Agronomy Manager

Are you an experienced agronomist who enjoys being as comfortable out in the crop as you are planning programmes and leading operations?

I'm recruiting an Agronomy Manager for an established UK vegetable seed business with a long-standing reputation for plant breeding, innovation and the development of high-quality vegetable varieties.

Sitting within the Research & Development team and reporting to the Director of R&D, this is a varied, hands-on management role with responsibility for agronomy and the effective delivery of field, glasshouse, trial and seed production activities at a site in Surrey.

It could be a fantastic opportunity for somebody from vegetable production, seed production, trials, plant breeding or commercial horticulture who is looking to take greater ownership of how crops and agronomy programmes are delivered.

The role

This isn't an Agronomy Manager position where you'll spend all week behind a desk.

You'll be closely involved with crops throughout the growing cycle, combining technical agronomy with operational leadership and practical problem-solving.

Working alongside breeders, R&D colleagues, seed production teams, growers and contractors, you'll make sure trials and seed crops are established, maintained and harvested effectively, while continually looking for opportunities to improve crop performance, trial quality and ways of working.

Your responsibilities will include:

Leading and coordinating field and glasshouse operations across the company's UK sites
Planning the establishment, management and harvest of vegetable trials and seed crops
Taking responsibility for crop agronomy, including nutrition, irrigation, crop protection, pest and disease management and weed control
Developing and overseeing appropriate spray and crop protection programmes
Monitoring crops and identifying agronomic issues before recommending and implementing appropriate action
Working closely with plant breeders and R&D teams to deliver high-quality trials for breeding and product development programmes
Supporting trial protocols and ensuring accurate and consistent agronomic data collection
Coordinating planting, spraying, irrigation, harvesting and other seasonal operations
Managing relationships with growers, agricultural contractors and suppliers where required
Planning labour, machinery and resources around the demands of the growing and seed production seasons
Maintaining accurate crop, spray, seed production and trial records
Ensuring activities meet relevant crop protection, environmental, regulatory and health & safety requirements

About you

I'm interested in speaking to practical agronomists and crop production professionals who understand what it takes to deliver good crops in the real world.

You may already be an Agronomy Manager, or you could be an experienced Agronomist, Trials Manager, Crop Manager, Farm Manager, Growing Manager or Seed Production professional ready to take on broader responsibility.

Ideally, you'll bring:

Significant hands-on experience within agronomy, crop production, vegetable growing, trials, plant breeding or seed production
Experience managing field and/or glasshouse crops
Strong knowledge of crop husbandry, plant nutrition, irrigation, pests, diseases and crop protection
Good working knowledge of pesticide legislation, product labels and application requirements
Practical experience operating tractors and agricultural machinery
Strong organisational skills and the ability to coordinate several seasonal priorities simultaneously
The confidence to work collaboratively with breeders, technical teams, growers, contractors and operational colleagues
A relevant qualification in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Science or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience
A full UK driving licencePA1 and PA6 qualifications are highly desirable, as is PA2 for tractor-mounted boom spraying. A BASIS qualification would also be advantageous.

Above all, this role needs somebody practical, organised and genuinely crop-focused. You'll need to be happy working outdoors and in glasshouses, getting involved when necessary and adapting your working hours during important periods of the growing, trial and seed production seasons.

While the role will require a regular on-site presence, there is potential for some flexibility around hybrid working. This would be subject to discussion and the requirements of the role, with the business open to considering a working pattern that provides some opportunity to work remotely where appropriate.

Interested?

If you're an experienced agronomy, vegetable production, trials or seed professional looking for a role offering technical responsibility, practical involvement and genuine variety, I'd be very interested in hearing from you.

Apply today or get in touch for a confidential conversation to find out more.

Interested? For an informal chat, please call Emily on (phone number removed) or email (url removed). Don't worry if your CV isn't up to date, just send what you have already, and we can sort the rest later