Technical Manager

The Role

We are seeking a Technical Manager to support the grower relations team, deliver crop monitoring and data management requirements for our processing business. Also responsible for the sustainability agenda across the Greens of Soham businesses, working with farm managers and the wider group (based in Poland) to meet set objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Growers & Crops

• Ensure crop inventories provide an accurate reflection of crop availability at all times
• Responsible for providing support on variety choice, irrigation scheduling, and yield enhancement
• Food safety, develop and update food safety documentation annually supported by third party consultant and deliver CRP and Food Safety documentation to growers

Trials

• Plan variety and farmer trials programme
• Arrange trial plots and locations, communication with growers
• Produce annual reports on variety performance for breeders and growers, include quarterly reporting
• Planning 1st year commercial trials and introduction of new varieties

Sustainability

• Work with the MD and Wider Group to ensure we are ‘farming for the future’
• Coordinate Sustainable Farming Initiatives across the Greens of Soham businesses
• Work with customers to understand their requirements
• Understand the status of regen within third party growers and look for ways to assist them with changes
• Manage the RegenAg agenda, communications and marketing

Customers

• Build relationships with customers agronomy teams and fields teams (PepsiCo)
• Facilitate customer trials and sustainability (CCM etc.)
• Organise trial field visits for end supply customers and breeders

Operations

• Ensure at all times the Company profile is always associated with integrity, professionalism and excellence
• Co-ordinate field yield assessments and fresh crop laboratory sampling, liaise with GIL on digger diaries, liaise with laboratory and storage manager
• Support scheduling of fresh crop into the 4 week outlook, liaise with laboratory and storage manager

People

• Build strong relationships to add technical value with growers
• Work alongside management team providing up to date and accurate information to make informed decisions
• Manage the Technical Assistant, set objectives and deliver feedback

Projects

• Primary Contact for I-crop
• Prepared to deliver grant funded projects if/when funding becomes available

Desired Experience and Skills

The role requires someone who has a strong background in agriculture and potato growing knowledge as well as the ability to gather data from the fields and then analyse. A demonstratable passion for Regen Farming and Sustainability is a must!

Good IT skills are required and some basic Excel skills are essential.

BASIS and FACTS are desirable but not essential.

A full UK driving licence is essential for this role.

Package

Working hours are Monday to Friday with the occasional weekend work required if the season (or weather) dictates.

Salary is negotiable. Other benefits including employer matched pension, life assurance and health insurance are also offered, along with vehicle and IT items.

The Company also encourages and supports training and development and is looking for employees who have a desire and passion to grow with the role and the Company.

For more information or to apply for the role, please email your CV and covering letter (including current role, notice period and salary) to hr@spearheadgroup.co.uk

Agencies

We are already working with an agency at this time.