Agricultural Assistant

About Home Hill State High School

Home Hill State High School is proud to announce our new Agricultural Precinct that includes a fully automated and fertigated plant growing and protected cropping structure (greenhouse), fertigation room, onsite teaching space, packing shed and cold room. Our precinct also includes a 0.6ha agricultural Dig INN plot, beehives and a mango plantation. Furthermore, the school has a separate facility set up for Aquaponics incorporating a red claw crayfish farm and vegetable grow beds. We have also allocated more areas to develop an orchard, poultry housing and host-plant trial plots in the future.

To maintain these facilities, we are now looking for a full-time team member to provide high level agricultural support to develop its capabilities. Our ideal candidate is someone who can contribute to the efficient and effective operation of our Ag Precinct and support our dedicated agricultural teachers. The successful candidate would be expected to help prepare and maintain these operations in an effective and safe manner. Please see attached role description for more details.

About the Role

This is a OO2 progression position as per the Role Description. The successful applicant will be appointed to the OO2 classification with eligibility for progression to the OO3 level once specific criteria have been met. Please note salary rate shown is reflective of OO2 to OO3 classification range.

Agricultural Assistants are responsible for general farm operations, including preparing fields, machinery, and equipment. They are directly involved in planting, watering, and caring for crops and market gardens, including the application of insecticides and fertilizers. A key part of their role is caring for and feeding animals, ensuring their enclosures are clean, and contributing to overall animal husbandry. They also assist with tasks like weighing crop yields and ordering farm supplies, and generally support crop and soil improvement.

Their duties extend to maintenance, which involves preparing and maintaining field study sites (e.g., fixing fences) and ensuring agricultural machinery and equipment are regularly serviced. They also maintain the tidiness and functionality of various farm facilities like storerooms, sheds, and glasshouses, and manage a stock book for farm chemicals and fuels.

In terms of cleaning and stores management, they handle the removal and disposal of animal waste and rubbish, and are crucial in receiving, unpacking, and checking deliveries of agricultural materials. They store and monitor supplies such as fuels, chemicals, and fertilizers, assist with ordering, and conduct annual stocktakes.

For roles in educational settings, Agricultural Assistants also assist with teaching activities by organizing and distributing materials for practical classes, supporting teachers during hands-on sessions, and helping monitor safety and first aid requirements.

Please refer to the attached role description for any mandatory requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Please attach a brief resume including contact details for 2 referees (referees should have an understanding of your relevant previous work history); and
A 1-pg written statement in response to the attached role description.
Attach evidence of the mandatory requirements outlined in the attached role description.

We welcome all applicants to share any support needed to ensure our recruitment process is inclusive.

Applications remain current for 12 months from the closing date and may be considered for appointment to identical or similar vacancies within the Department.

Applications from recruitment agencies will not be accepted.

When working in regulated employment an employee must have a current Working with Children Clearance (blue card) issued by Blue Card Services.

Salary rate shown is reflective of full-time (1.0 FTE).

The Department of Education is a family inclusive workplace. Click here to find out more about our Inclusion and Diversity strategies. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.