you can charge phones and laptops at the main house which is used as offices and teaching rooms.
Other accommodation is renting in Wairoa (25 mins from Koanga), or if you have your own tiny home, then a spot can be provided on site for this, provided it has its own batteries and solar power.