Innovation Summer Intern - Future Technologies

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?

We are looking for a motivated summer student to join our team and contribute to a project focused on exploring ways to improve the geolocation accuracy on orchard, in environments with physical obstructions.

Commencing November 2025, this internship presents an exciting chance to gain practical experience within the kiwifruit industry, based in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty. You’ll have the opportunity to apply your academic learning in a real-world commercial environment, contribute to a business-oriented project, and build your knowledge of the kiwifruit sector, corporate research and development, and essential workplace skills. 

The Project: Improving GNSS geo-localisation accuracy under kiwifruit canopy for distance measurement 

Accurate geolocation is a cornerstone of precision horticulture, but achieving it under dense kiwifruit canopy is challenging due to physical obstructions like pergola structures, shelter belts, and irrigation systems.  This project explores ways to improve the geolocation accuracy of an existing data capture system using a uBlox GNSS development kit. 

In this role, you’ll investigate sources of error such as signal attenuation and multipath interference, and evaluate mitigation strategies through configuration, field trials, and data analysis. This position offers a great mix of hands-on experimentation in orchards and technical work, with plenty of independence and support from experienced mentors when needed.

On completion of the internship, you’ll be able to understand the practical realities of prototype development, the benefits of learning fast through iterative design and development, and how to effectively collaborate with SMEs and end users.

Program dates: 25 November 2025 – 13 February 2026.  

Please note; you need to be able to commit for the entire duration of the internship. 

Ko wai koe? Who are you?

The ideal candidate will have a background in mechatronics or a related discipline, and an interest in GNSS technologies.

To be eligible to apply you need to meet the following selection criteria:

• Studying, or recently completed, an undergraduate or postgraduate degree or qualification at NZQA level 6-10. If study has been completed, your final semester should be less than 12 months ago.
• Studying or has studied, science, technology, engineering, design or business studies at a New Zealand tertiary education institute.
• Legally permitted to work in New Zealand. 

He aha e tika ai a Zespri? Why Zespri?

You will be based in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, a great place to spend the summer. Beaches, Mauao (Mount Maunganui), waterfalls and the Kaimai ranges all close by for summer day adventures! You will work out of our state of the art corporate office in central Mount Maunganui, have access to daily kiwifruit, free onsite parking, and a flexible work ethos. Please note, you will need to manage your own accommodation for the duration of the internship. 

Please send through your CV and a one-page cover letter. 

Tono mai inaianei! Apply Now! Applications close 28 September 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. You can reach out to our Talent Acquisition team via email at careers@zespri.com to have a chat to someone directly.