Where you’ll work:

This role is based at the College’s Hadlow campus.

This role comes with staff accommodation.

Your hours:

40 hours per week, 52 weeks per annum.

Your pay:

£30,000 per annum

Hadlow College is Kent’s only land-based college, part of North Kent College and is located 5 miles from Tonbridge and 8 miles from Maidstone. The College operates a 250-acre working farm resource that supports the land-based students with their studies and practical assessments. The farm operates a beef herd and sheep flock as well as grows crops including grass for grazing. The College recently established a beef herd enterprise, and this is supported by a 500 breeding ewe flock.

The Farm Operator will support the Farm Manager in the daily operation of the College farms and will be involved in the operation of the College farm including the management of the livestock, management of grasslands and maintenance of the farm estate. The role will have significant responsibility for the operations of the farm’s grassland management activities such as mowing, tedding, topping, hedge cutting and all other general maintenance activities

The Farm Operator plays a key role in ensuring that the farm is central to student learning and will liaise closely with curriculum staff to provide the best possible educational resources and hands on experience for students. The postholder will be required to support the College learners with their practical assessments as well as create opportunities to develop their practical estates and animal husbandry skills.

The role requires willingness to engage actively and enthusiastically within the College and show a flare for working with students, educational staff, farmers and the wider industry. It is also important to achieve highest standards in respect of health and safety, equality and diversity, safeguarding and child protection matters.

The successful candidate will have significant and proven working farm experience and be able to take responsibility, take initiative and pay close attention to detail. There will be involvement in all aspects of the business. Students are an integral part of the farming operation and a clear understanding of this is a necessity. Communication with academic staff is essential to ensure that students have every opportunity to carry out work on the farm.

In return, the College is offering a competitive remuneration package. The role comes with on-site accommodation and the successful candidate will be resident on the College campus at Hadlow.

In return, we’ll give you 33 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays, and you’ll be enrolled onto the LGPS Pension Scheme which also includes life assurance.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 02 October 2023 .

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of students. All appointments are subject to the receipt of a satisfactory Enhanced DBS check, providing it to the College for review.