Extension Manager - North Canterbury/West Coast

Passion, integrity, and a genuine desire to do our best for farmers is what drives us at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ).  We are 100% farmer-owned and funded and work on behalf of New Zealand’s sheep and beef producers. Our vision is for thriving sheep and beef farmers, now and into the future.  Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s investments play a critical role in underpinning New Zealand’s second biggest export sector.

Here at Beef + Lamb New Zealand we’re investing in championing farming excellence, and our Extension team has the remit to deliver learning and skills sessions that enhance productivity, profitability and sustainability for farming businesses.

This means working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop and deliver extension activities in small and large group environments, sometimes working with subject matter experts as well as bringing your general facilitation and technical expertise. With a focus on farmer adoption, and implementation, these are varied roles with autonomy and a team approach.

This role focuses on facilitating our new delivery models that support farmers to adopt, adapt and implement changes that will enhance their businesses and lives. To do this, we reckon that at heart you’re passionate about facilitating quality adult learning that delivers targeted outcomes and results in real change.

In your soul you’re rural, loving the sheep and beef sector, its contribution to New Zealand Inc and our rural communities. And practically you relate well with farmers and are prepared to sign up to supporting successful change journeys over short, medium and longer timeframes.

Responsibilities:

• Delivering regional development plan activities and outcomes


• Achievement of engagement, impact and net promoter scores


• Delivery of engaging and fit for purpose extension activities that meet farmer needs and exceed their expectations


• Collaboration across the extension team in the development of events and programme material


• Maintenance of CRM reporting, insights and information to ensure this knowledge source is accurately maintained and supports ongoing engagement with farmer stakeholders

Requirements:

• Proven credibility within the sheep and beef sector


• A level of technical knowledge and expertise that will support the delivery of extension content, and a bonus if you have a depth of knowledge that will allow you to be a subject matter expert in an area of focus for B+LNZ extension


• Facilitation skills and experience that have been proven to deliver knowledge and behaviour change in participants


• Programme design for both one-off and multi-event programmes with a focus on learning and adoption of change by participants


• Collaboration and a shared view of success and how this can be achieved 

Take a look in detail at the position description found here.

The role is full time based out of our Christchurch office, broadly this will mean supporting activity in the top of the South Island from the Rakaia River north including Canterbury, North Canterbury and the West Coast, but excluding the Tasman and Marlborough regions. A company vehicle is included in the package (reasonable private use).

Applications close 12 noon, Monday 15 September 2025.

It’s no secret that the sheep and beef sector is facing change. If you’re someone who sees the opportunities in change and the innovation that can result from challenge, then we’d like to hear from you. On offer is an attractive remuneration package alongside the real opportunity to influence outcomes for farming businesses, their leaders and their teams.

We’re investing where farmers told us it matters most, behind the farm gate, with a commitment to ensuring our work adds value to farmers’ bottom lines. This role is a part of delivering our recently refreshed strategy – learn more on B+LNZ’s website here.