By Nick Marchant, Director, March Talent Partners · Published 10 June 2026 · 5 min read
TL;DR. To hire an orchard manager worth keeping, accept that the best already run someone else’s orchard. Our four placements in the past six months were all with corporate or fund-backed growers, and three of the four came from a direct approach, not an ad. Allow about ten weeks from search to start, and expect to compete for a proven operator.
Key takeaways
- Three of our last four orchard manager placements, all in the past six months, came from a direct approach, not an advertisement, and all four went to corporate or fund-backed growers.
- The four most recent hires were already orchard managers elsewhere, so for an established almond or avocado operation the move is lateral, not a step up.
- Plan for about ten weeks from search to start: three to five weeks to run the search, then four to six for notice and relocation.
- Australia’s agricultural workforce sits near 255,500 people with a median age of 50 (ABARES, 2025), and the experienced layer that can run a large orchard is thinning.
How do I hire an orchard manager in Australia?
Start from the fact that the orchard manager you want already has a job. Across our last four placements, all in the past six months, three came from a direct approach to someone already running a corporate orchard, not from an advertisement. A workable process runs in order. First, be specific about the crop and the scale, because an almond operation in the Murray Valley asks different things of a manager than an avocado block in the South West, and experienced operators screen hard on that detail. Second, target proven orchard managers at comparable operations, because that is where the recent hires have come from; the irrigation manager or assistant farm manager ready to step up is your longer pipeline, not your quick fill. Third, do the alignment work early, on package, location and the reason to move. Fourth, allow about ten weeks once notice and relocation are in. Skip the groundwork and you tend to hire the person you replace within a year.
Why won’t the best orchard managers answer your ad?
Because the capable ones already run an orchard, usually for a corporate or fund-backed grower, and they aren’t scrolling job boards. The horticulture management community in any given region, the Murray Valley almond belt, the Riverina, the South West, is small and well networked, so the strong operators are known and their results travel ahead of them. Three of our last four placements came from a direct approach for that reason. Advertising reaches the people between jobs, rarely the ones running a successful harvest. Corporate and fund-backed growers are doing most of the permanent hiring, the same operators shaping where orchard manager demand is concentrated, and they compete for the same short list. Farm businesses report steady difficulty hiring skilled people (NFF, 2025). Better to know which orchard manager you would approach before the seat falls vacant.
| What our recent orchard manager placements show | Result |
|---|---|
| Orchard manager placements, last six months | 4 |
| Direct approach vs advertising | 3 of 4 by direct approach |
| Where the recent four were hired from | already running other orchards |
| Average time, search to start | about 10 weeks |
What makes a strong orchard manager?
The technical side is rarely the constraint among serious candidates. Irrigation scheduling, canopy and nutrition, harvest logistics: a proven orchard manager has those. What sets a strong one apart is running a large seasonal labour force under harvest pressure and holding the relationship with the owner or board above. A big almond or avocado operation can put a hundred or more people on the ground at peak, and the crop does not wait for a manager who cannot organise them. It is why we look first at people already doing the job elsewhere, then at the step-up tier, the assistant farm manager or irrigation manager who has carried real responsibility and is ready for more. Almost 30% of people working in agriculture, forestry and fishing are aged 60 and over, against 11% across all industries (ABS, 2021 Census), and the operators who can run a large orchard on their own judgement are a thin slice of a workforce that is ageing out.
The orchard manager you want is not reading job ads on a Sunday night. They are already running someone else’s harvest.
Where does hiring an orchard manager go wrong?
Most orchard hires that fail come undone before the offer, not in the trees. The common mistake is hiring on the technical CV alone and skipping the alignment on scale, crop, package and location. A manager who has run a small family block does not automatically step into a corporate almond operation across several thousand hectares, and the gap shows up in the first harvest. Advertising compounds it by filling the room with the wrong field. So does underpaying: if the package does not match what corporate growers pay, the proven operators stay where they are and you are left choosing among people who could not. Getting it wrong runs expensive, because the rehire lands mid-season and the crop has already moved on.
How long does it take to hire an orchard manager?
Plan for about ten weeks from the start of the search to the first day, and treat it as a floor. Roughly three to five weeks goes to running the search and meeting the field, then four to six weeks to notice and relocation once you have your person. A recognised operation with a strong package can move faster, because proven managers will take the call. Push to fill the seat in a fortnight and you are usually choosing from whoever is free, which is rarely who you want running the harvest. Build the timeline in and use it to confirm the fit, the cheapest insurance you will buy on the hire.
Hiring an orchard manager well turns less on the advertisement and more on knowing which proven operators are quietly open to a move, then giving them a specific reason to make it. Offer real scale, a fair package and a clear say in how the orchard runs, and the right manager will back themselves to take it on. Offer a title and a set of keys, and you will be back in the market before the next harvest.
March Talent Partners works with farming businesses and agribusinesses across Australia on permanent placements, from operational roles through to senior management. If you have an orchard manager seat to fill and you would rather approach the right people than wait for the wrong ones to apply, get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Should you advertise or headhunt for an orchard manager?
Headhunt. Three of our last four orchard manager placements, all in the past six months, came from a direct approach, not an advertisement. The strongest operators already run an orchard for a corporate or fund-backed grower and aren’t looking, so a specific, credible conversation reaches them where a listing will not.
How long does it take to hire an orchard manager in Australia?
Plan for about ten weeks from search to start. Roughly three to five weeks runs the search, then four to six weeks covers notice and relocation. A strong package moves faster, but building the timeline in beats rushing the hire and replacing them within a year.
Where do the best orchard managers come from?
Lately, from other orchards. Our four most recent placements were already in orchard manager roles, so the move was lateral. The longer-term feeder tier is irrigation managers and assistant farm managers ready to step up, which is where to build your pipeline early.
