Play an important management role in the growth and success of our young business

Build an exciting career in one of our most important Agricultural industries

Permanent Full-time position

Multiple Positions Available

Who are we?

Duxton Bees is a farmgate beekeeping Company. The primary objective of Duxton Bees is to operate a safe, sustainable and profitable Apiary operation. Duxton Bees intends to become one of the largest commercial beekeeping businesses in Australia, supporting agriculture through pollination services and honey production across different geographical locations within Australia.

We have a permanent opportunity for a full-time Beekeeper to work within our Apiary Team based in Parkes, 2870, New South Wales.

Key Responsibilities

Assist in all aspects of shed management required to ensure the efficiency of beekeeping operation;

Timely and complete management of hives during rounds and season as per the seasonal plan;

Oversee the apiary activities including allocating duties to junior beekeepers, planning beekeeping schedules and ensuring adequate human resources are rostered to meet beekeeping requirements;

Working in the honey extraction facility to extract honey including uncapping and extraction methods Liaise with team to organise movement of bee hives and associated staff travel and logistics;

Installing and maintaining hives into pollination;

Monitoring health of bees and treat health problems with natural or chemical methods;

Operating smoker and other safety equipment used to perform beekeeping;

Undertake queen replacement and producing queen cells;

Practising swarm management techniques as prescribe by Duxton Bees

Undertake honey harvesting in the field;

Working in the honey extraction facility to extract honey including uncapping and extraction methods set by Duxton Bees;

Complete hive manipulations, including locating and replacing queens

To feed and record food storage of beehives;

To make up nucleus colonies to recover any losses;

To efficiently pull honey from beehives to ensure maximum crop value is achieved;

Assist with the timely and complete management of hives during rounds and season as per the seasonal plan;

Maintain enduring relationships with existing landowners to retain preferred land sites;

Ensure our beekeeping team treats landowners and their properties with the highest level of respect;

Demonstrate leadership behaviours that are consistent with the vision, goals, values and priorities for Duxton Bees;

To support and encourage junior beekeepers by guiding their learning so that they may maximise their potential, develop their beekeeping skills, improve their performance and become beekeepers of the future;

Be the champion and promotor of Workplace Health and Safety amongst the beekeeping team members;

Proactively promote sustainability of resources such as energy, water and packaging, and minimize waste to ensure compliance to standards.

Ensure the bi-weekly vehicle checks are completed and any maintenance is scheduled accordingly; and

Safely operate heavy trucks and farm equipment to move bees into pollination and honey production during the hours of darkness.

Key requirements

Certificate III or higher qualification plus at least 1-year full time experience (in the last 5 years), or if no qualification held, at least 3 years full time relevant beekeeping experience (of which 1 year must be in the last 5 years);
Full Drivers licence required, HC license and Forklift license preferable

Good work ethic and be a team player but must also be able to work independently;

Must be physically fit, and with no known allergies to bees\bee stings

Must be resilient and enjoy working outside;

Experience in the agricultural or horticultural industries, and an understanding of Biosecurity risks and challenges would be looked upon favourably;

Willingness to undertake further studies as required for the position; and

Availability to travel away from home during honey season (September to Feb).

Remuneration

An annual salary of $76,000 – $78,000 plus superannuation based on a 38-hour week.

This is an exciting and varied role, requiring outdoor work in the elements, physical fitness and will require extensive travel\time away from home during both honey and pollination periods.

We are committed to developing our Beekeepers and providing opportunities for personal and professional growth within the business.