This is a unique opportunity to play a major part in the Uk’s first year-round, net zero Strawberry platform using Total Controlled Environment Agriculture.
They combine plant science, clean energy, and smart controls to deliver consistent quality with lower emissions.
Job Title:
Operations & Trials Manager ( Agriculture)
The role
You will own day-to-day operations at the pilot site in Somerset and lead structured crop trials that feed into scale-up. You will set the standard for safety, quality, and reliability, turn data into decisions, and coach a small, multidisciplinary team.
What you will do
· Plan and run production and trials to hit yield, quality, and cost targets.
· Write, roll out, and continuously improve SOPs covering crop cycles, sanitation, IPM, fertigation, harvest, post-harvest, calibration, and alarm response.
· Coordinate with agronomy, energy, and controls to align recipes and setpoints with operational needs.
· Maintain audit readiness for food safety schemes such as HACCP and BRCGS.
· Lead daily stand-ups and weekly reviews, manage shifts, and ensure accurate records and traceability.
· Triage alarms, prioritise maintenance with the Controls and Facilities Technician, and keep uptime high.
· Report KPIs and actions to leadership with clear, concise updates.
Your KPIs
Yield kg per m², Class-1 percentage, energy kWh per kg, cost per kg, labour hours per kg, order fill rate, downtime percentage, trial on-time delivery.
Your Skills and Resources
· Strong work ethic, reliability, and personal ownership.
· Clear communicator who builds trust, gives and receives feedback, and helps others succeed.
· Practical problem solving with a bias to action and tidy execution.
· Resilience under pressure and thoughtful prioritisation when plans change.
· Curiosity, comfort with data, and commitment to continuous improvement.
Useful experience
· 3 – 5+ years leading operations in controlled environment agriculture, greenhouse horticulture, food manufacturing, or similarly regulated production.
· Running structured trials, writing SOPs, and coaching small teams.
· Audit experience with HACCP, BRCGS, or equivalent schemes.
· Familiarity with HVAC, lighting, irrigation, sensors, and preventive maintenance.
· Comfortable with spreadsheets and dashboards; exposure to PowerBI.
Why join us
· Mission with real-world impact on food security and climate.
· Lean team where your ideas ship quickly and your work is visible.
· On work training.
· Clear goals, fair feedback, and room to grow as we scale.
· Competitive renumeration package.
How to apply
Email your CV to the email below.
If you want to chat through your suitability please give me a call, Frank +44 (phone number removed). Include availability and right to work status. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds