Vacancies

The Agri Magic team live and breathe agriculture.

We provide consultancy services that help farmers improve environmental performance while remaining productive, profitable, and resilient. We help clients navigate change, assess opportunities, and make practical, evidence-based decisions for the future of their farming businesses.

We are looking for a leading Farm Systems Consultant – Efficient Systems Specialist to strengthen our work in productive, biogenic-efficient agricultural systems.

About the role

Based at our office in Christchurch, you will lead complex farm systems work from scoping through to delivery. You will combine practical farming credibility, advanced technical judgement, whole-farm systems thinking, and clear communication to help clients evaluate changes that may reduce biogenic emissions while maintaining or improving productivity, profitability, resilience, and animal performance.

You will translate science, farm data, modelling, policy, market requirements, and emerging technologies into practical advice. You will also contribute agricultural expertise to digital and online platforms and help lift team capability through mentoring, technical review, quality assurance, and professional leadership.

What you will do

• Lead practical farm systems advice focused on biogenic emissions, feed efficiency, productivity, profitability, resilience, and operational practicality.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and management practices, clearly distinguishing proven options from those still under development or supported by limited evidence.
• Assess interactions, trade-offs, risks, and unintended consequences across the whole farm system, including production, animal health and welfare, nutrients, soil, water, biodiversity, labour, and financial performance.
• Build and review whole-farm models, emissions inventories, feed and production analyses, nutrient budgets, and scenario assessments using appropriate tools and methods.
• Interpret New Zealand and international climate policy, market and supply-chain requirements, reporting systems, standards, and trade settings for clients and industry stakeholders.
• Contribute farm systems expertise to the design, testing, implementation, and improvement of digital agricultural tools and online platforms.
• Lead complex projects, taking ownership of scope, budget, timeframe, quality, technical integrity, communication, and delivery risks.
• Produce and review high-quality reports, options assessments, business cases, briefings, workshop materials, proposals, and implementation plans.
• Mentor consultants, strengthen technical standards and quality assurance, and contribute to Agri Magic’s services, systems, and strategic development.
• The usual hours of work will be 40 hours per week

Your skills and experience

You will bring:

• A minimum of master’s degree in agricultural science, farm systems, environmental science, agribusiness, or another directly relevant discipline.
• Significant (minimum of 3 years) professional experience in farm systems, agricultural biogenic emissions, nutrient management, livestock production, rural advisory, environmental consulting, agricultural research, or a closely related field.
• Practical on-farm working experience at a managerial level and a strong understanding of day-to-day operations, seasonal decisions, feed management, animal performance, labour constraints, financial pressures, and implementation realities.
• Advanced understanding of pastoral and livestock farm systems, including the relationships between feed, animal performance, productivity, profitability, and biogenic emissions.
• Experience assessing agricultural technologies and scientific evidence, including technology readiness, commercial viability, implementation risks, and potential unintended consequences.
• Knowledge of international agricultural systems, greenhouse gas programmes, policy frameworks, reporting approaches, market requirements, and relevant trade settings.
• Experience contributing to the development, implementation, or improvement of online or IT platforms for agriculture, including working with software developers or data specialists.
• Strong working knowledge of relevant farm systems, emissions, nutrient, financial, and spatial modelling tools. Familiarity with tools such as OverseerFM, Farmax, GIS, Hawkeye, MyBallance, Trev, CropX, or comparable systems is valuable.
• Strong analytical, project management, technical writing, and stakeholder communication skills, with high attention to detail and sound judgement when information is incomplete or uncertain.

Personal attributes we value

You will be practical, curious, evidence-based, and comfortable working through ambiguity. You will communicate complex issues calmly and clearly, take ownership of outcomes, and build trusted relationships. You will be generous with your knowledge, open to feedback, committed to continuous improvement, and able to lead through influence as well as expertise.

What you'll get in return

You will have the opportunity to make a meaningful difference for clients and support productive, profitable, resilient, and greenhouse-gas-efficient agricultural systems. You will work with a driven and supportive team in a high-trust culture that values quality, integrity, curiosity, practical impact, continuous improvement, and ongoing learning.

The role offers opportunities to shape technical standards, digital platforms, advisory services, and Agri Magic’s future approach to efficient agricultural systems, while mentoring others and continuing your own professional and leadership development.

A competitive salary is available and will reflect your experience and capability, within the range of $90,000 - 120,000 per annum.

How to apply

Please apply with your CV and cover letter. Please include information about your practical farm experience, biogenic emissions, farm systems expertise, and relevant digital platform experience in your cover letter.