Summer Intern - Kiwifruit Quality Data Insights

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?

Based in Mount Maunganui, this internship offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a data science and agronomy project focused on understanding the pre-harvest factors that influence late-season GA fruit quality defects offshore, including Storage Breakdown (SBD), Softs, and Storage Rots. Working with historical orchard, agronomic, and climatic data, you'll help identify the factors most strongly linked to fruit quality outcomes and generate insights that support future predictive modelling and inventory management decisions. 

You'll prepare, clean, link, and analyse datasets from the 2024, 2025 and 2026 growing seasons, exploring the relationships between orchard practices, environmental conditions, and fruit quality outcomes. Through your analysis, you'll identify key drivers of late-season defects, uncover critical data gaps, and provide practical recommendations that help improve understanding of fruit quality risks and support future business decision-making. 

Program dates: 23 November 2026 – 12 February 2027. Please note: you need to be able to commit for the entire duration of the internship.

Ko wai koe? Who are you?

You're a curious and analytical problem-solver who enjoys turning complex data into meaningful insights. You can confidently work with large, messy datasets, identify patterns and trends, and use those insights to answer real-world business questions. 

To be successful in this role, you'll bring: 

• Strong data analysis, statistical modelling, and data visualisation skills, ideally using Python, R, or similar tools. 
• Experience cleaning, integrating, and analysing complex datasets from multiple sources. 
• The ability to interpret data across different variables, locations, and time periods to uncover actionable insights. 
• Strong critical thinking skills and a structured, evidence-based approach to problem solving. 
• Knowledge of horticulture, agronomy, plant science, climate science, postharvest systems, or a related field. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical findings into clear, practical recommendations for non-technical stakeholders. 
• A passion for applying data science to solve real-world challenges and create tangible business impact. 

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?

This role will be based in the beautiful Bay of Plenty, a great place to spend the summer. Beaches, 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.  

To apply, please send through your CV and a one-page cover letter. 

Tono mai inaianei! Apply Now! Applications close 4 September 2026.

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 careers@zespri.com.