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Sustainability Enthusiast, Founder of FlexFarming and Brits Energy
Operations and Trials Manager
FlexFarming | On-site | Full-time
About FlexFarming
We are building the UK’s first year-round, net-zero strawberry platform using Total Controlled Environment Agriculture. We combine plant science, clean energy, and smart controls to deliver consistent quality with lower emissions.
The role
You will own day-to-day operations at our pilot site 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.
You will own these 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.
What you will bring
* 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.
Helpful experience
* 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.
* Mission with real-world impact on food security and climate.
* Lean team where your ideas ship quickly and your work is visible.
* Clear goals, fair feedback, and room to grow as we scale.
How to apply
Email your CV and a short note describing a process you improved and the measurable result to recruitment@flexfarming.co.uk. Use the subject line: Operations and Trials Manager application. Include availability and right to work status. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds.
Seniority level
* Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
* Employment type
Full-time
Job function
* Job function
Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
* Industries
Farming
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