Head Grower

MorePeople; Tangmere; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Relocation support

Job summary

Tangmere Airfield Nurseries in West Sussex is seeking a Head Grower to lead a 30-acre, highly automated glasshouse operation with strong commercial influence. You’ll own crop performance, forecasting and decisions to support yield, quality and customer expectations.

You’ll collaborate with a seasoned management team, develop a high-performing growing team and drive the business forward through growth and continuous improvement. Leadership and communication are essential.

Qualifications

• Strong protected cropping or glasshouse growing experience.
• Proven ability to deliver high crop performance, quality and yield.
• Experience leading teams within a commercial growing environment.
• Crop forecasting experience and strong commercial awareness.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build trust and influence over time.

Responsibilities

• Lead the growing strategy across a 30-acre glasshouse operation.
• Optimise yield, quality, crop health and consistency.
• Own crop forecasting and coordinate with the commercial team.
• Manage direct growing costs, including labour, inputs and substrates.
• Work closely with suppliers, propagators and technical partners.
• Lead and develop an experienced growing team, including Phase Managers and technical specialists.
• Collaborate with sales and operations to improve forecasting and customer service.
• Support trials, innovation and continuous improvement projects.

Skills

Protected cropping

Crop forecasting

Team leadership

Commercial awareness

Communication

Collaboration

Job description

Salary: bonus & relocation support

Head Grower

Tangmere Airfield Nurseries

West Sussex

Ready to take on one of the most respected growing roles in UK horticulture?

Looking for a position where your technical expertise, commercial awareness and leadership can genuinely shape the future of a business?

This is a rare opportunity. Tangmere Airfield Nurseries are expanding leadership team with a brand-new Head Grower position.

What's on offer?

• Bonus structure
• Opportunity to join one of the UK's most respected fresh produce growers
• Clear pathway into the senior leadership team
• Significant autonomy and influence
• Lead and work alongside a highly experienced and established growing team

What's the job?

This is a technical growing role with significant commercial influence.

You’ll take ownership of crop performance across Tangmere's highly automated 30-acre glasshouse operation, ensuring growing decisions support yield, quality, forecasting accuracy and customer expectations.

Working closely with the wider management team, you’ll help ensure the growing operation continues to deliver the standards Tangmere has become known for, while supporting the business through its next phase of growth and development.

Day to day, you’ll be:

• Leading the growing strategy across a 30-acre glasshouse operation
• Optimising yield, quality, crop health and consistency
• Owning crop forecasting and working closely with the commercial team
• Managing direct growing costs, including labour, biologicals, substrates and crop inputs
• Working closely with suppliers, propagators and technical partners
• Leading and developing an experienced growing team, including Phase Managers and technical specialists
• Collaborating with sales and operations teams to improve forecasting and customer service
• Supporting trials, innovation and continuous improvement projects

This role isn’t just about growing great crops. It’s about ensuring growing decisions positively impact sales, customer requirements and the wider business.

What do I need?

• Strong protected cropping or glasshouse growing experience
• Proven ability to deliver high crop performance, quality and yield
• Experience leading teams within a commercial growing environment
• Crop forecasting experience and strong commercial awareness
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build trust and influence over time

Ideally, your background will be in edible crops, but we’re also open to hearing from candidates with experience in commercial ornamentals or other high-tech growing environments.

Just as importantly, you’ll have strong commercial awareness, as well as being a collaborative leader. This is a business built on strong relationships, and you’ll be someone who can work alongside experienced colleagues, influence constructively, and bring people with you on the journey.

Why Tangmere?

Tangmere Airfield Nurseries produce around 70 million peppers each year from a single highly automated site and are widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading protected cropping businesses.

The business continues to invest heavily in technology, forecasting capability and future expansion, with planning permission already secured for additional glasshouse development. You’ll be joining at an exciting time as the business evolves its leadership structure and prepares for future growth.