Crop Manager

Redfox Executive Selection Ltd; Chatteris; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Redfox Executive Selection Ltd. is seeking a Crop Manager for a prominent fresh produce farming operation in Cambridgeshire. The role covers end-to-end crop production, from planning and establishment to harvest readiness and forecasting, with strong collaboration across agronomists, suppliers and operations.

You will influence crop planning and execution with genuine autonomy, driving performance and quality to meet customer expectations and yield targets. Prior hands-on leadership is essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in field-scale vegetable production.
• Ability to plan rotations and planting schedules.
• Knowledge of crop establishment and performance monitoring.

Responsibilities

• Annual crop plans, rotations and planting schedules.
• Crop establishment and ongoing crop performance.
• Managing third-party plant raisers and plant supply.
• Nutrition, irrigation and crop protection programmes.
• Crop walking, maturity assessment and yield forecasting.
• Forecasting harvest volumes and determining harvest sequencing.
• Crop input programmes and associated budgets.
• Soil health and sustainable growing practices.
• Assurance, compliance and customer requirements.
• Leading and developing the planting team.
• Driving continuous improvement across crop production.

Skills

Crop management

Vegetable production

Forecasting

Agronomy knowledge

Job description

Are you an experienced vegetable grower or crop production professional ready to take considerably more ownership? Redfox has been briefed on an exciting Crop Manager opportunity with a substantial, progressive and highly respected fresh produce farming business based in Cambridgeshire.

This is a genuinely hands-on and influential role with responsibility for the complete crop production cycle - from annual crop planning, plant supply and establishment right through to crop performance, forecasting and harvest readiness.

You’ll be highly visible in the field, working closely with agronomists, plant raisers, suppliers and operational teams to ensure crops are grown and delivered to the required yield, quality and customer expectations. Crop Manager Recruitment Brief …

The Role

• Annual crop plans, rotations and planting schedules
• Crop establishment and ongoing crop performance
• Managing third-party plant raisers and plant supply
• Nutrition, irrigation and crop protection programmes
• Crop walking, maturity assessment and yield forecasting
• Forecasting harvest volumes and determining harvest sequencing
• Crop input programmes and associated budgets
• Soil health and sustainable growing practices
• Assurance, compliance and customer requirements
• Leading and developing the planting team
• Driving continuous improvement across crop production

The role carries genuine autonomy and the opportunity to have a significant influence on how crops are planned, grown and ultimately delivered.

Who Are We Looking For?

We’re deliberately keeping the parameters relatively broad. You might already be an established Crop Manager, or you could be an ambitious Assistant Crop Manager, Farm Manager, Growing Manager or Agronomist who has the technical knowledge and commercial vegetable experience to make the next step.

What matters is that you understand crops.

You’ll ideally bring strong experience across field-scale vegetable production, crop planning and establishment, plant supply, nutrition, irrigation, pest and disease management, forecasting and harvest timing.

BASIS and/or FACTS would certainly be advantageous, as would experience of precision agriculture, yield forecasting technology and regenerative or sustainable farming practices - but we’re equally interested in the right practical experience and attitude.

The Opportunity

For somebody looking to develop their career, this has plenty going for it.

• A substantial farming operation.
• A progressive fresh produce business.
• Significant responsibility.
• Real autonomy.
• And the opportunity to take genuine ownership of crop performance from planting through to harvest