Assistant Technical Growing Manager

MorePeople; Pulborough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading wholesale horticultural business in West Sussex seeks an Assistant Technical Manager to ensure high-quality crops and support technical growing. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills, a passion for horticulture, and preferably some experience in a related role. This position offers training, competitive salary, and opportunities for career development in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Supportive team

Full training provided

Opportunity for BASIS and FACTS qualifications

Competitive salary

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Some experience in a horticultural or technical role is desirable.
• A genuine passion for horticulture and plant science is essential.

Responsibilities

• Conduct crop walks to assess plant health.
• Support integrated pest management and plant nutrition strategies.
• Participate in R&D and new product development projects.
• Help plan and purchase crops and growing media.
• Build relationships with suppliers.
• Maintain quality systems and prepare for audits.

Skills

Passion for horticulture

Strong communication skills

Attention to detail

Problem-solving mindset

IT skills (Excel, Word, Outlook)

Education

Qualification in Agriculture, Horticulture, Biology or Plant Science

Job description

Are you passionate about plants, science, and the art of growing great quality crops? We're working with a leading wholesale horticultural business based in beautiful West Sussex, and they're looking for an Assistant Technical Manager to join their friendly and knowledgeable team.

About the Business

Our client is a well-established, market-leading grower supplying high-quality plants to the wholesale market across the UK. With a dedicated team and multiple nursery sites in West Sussex, they've built their reputation on innovation, quality, and teamwork. You'll be joining a stable, people-focused business where collaboration, curiosity, and continuous improvement are at the heart of what they do.

About the Role

As Assistant Technical Manager, you'll work closely with the Lead Technical Manager to deliver all aspects of technical growing - helping ensure crops are healthy, high-quality, and grown to meet customer expectations.

• Conducting crop walks to assess plant health and identify key growing tasks
• Supporting integrated pest management (IPM) and plant nutrition strategies
• Getting involved in R&D and new product development projects
• Helping plan and purchase crops and growing media
• Building strong relationships with young plant and media suppliers
• Maintaining quality systems and preparing for assurance audits

This is a hands‑on, developmental role - ideal for someone early in their horticultural or plant science career who wants to grow into a technical or management position.

What We're Looking For

• A genuine passion for horticulture and plant science
• Strong communication and teamwork skills
• Excellent attention to detail and a practical, problem‑solving mindset
• Good IT skills (Excel, Word, Outlook)
• Some experience in a horticultural or technical role or a qualification in Agriculture, Horticulture, Biology or Plant Science (desirable, not essential)

Above all, we're looking for someone self‑motivated, curious, and ready to learn.

What's in It for You

• A supportive, friendly team and a positive working culture
• Full training in all aspects of technical growing
• The opportunity to gain BASIS and FACTS qualifications once experienced
• Competitive salary and career development opportunities
• A mix of outdoor and technical work in a beautiful part of West Sussex

Please note: some weekend work is required on a rotational basis.

This is an exciting opportunity to kickstart or grow your career in horticulture with a respected and forward‑thinking grower.

Interested? For an informal chat, please call Emily on (phone number removed), email (url removed) or message me on LinkedIn. Don't worry if your CV isn't up to date, just send what you have already, and we can sort the rest later.