*** This role is not eligible for UK Visa Sponsorship - the successful applicant will need to have a pre-existing Right to Work in the UK in order to be offered an employment contract ***
Senior Soft Fruit Growing Assistant
* Are you experienced in soft fruit production and protected cropping systems?
* Do you take pride in precision irrigation, plant health, and delivering high-quality Class 1 fruit?
* Are you looking to step into a senior growing role where you can both lead and develop others?
Location of the Job:
Suffolk.
Salary and Benefits Package:
* £38,000 - £42,000 basic salary per year depending on experience.
* Benefits package including training and development opportunities, PPE provision, and potential overtime during peak season.
Additional information:
This is a permanent full-time position.
About The Company:
A leading soft fruit production business, specialising in high-quality berry production for major retail supply chains.
The business operates modern glasshouse and tunnel systems, combining traditional growing expertise with advanced irrigation and climate control technology.
The Job Role Details:
As the Senior Soft Fruit Growing Assistant you will play a key role in delivering high-quality fruit production through effective irrigation, fertigation, and climate control management.
Working closely with the Soft Fruit Grower Manager, you will support day-to-day crop performance, cost control, and team development while ensuring consistent delivery of Class 1 fruit to meet customer and supermarket standards.
This is a hands-on senior role within a professional growing team, with responsibility across glasshouse systems, irrigation programming, and crop monitoring.
Key Responsibilities:
You will…
* Manage and monitor irrigation and fertigation across glasshouse and tunnelled soft fruit crops.
* Maintain fertiliser usage records and ensure efficient resource application.
* Operate irrigation systems (including Dream and Talgil platforms).
* Support and manage climate control systems including heating, ventilation, and glasshouse maintenance.
* Maintain crop health, irrigation efficiency, and plant performance to maximise Class 1 yield.
* Assist in new variety trials and report findings to the Growing Manager.
* Monitor irrigation strategies, feeding recipes, and adjust where required.
* Lead and support maintenance of glasshouse structures and systems.
* Log and track maintenance issues using internal systems (e.g., Snapfix).
* Support cost control through efficient irrigation and fertigation practices.
* Work collaboratively within a wider growing team, supervising and training colleagues.
* Support holiday and weekend cover across the team when required.
* Ensure compliance with Health & Safety legislation and company policies at all times.
Ideal Person Skills & Qualifications:
You will have / be…
* NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture or equivalent.
* Experience in soft fruit production or protected cropping environments.
* Strong understanding of irrigation and fertigation systems.
* Familiarity with climate control systems and crop monitoring.
* Ability to supervise, train, and support team members effectively.
How to apply: Please click on the APPLY NOW button.
*As we are a specialist recruitment business within the Agricultural and Farming industry, we do require that ALL applicants must hold an NVQ Level 2, Scottish NVQ Level 2 or an equivalent qualification which is relevant and necessary for the job that you are applying for.*
The Industry (Key Words): Soft fruit jobs, senior grower jobs, growing assistant jobs, horticultural jobs, soft fruit production jobs, berry production jobs, strawberry growing jobs, raspberry production jobs, glasshouse growing jobs, tunnel cropping jobs, polytunnel farming jobs, fresh produce jobs, supervisory growing jobs.
We thank all applicants who apply for this role. However, please be advised that only those short listed for an interview will be contacted. Please be assured that your job application will be managed in complete confidence and your personal details will not be passed to any third party without your prior permission.
Established in 2013, Agricultural and Farming Jobs provide outstanding recruitment head-hunting and job advertising services. We are the trusted recruitment partner of choice to industry leading organisations across the UK and Internationally. We recruit specifically for all roles within the sectors of: Agriculture, Farming, Horticulture, Food and Fresh Produce, Vet, Pet and Animal Health, Agrochemicals, Fertilisers and Seeds, Software and Technology, Machinery, Technical and Engineering and specialist Education.