Ravensdown Graduate Programs & Internships

 

What it does:  As a co-operative, we're all about essential farm inputs, and smart people using smart tools with the latest science in mind and our shareholders’ interests at heart.

Mission:  Enabling smarter farming for a better New Zealand.

Size and presence: Ravensdown is a nationwide co-op with around 1,000 people working for the company.

Best known for Whether it’s food grown for livestock or humans, we are an integral part of the food creation process. We are the only cooperative on the planet that tests for, advises about, buys, ships, stores, spreads, measures, and maps food-creating nutrients and fertilizer in a truly integrated way.

The good bits: Look after staff, being an established company the processes are good and it's a great starting point for a career in agriculture. Good team environment.

The not-so-good bits: Cash in the hand pay.

The Ravensdown story

​Back in 1977 two large private companies supplied superphosphate in New Zealand. When Kempthorne Prosser announced it was going to be buying its rival, Dunedin-based Dominion fertilizers, farmers were up in arms, and the gumboot revolution began.

Already frustrated by rising input costs and falling fertilizer quality, they would now be at the mercy of a monopoly. Then as now, fertilizer is a significant cost, second only to servicing farm debt.

The presidents of the South Canterbury, Otago, and North Otago Federated Farmers went to farmers in the area to ask them to become founding members of a new cooperative. Ravensdown eventually mounted a takeover bid for KP which was completed on 16 August 1978.

Culture & vibe

• We put our customers at the centre of everything we do.
• We choose the best people, keep them safe and enable them to be the best.
• We develop long-term relationships based on integrity and trust.
• We drive our business forward by finding better solutions.

Recruitment process

• You see a job advertised and submit your CV and cover letter to apply.
• You will receive an automated email letting you know we have received your application.
• Once the vacancy has closed, we review all submissions and create a shortlist. We will contact you by phone or email within five working days of the vacancy close date.
• If you’ve been shortlisted we’ll schedule a short phone interview with you. This will be with one of the Organisational Development Team.
• After all of the phone interviews are complete, we’ll be back in touch to let you know whether you’ll progress to the next step.
• From here you’ll be invited to complete psychometric assessments, including abilities assessments and a personality questionnaire. These are usually online and you’ll get instructions and some examples to work through before you take each assessment.
• Once we have everyone's assessment results, we'll be in touch to let you know if we'd like you to attend an interview. You’ll also receive an assessment feedback report a few days later. 
• If you’re one of the final candidates, we’ll arrange a face-to-face interview with the hiring manager and another Ravensdown colleague.
• If you’re the preferred candidate we’ll check out your references.
• Then the exciting part! Once we have your two great references, the manager will contact you to make an offer.
• We aim for the entire recruitment process to be completed within 3-6 weeks of the closing date, but if there are any delays we will always keep in touch.

Career prospects

We're always looking for talented people and employ a range of staff including plant operators, store workers, sales staff, and quarry workers. We also employ staff to fill support functions within the business, including finance, HR, IT, and administrative staff.

You could join our stores, manufacturing, spreading, laboratory, office, or field-based teams. With Ravensdown you can expect to grow within a dynamic, nationwide co-operative that cares for its employees.

Benefits

Stay healthy	We want you to thrive here, and that means staying happy and healthy. If you're a full-time permanent employee, we cover medical insurance for you and your family.  If you’re having a difficult time or need advice, we offer confidential and professional counselling sessions, free of charge, through OCP.
Flexibility and Family Focus	We’ll work with you to offer flexibility in your work arrangements where we can. With the inclusion of recreation leave, there are even more options to make sure you get well-deserved breaks from work. When you or your partner have a baby, you’ll get extra paid time off to help you welcome your new baby.
Your future	We contribute more to your retirement: 5% instead of the usual 3% offered by most companies. It’s your choice how you split these contributions. When you join Ravensdown we take out a life insurance policy and a salary continuance insurance policy for you. This provides cover for you just in case anything goes wrong. After 5 years with Ravensdown, you’ll be entitled to an extra week of leave, every year – which means more time to relax! Beyond 5 years there are also one-off holidays to celebrate your milestones with Ravensdown.
Training and Development	Once you’re on board, we’ll talk to you about the training you’ll need to do your job well. There are training opportunities galore at Ravensdown, including: Coaching courses for managers Continuous improvement workshops Financial literacy workshops Sustainable nutrient management and soil courses First aid training Working at heights and confined spaces training

Social Contributions    

Ravensdown reported its first carbon footprint in 2017.  We have set a reduction target of 30% of 2017/18 levels by 2030, following a science-based approach.  In 2019 we broadened the scope, removed sources of uncertainty from the datasets, and improved our calculation methods.  The carbon footprint profile of our broader operations (scope 1, 2, and 3) is shown below.  Total core (scope 1 and 2) emissions for 2019 were 14,905tCO2e.  Our 2020 carbon footprint will be issued shortly. 

The environment is an integral part of our business and we acknowledge the relationship between the environment and our products and activities.  Our environmental commitment will be a guiding principle in our business planning and development.

To accomplish this we commit to:

• Comply with the requirements of our discharge permits, codes of practice, and other relevant environmental obligations
• Work to reduce emissions and discharges as far as possible, consistent with sound operation and the economics of production
• Set environmental and social objectives and targets during the planning process and monitor progress at regular intervals
• Put in place programs to continuously improve environmental performance across all our sites
• Improve our manufacturing and supply footprint through science, technology, and innovation
• Develop awareness and understanding among the company’s employees of the interactions between the environment and the company’s activities
• Influence all employees to prevent pollution, and to seek to enhance the environment in the course of their activities
• Work with farmers and growers through the provision of science, technology, products, and people to help them manage their environmental footprint
• Contribute to carbon reduction targets in all commercial decision-making including procurement and investment decisions
• Be a good neighbour, caring for the communities and environment in which we live, work, and operate in