About

Location and Reporting
The Business Admin and Development Leader is based at GROC Headquarters, located at 200 Church Rd, Modewarre, VIC 3240. This position reports directly to the Managing Director.
The role is available for immediate start and is initially offered as a part-time position at 0.4 FTE (two days per week), with the potential to convert to full-time employment subject to the achievement of revenue targets.
About Geelong Region Olives
Geelong Region Olives is a rapidly growing small business dedicated to maintaining olive trees and producing award-winning olive oil from the fruit we harvest. We manage our own grove and lease additional groves from property owners within a 60 km radius of the Geelong CBD. Currently, we oversee approximately 20,000 trees and have set an ambitious target to expand this to 60,000 trees within three years.
Committed to sustainable and regenerative practices, our goal is to establish the region as a recognised producer of high-quality, boutique-branded extra virgin olive oil products. We are highly customer-focused and strive to make it easy for clients to do business with us.
While our plan is to become fully vertically integrated, we are not there yet. Operating within a small enterprise structure, we require highly capable, adaptable, multiskilled, and flexible team members. We seek individuals who are positive, proactive, self-motivated, and hardworking, with diverse experience across management, sales, farm labouring, and customer service. The ability to think independently, work collaboratively, communicate authentically, and promote healthy food is essential.
We are searching for a hands-on business all-rounder who can enhance operations, drive sales growth, and contribute to on-farm tasks as required.

Key Responsibilities
Planning, Sales and Business Development (Approximately 45%)
Collaborate with the team to develop and execute sales plans designed to increase sales across various channels, including wholesale, food service, consumers at farmers markets, and online platforms. This involves actively generating leads, closing sales, and participating in farmers markets on weekends as per the roster.

Planning, Administration and Operations (Approximately 35%)
Work closely with the team to improve internal processes, particularly in aligning production with sales demand. Inventory management and forecasting are critical to ensure consistent product availability, as products are typically manufactured in small batches or just in time. This approach allows flexibility to meet customer needs but brings higher costs, necessitating evolution as the business expands. Experience in administration and operations will be leveraged to support the transition to a new batch and warehousing strategy.
Prior to harvest, assist the Managing Director in detailed planning, understanding required tasks, and supporting coordination and logistics.

Planning and Management (Approximately 10%)
Work alongside the Managing Director to develop strategic plans aimed at meeting growth targets. Analyse business operations and outcomes, and prepare monthly reports for team review, identifying successes and areas needing improvement.

Labouring (Approximately 10%)
Contribute to farm labouring and warehouse tasks as required to support operational demands, particularly during harvest and packaging periods. Physical fitness and the ability to lift objects weighing 20-25 kg are necessary.

Mission for the First 12 Months
The primary mission is to establish repeatable, data-driven administration and operations processes while scaling revenue to support conversion to a full-time role. Revenue growth is the critical focus during the initial part-time phase. The following priorities outline the expectations for the first year and beyond:
• Revenue Growth: Collaboratively develop and execute a focused channel plan covering wholesale (hospitality/retail), online, and market sales. This includes prospecting, sampling, closing, and expanding key accounts.
• Operational Excellence: Support the organisation of harvest, milling, packaging, and dispatch workflows, ensuring inventory accuracy and movement.
• Financial Hygiene: Maintain current receivables and payables and produce timely, actionable dashboards to guide business decisions.
• Brand & Community: Represent GROC at tastings and markets and produce content that aligns with a healthy-lifestyle brand ethos.
• AI Enablement: Utilise modern AI tools to accelerate analysis, communication, and forecasting, and implement light automations to streamline administration and improve team productivity.

Targets & KPIs
• Pathway to Full-Time: Achieve conversion to full-time when a rolling 90-day attributable revenue run-rate is maintained at a minimum of three times the total employment cost (base plus on-costs) for the period.
• Pipeline Health: Maintain at least 10 qualified wholesale or partner opportunities within 90 days, increasing to at least 30 by month six.
• Customer Growth/Retention: Achieve a net increase of 12 active wholesale/food-service customers within the first year, with a reorder rate of at least 60%.
• Accounting and Inventory: Ensure management reporting is kept up to date using Accounting (Xero) and Inventory (Cin7) systems.
• AI Productivity: Save at least six hours per month with AI-assisted workflows by month three and adopt at least three repeatable AI prompts or automations by month six (e.g., for receivables mapping, CRM notes, content drafts).

Tools and Systems
The following systems are integral to daily operations at GROC:
• Core: Xero (financials), Cin7 Core (inventory), Shopify (online), Square (POS)
• Other: Microsoft 365 (Excel, Word, etc.), Adobe Suite (creative)
• Emerging: AI and automation tools (e.g., ChatGPT)
• Every Day: Excel, SharePoint/OneDrive, email/calendar, light CRM, social media platforms
• Field/Logistics: GPS/logs, GIS tools

Ideal Profile (Skills & Strengths)
• Tertiary qualified individual at an early career stage, eager to settle and grow within the industry
• Collaborative communicator who builds trust with property owners, partners, customers, and stakeholders; multilingual abilities are advantageous due to a diverse customer base
• Proficient in back-office administration and data analysis to produce actionable insights
• Experience in retail/wholesale and logistics, including B2B ordering, pre-season stock planning, vendor coordination, and event support
• Customer service focus with consistent follow-through and discipline in meeting KPIs
• Exposure to sustainability, CSR, and ESG practices is a plus
• Genuine passion for healthy food and active outdoor lifestyles, viewing this as a long-term opportunity
• Keen interest in leveraging AI tools to improve efficiency and standardise repeatable processes

Physical and Practical Requirements
• Ability to lift cartons and objects up to approximately 20 kg as part of daily tasks
• Willingness to work outdoors in varying weather and during peak season hours
• Availability to work weekends if required from time to time or if rostered
• Competence in driving farm machinery and travelling to groves, mills, and partners throughout the Geelong/Surf Coast region and beyond if necessary
• Comfortable with regional travel to fulfil sales responsibilities
• Positive, outgoing, adaptable, and passionate attitude
• Expecting a long-term commitment following the initial qualifying period; full Australian work rights required
• Ability to connect with the regional “vibe”—young, positive, growing, health-conscious, active.
• Multilingual skills are desirable in this diverse region

Qualifications
• Tertiary qualification in Business and Economics
• Experience in retail selling, management, and administration roles
• Knowledge of supply chains, warehousing, and inventory management
• Previous exposure or work experience in agricultural enterprises
• Possession of a valid driver’s licence and own vehicle