AI Machine Learning Engineer

Kō wai mātou? Who are we?

Zespri is more than simply the world's single-largest marketer of kiwifruit. We like to think of ourselves as fruit on a mission and as rebels with a cause : to help people, communities and the environment around the world thrive through the goodness of kiwifruit. We are proudly the world's largest marketer of kiwifruit, selling kiwifruit in more than 50 countries. We work with around 2,800 New Zealand and 1,500 international growers and post-harvest companies to source the best-quality Zespri Kiwifruit which we supply through our distribution partners to wholesale and retail customers. We are one of New Zealand's best-known international brands, dedicated to creating sustainable long-term value for growers.

He aha te mahi? What's the role?

As Zespri accelerates its digital transformation to enable long-term growth and sustainability, this role is pivotal in shaping and delivering AI and ML initiatives that drive smarter operations, predictive insights, and automation at scale.

As an AI / ML Engineer, you will design, develop, and operationalise AI and machine learning solutions that improve efficiency, accuracy, and insight across Zespri’s operations. Working alongside data engineers, business process specialists, and product teams, you will embed AI into core processes, build scalable ML models, and explore new opportunities for AI-driven value creation.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, build, and deploy production-ready AI / ML models to solve high-value business challenges — such as yield forecasting, quality prediction, logistics optimisation, demand forecasting, and customer engagement.
• Translate business needs into robust data science solutions with measurable outcomes.
• Select appropriate techniques and frameworks (e.g. supervised / unsupervised learning, NLP, computer vision, reinforcement learning, or GenAI / LLMs).
• Develop and maintain reusable components such as prompt libraries, pipelines, and evaluation framework

Data Management and Feature Engineering

Experimentation and Innovation

Collaboration and Integration

Ko wai koe? Who are you?

With 3-6 years of experience in developing and deploying AI / ML models in real-world business contexts, you will also meet the following criteria :

He aha e tika ai a Zespri? Why Zespri?

Our people are what makes our culture so irresistible and uniquely Zespri. We are a passionate and mighty team of 850+ employees in 23 different locations globally. Working at Zespri is an opportunity to join a fast-paced, culture-driven environment unlike any other. We want people who share our values of making it happen, creating real connections, and leaving a legacy. Join us in shaping our future and be part of a truly unique organisation.

Tono mai inaianei! Apply Now! Applications close 14 October 2025

At Zespri, we understand the importance of diverse perspectives and experiences, and a fair hiring process is the first step to getting there. We want to attract a diverse range of people and encourage everyone from all backgrounds and walks of life to apply. Please let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments to take part in the recruitment and selection process by reaching out to our Talent Acquisition team via email at

Agency

Zespri will not accept applications or contact from any temporary staffing agency, placement service or professional recruiter for this vacancy ("Agency").

Where Zespri requires the support of an agency to fulfil a vacancy, we will proactively seek this support from our network of Agencies. We respectfully ask that you do not contact Zespri or any of its affiliates / employees regarding vacancies, and reserve the right not to reply.

Zespri will not be responsible for, and will not pay, any fees, commissions or other payments related to such unsolicited resumes.

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