Head of Field Services

Head of Field Services
Vacancy Reference: 43958 AB

*This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract.*

Do you have experience working within Field Trials?

Have you got a background within Agriculture, Agronomy and Trial Management?

Are you experienced in leadership and team management?

The Company:
An established seed business.

The Job Role:
As the Head of Field Services, you will lead the Field Services team and oversee all aspects of field operations. This includes managing trials such as breeding, commercial, open days, third-party, and official trials. You will also be responsible for plant propagation, elite seed production, purity, and multiplication, as well as overseeing team members, machinery, and land. Your focus will be on meeting business and customer needs to ensure the delivery of high-quality accurate trials and data, and seed productions, contributing to the success of trialling and seed production activities.

Day to day your responsibilities will be managing and developing the team and facilities, setting and delivering on projects and providing technical/agronomy support.

Location: Lincolnshire

Salary Package: Starting from £60,000 basic salary upwards depending on skills and experience + Company Vehicle

Key Responsibilities:
Lead, support, and motivate the team, and embody and promote company values to inspire and foster a collaborative, innovative, and results-driven culture. Create a high performing team by ensuring all staff are competent, trained to meet business and customer requirements and can achieve their full potential, leveraging the performance review process.

Actively contribute to the departmental strategy and sustainability goals. Ensure these are understood by the whole team. Budget and monitor costs to meet financial targets and look to improve efficiency and cost effectiveness within the function. Report on progress, results, and recommendations to senior management and stakeholders.

Lead the planning, coordination and execution of field trials, plant propagation and (early stage) seed production, purity and multiplication work ensuring adherence to protocols and quality standards. Enable the accurate collection of trial data, samples, breeding material and purity and line maintenance seed.

Identify customer needs, and proactively plan, organise, prioritise and manage projects and workload to fulfil the requirements of the customer, completing all tasks to a high standard, meeting realistic, mutually agreed deadlines.

Be responsible for managing the agronomy of trials by liaison with 3rd parties where appropriate.

Plan, allocate and manage land for trials and seed productions, renting land where necessary. Liaise with customers to organise appropriate trial sites based on environmental factors and project goals. Manage land including proper rotations and keep records of land usage.

Schedule and allocate resources for field trials and seed production operations, including team members (permanent, temporary, agency and students), equipment, and inputs, to ensure efficiency and timely project completion. Be responsible for the logistics of machinery and seed.

Demonstrate technical leadership and assist with technical support. Support the practical field work, especially during the busy harvest period.

Maintain positive relationships and effective communication with internal and external stakeholders and service providers, including regular feedback and updates and successful delivery of results. Maintain a focus on customer service.

Ensure work is conducted in compliance with company or official protocols, relevant regulations and industry standards. Support the company's quality management system, keeping procedures, protocols and working instructions up to date, and maintain accurate records. At all times, maintain our strong Health & Safety culture and practices.

Manage machinery, equipment, consumables and facilities. Ensure items are serviced, maintained and repaired, ensuring optimal performance and minimising downtime. Manage procurement and write justifications for new and replacement equipment, making sure they are appropriate for current practices.

Keep up to date on the latest advancements in agriculture, agronomy and trial management practices. Review existing knowledge base and current practices. Develop initiatives and implement new techniques, technologies, equipment and practices to enhance quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

Attend regular meetings to discuss workload, share knowledge, identify and resolve problems, and raise any health and safety issues.

Candidate Skills and Experience:
A post-graduate qualification in a relevant subject, or equivalent by experience.
A full driving license as some travel will be required in the UK.
Strong leadership and team management skills. A proven track record of leading and developing high-performing teams.
Excellent trials management skills.
A strong background in agricultural or horticultural trials and a good general knowledge of machinery and equipment.
Excellent lab management skills, including familiarity with lab H&S.
Excellent project management and organisational skills.
You will have good agronomy skills (having BASIS or FACTS accreditation is an advantage).
You will have sound practical and experience of farming crops on a wide range of soil types.
Significant experience performing vegetable and/or agricultural field trials.
Experience writing and reviewing procedures.
Experience budgeting and monitoring costs.
You will need to have a strong attention to detail.
Experience operating a range of agricultural equipment and machinery.
Able to communicate appropriately with team members and internal and external contacts.

Desirable Skills:
GLP/COSHH training
PA1, PA6 and PA11 qualifications
Agricultural vehicles on the road training/qualification
BASIS or FACTs qualifications

Who You Are:
Someone who embodies and promotes the company values.
Someone who takes health and safety seriously.
A highly motivated individual who is passionate about the industry.
Someone with a flexible approach to working hours to meet business/work demands.
Someone who can actively share their knowledge and experience with others.
Someone who is interested in continuous improvement.
Someone who is open to giving and receiving constructive feedback and can encourage new ideas from team members.
Someone who leads by example and encourages a safe and healthy work environment for their teams.

This is a hands-on role, with leadership/admin responsibilities.

During peak times (e.g. harvest/drilling), and other times throughout the year, you will be required to work additional hours, by prior agreement (e.g. evenings/weekends).

Keywords:
Field Trials Manager, Field Services Manager, Field Trials Management, Agricultural Field Trials, Agricultural Trials, Horticultural Trials, Horticultural Field Trials, Seed Production, Crop Manager, Field Manager, Seed Manager, Seed Management, Agronomy, Agronomy Manager, Agricultural and Farming Jobs, Farming Jobs, Agricultural Jobs, Agri FJ.

We thank all applicants who apply for this role. However, please be advised that only those short listed for an interview will be contacted. Please be assured that your job application will be managed in complete confidence and your personal details will not be passed to any third party without your prior permission. Established in 2013, Agricultural and Farming Jobs provide outstanding recruitment head-hunting and job advertising services. We are the trusted recruitment partner of choice to industry leading organisations across the UK and Internationally. We recruit specifically for all roles within the sectors of: Agriculture, Farming, Horticulture, Food and Fresh Produce, Vet, Pet and Animal Health, Agrochemicals, Fertilisers and Seeds, Software and Technology, Machinery, Technical and Engineering and specialist Education.