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Our client is a multi-generational mixed farming business on the Macquarie River, around 60km north of Warren, NSW.

The operation spans roughly 23,000 acres across irrigated cotton, dryland winter cropping and beef cattle. The cotton program typically covers around 600 to 800ha, scaling with water and flood events, alongside roughly 3,000ha of dryland winter cropping. Livestock is managed separately.

The business runs a substantial fleet, with real weight in the earthmoving gear: a Cat D8N dozer, Hitachi ZX330LC excavator, Cat 14M grader and Volvo L90B loader, plus a Kenworth prime mover and quad-axle float, alongside tractors, pumps, vehicles and support gear.

This is a business in a deliberate build-and-scale phase. The owner is investing in structure, people and infrastructure, with a clear capital works pipeline across land development, irrigation redesign, channel work and bringing more country into cotton. He is building this team from scratch and hires for the long term: people who want to build something here, take the work seriously, and can say where they want to be in five years.

The Role

You'll report directly to the owner and take ownership of the workshop and the machinery.

This is the dedicated mechanical function inside the business. The farm team can handle minor fixes; you step in above that line, keeping tractors, implements, pumps, trucks, vehicles and the earthmovers available and working. Major rebuilds and specialist jobs will still go to the dealership.

The role splits roughly 50/50 between workshop time and operating heavy gear, with the balance shifting by season and workload. You'll service, diagnose and repair machinery, then jump on the grader, excavator, loader or other plant when the job needs doing. A smaller share of the job is the truck: machinery moves, hay runs and carting,



with the occasional run or pick-up taking you off the property.

This suits a mechanic who enjoys the tools but does not want to spend every day in the shed. It also suits a capable operator with strong mechanical depth who can think ahead, sequence work and keep development projects moving.

Key Responsibilities

- Maintain the Fleet. Service, diagnose and repair tractors, implements, trucks, vehicles, pumps, bikes, buggies and heavy earthmoving gear, with a transparent focus on keeping critical machinery available.
- Run the Workshop. Set preventative maintenance schedules, manage spare parts and consumables, keep the workshop organised, and maintain clear service and asset records.
- Deliver Development Works. Supervise or execute practical farm development jobs, including pumps, pump stations, pipes, headwalls, channel work, roads, drainage, site preparation and general earthworks.
- Operate Heavy Plant. Run the grader, excavator, loader and other gear as needed, sequence jobs sensibly, and cover gaps when operators are away or breakdowns hit.
- Run the Truck. Take the prime mover and float out on machinery moves, hay runs and carting work - occasionally.
- Coordinate Operators. Oversee the dozer operator, set clear work standards, and help build the heavy plant function as the business grows.
- Keep Work Safe. Maintain safe workshop and operating practices, follow the business's health, safety and environmental standards, and report incidents and near-misses properly.

What You Bring

Essential:





- Trade-qualified diesel or heavy plant mechanic, or equivalent hands-on mechanical capability.
- Strong diagnostic and repair ability across tractors, trucks, pumps, vehicles and heavy earthmoving gear.
- Proven experience operating the grader, excavator and dozer.
- HC licence held for 12 months or more; MC preferred, or the willingness to upgrade with the business's support.
- The ability to plan your own work, order jobs sensibly and keep things moving without close supervision.

Advantageous:

- Background running or working in an earthmoving, contracting, civil, transport or mixed-fleet business.
- Welding and fabrication skills.
- Experience across mixed-farming, broadacre, cotton or irrigation operations.

You do not need to come from cotton or broadacre to do this job. Mechanics and plant operators from civil, earthmoving, transport, mining or contracting backgrounds will be well regarded. Deep experience on this class of gear counts for more here than years in ag.

What You'll Gain

- Package: $115k - $130k + Super, with housing in town (rent covered), a work ute and personal fuel supplied.
- Variety: A real split between the workshop, heavy plant operation and practical development work.
- Progression: Scope to build the team as the operation grows.
- Support: A family-owned operation backing the work with capital, clear projects and an owner who gives capable people room to run.

How to Step Forward For more information or a confidential chat, please contact Lemuel Cruz, Talent Specialist, on [0468 093 444](tel:0468 093 444) or Nick Marchant, Director, on [0466 333 066](tel:0466 333 066).

Who Are March

March offers permanent recruitment and workforce planning services tailored exclusively to Australian agribusinesses. We're about connecting top talent with great businesses - plain and simple.

📌 Farm Mechanic / Plant Operator (Warren)
🏢 March Talent Partners
📍 Warren