Senior Agronomist - National

SENIOR AGRONOMIST - National

United Biscuits are currently recruiting for a Senior Agronomist to join our team based in Teesside for a 12 month Fixed Term Contract. The successful candidate will manage, review & develop all agronomical elements within the agricultural portfolio focusing on the supply of ware potatoes and seed requirements for the production of McCoys and all other crisps products into our Teesside factory.

Duties and Responsibilities

This role offers both the opportunity for autonomy for an experienced Agronomist, or support for someone looking to develop into this role, Some of the key responsibilities include:

• Lead, motivate and develop UB growers, members of the grower groups and merchant suppliers to deliver UB’s potato requirements in quality and service.
• Create an environment of development and innovation amongst key growers and members of UB grower groups.
• Manage the UB suppliers’ storage strategy, to ensure optimum potato quality for the McCoys and other products.
• Drive the introduction of new potato varieties, and establish a dynamic variety development programme, which will benefit processing and improve total cost base.
• Operate the UB SCIPS (Supplier Continuous Improvement Process) ensuring all necessary data is recorded into the data base and chairing regular (at least quarterly) meetings with all potato suppliers with the objective of improving quality & service and reducing vendor non-conformances.
• Submit quarterly and period reviews in line with business planning timetables and deadlines.
• Weekly report to show balance of UB annual (crop year) potato requirements against existing contracts. Advise Procurement and Logistics on the need increase or reduce contracts to avoid shortfall or surplus of commitment.
• Maintain a database of potato pesticide residue tests including CIPC, multi residues and heavy metals to demonstrate due diligence by UB. React to any results outside of national MRL or UB or customer standards and investigate where necessary.
• Report regularly on EDQ and be accountable for the UB consumer complaints related to potatoes initially with responsibility for driving reduction in cpm.
• Audit all seed quality and storage.
• Pipeline volumes of seed by variety based on UB strategic requirements.
• Carry out necessary Food Safety Audits of potato suppliers as part of the UB Supplier Approval Process.

Candidate Specification

BSc Agriculture (or related science subject) essential
Manufacturing background essential
Competency in IT essential

We are also interested in hearing from Agricultural graduates, or GAP year students as there is the opportunity to develop someone with the right attitude and passion for this area in to the role.

We look forward to receiving your application. 

To apply for this role please click the apply now Button