Tradie after a tree change? This is your sign!
Warral Maldon is a family-owned apiary based in Maldon, Victoria with a rich history over 130 years.
When you join Warral Maldon, you’re signing up to world-class training at our in-house apiarist academy, SWARM.
SWARM provides in-depth education, knowledge and wisdom about caring for our bees, our product and our environment end-to-end, from hive transportation and management, to honey production and the importance of pollination. As we like to say, “from treetop to tabletop”.
By mastering these aspects of apiculture, our staff become experts in building healthier hives, improved honey yield and sustainable practices. It’s the way we do things at Warral Maldon.
Our Values
At Warral Maldon, we work by our HIVE values, which are:
Heritage: We take pride in our heritage. Since 1896, five generations of beekeepers have demonstrated their love and leadership of all things apiculture.
Ingenuity: We are creative problem solvers. We face company and industry challenges with inventiveness. We are fearless decision makers.
Vision: We challenge limitations, we imagine the possible and we make things happen. World-class systems and standards. Industry-respected independence.
Excellence: We have a love for bees and a respect for the vital role they play in sustaining life on earth. Productive bees, quality people, continuous improvement.
Bees love Warral. We love bees.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a pretty special business: a large-scale, Victorian-grown beekeeping and honey-making operation that’s been in the same family for five generations.
Punching far above its weight for its size, Warral Maldon creates and cares for over7,000 hives, producing over 350 tonnes of single-source honey each year for retail customers through to multinational food manufacturers with globally-recognised quality standards.
In fact, you’ve probably already had Warral Maldon honey in your ham, energy bar or ready-made meal - and we’re looking to continue our rapid and exciting expansion.
With great-great-grandson of the founder and current Managing Director Lindsay Callaway at the helm, we’re not looking to fill a particular role as much as we’re trying to find a particular person.
We have two apiarist positions open in our team. Whether you’re an experienced beekeeper or have never opened a hive, we care more about attitude than your CV, and we’d love to hear from people ready to step up and lead. Our entire team also benefits from our SWARM apiculture training.
Who we’re looking for:
A hard-working problem solver with a collaborative, down-to-earth character. You might not have beekeeping experience, but you’re keen to learn all about it.
Someone comfortable working with flexible hours, often away from home up to four nights at a time.
An outdoorsy type, willing to work in the open throughout the warmer months - we promise an ice cream on the way home has never tasted so good!
Someone fit enough and willing to lift heavy boxes of honey (30-35kg).
A bee-lover who recognises that sometimes they don’t love us: you will get stung.
Resilience to handle the stress and practical problems that come with working in remote areas, like bad weather and getting bogged or broken down.
Someone who prides themselves on being reliable, responsible and a great communicator, who works well with a small, tight-knit team - we always win together, and it feels good when we do.
Key responsibilities:
- Beekeeping, of course! Assist in brood management, moving hive materials, shifting bees, removing honey, and always keeping an eye out for improvements in the way we do things. Ensuring our brood remains disease-free is our top priority.
- Safely driving trucks, cars, forklifts and frontend loaders in various weather and road conditions, keeping on top of vehicle maintenance records.
- Helping extract our excellent honey, including operating specialised equipment in our plant - you will get sticky!
- Adhering to strict food quality and safety standards, as per requirements from our globally-recognised BRCGS and B-QUAL certifications.
- Constructing new hive material and maintaining the old, performed with quality workmanship. Your focus will be on safety, quality then quantity - in that order.
- Beeswax processing: help melt, process and package our beeswax in a time-efficient and safe manner. Cleanliness of area, floor and equipment is a must.
- Maintain a written beekeeping diary and apiary record relating to all work performed.
- Ongoing preventative maintenance of plant equipment.
- Represent Warral Maldon and further what we do at beekeeping conferences and trade shows.
- General team and administration duties, including a daily catch up with Lindsay, weekly staff meetings, and maintaining written records and plans.
Beekeeping experience is a plus; however full training will be provided by SWARM - The Apiarist Academy. This role may suit someone who has:
- Experience in carpentry, woodworking, construction or similar. We welcome those looking to make a ‘tradie change’.
- Spent a lot of time outdoors - you love camping, nature or maybe you’ve worked as a park ranger, gardener, landscaper.
- Experience working with vehicles and equipment, possibly as a mechanic, toolmaker, sheet metal worker or boilermaker.
- Completed an apprenticeship in an adjacent industry as a tiler, electrician, chef, or similar.
Licences - great if you have them, but we can help you get them
- Current heavy rigid truck licence or ability to gain licence
- Current front-end loader licence.
Qualifications - nice-to-have, but we can help you attain these if you don’t have them.
- Current First Aid certificate (HLTAID011 Provide First Aid)
- Agricultural Chemical Users permit
- Biosecurity for Beekeepers (BOLT) permit
The roles are permanent, four to five days a week. As we’re looking for a personality not a specific role, remuneration is to be negotiated based on experience and qualifications.
Applicants must have full, ongoing working rights in Australia. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship for this role.
Applications close 29/11/26.
Successful candidates will be invited to interviews at our HQ in Maldon, Victoria.
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