Regional Agronomist Remote
Job description
Job Title: Regional Agronomist
Location: Home based in region (Kent/South East/East Anglia)
JOB PURPOSE
Promote agronomic best practice in order that BGG’s grower members may become the most technically competent, profitable and aware in the UK soft fruit industry.
KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS
Understand and appreciate the aims of the BGG Advisory Service.
Undertake regular visits to members’ farms to a schedule agreed with each individual member and Head of Agronomy prior to the commencement of each season, to include;
- Pest and disease monitoring reported by ICMS Sheet following each visit.
- Control recommendations through the Muddy Boots GLGM platform, including use and distribution of ‘beneficial species’.
- Communicate crop notes and photos to the grower, highlighting specific issues.
- Organise and participate in taking soil or substrate, plant, leaf or sap samples, including ‘Plant Health’ testing.
- Plan and prescribe Integrated Pest Management Strategies.
- Provide basic crop husbandry and hygiene recommendations, in accordance with directions provided by the Head of Agronomy.
- Recommend irrigation strategies.
- Analysis of growing media and ‘fertigation’ management recommendations.
- Environmental management recommendations.
- Flower mapping interpretation.
- Interpretation of Plant health testing results.
Demonstrate ability and confidence in systems and hardware provided to efficiently collate crop monitoring information and provide safe and legal remedial applications.
SECONDARY RESPONSIBILITIES
Support research programmes and adoption of new technologies on farm.
Support the BGG Trial site by proposing applied and focussed trials, plan visits to monitor progress or for knowledge exchange, and provide assistance where required in interpreting results for application on grower farms.
Support and advise the introduction of beneficial new varieties. Assisting in selecting most suitable varieties for the site, soil and production systems, and to ensure that the best agronomic practices for each of the new varieties are being acted upon and implemented.
Assist with hosting and facilitating training events, meetings, farm walks and any other such events held to support and expand member’s (and their staff’s) knowledge and understanding.
Contribute to a regular fortnightly technical bulletin and disseminate useful and pertinent agronomic information obtained from industry meetings and events, for distribution to other technical colleagues and, where appropriate, for circulation to BGG members.
Dedicate time towards maintaining and increasing own familiarity with all crops produced by BG Growers, through personal development.
PERSON SPECIFICATION/KEY COMPETANCIES
1. Enthusiastic and self-motivated individual, able to work alone and unsupervised.
2. Ability to relate to key client personnel in a professional and credible fashion.
3. Well-developed personal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate with a wide range of employees.
4. Good interpersonal skills and well-developed management skills.
5. Ability to work as part of a team with colleagues across professional, operational and cultural boundaries.
6. Proactive approach and prompt responses to all service requests.
7. Ability to identify needs and issues and recommend suitable and pragmatic courses of action and solutions, adopting a risk aware approach.
8. Good time management and organisational skills with the ability to handle a number of tasks at once and meeting deadlines as required.
9. Good IT skills including experience of Word and Excel.
SKILLS
BASIS and FACTS qualifications essential.
UK (or equivalent) Driving Licence.
Good level of written and spoken English Language.
Right to work in the UK is essential.
KEY RELATIONSHIPS
Reports to: Head of Agronomy
Applications should be made in writing including
a curriculum vitae via [email protected]
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: From £60,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Company pension
- Private dental insurance
- Private medical insurance
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
Supplemental pay types:
- Bonus scheme
Application question(s):
- Experience in soft fruit agronomy
Language:
- English (required)
Licence/Certification:
- FACTS and BASIS (preferred)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Remote
Application deadline: 01/09/2023
