Horticulture Operative

Vitacress; England; On-site; GBP 15,000 - 21,000; Full time

Job summary

Vitacress is seeking a Horticulture Operative to support the production of herbs at Runcton near Chichester. The role involves sowing, planting, spacing and maintaining crops, monitoring health, and assisting with irrigation and crop programmes.

You will work in a fast-paced commercial growing environment, ensuring high hygiene and quality standards, with a focus on safety and teamwork.

Qualifications

• Experience in horticulture, crop production, glasshouse, greenhouse or nursery operations.
• High attention to detail and quality standards.
• Good teamwork and communication skills.
• Proactive and reliable approach to work.

Responsibilities

• Sowing, planting, spacing and maintaining herb crops.
• Monitoring crop health and identifying pest, disease and quality issues.
• Supporting irrigation, crop care and growing programmes.
• Maintaining hygiene, quality and food safety standards.
• Operating equipment and machinery safely.
• Recording crop and production information accurately.
• Supporting continuous improvement activities.
• Working in line with Health & Safety procedures.

Skills

Horticulture experience

Crop production

Glasshouse operations

Teamwork

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Independent work

Tools

Forklift Licence

Job description

Location: Runcton, near Chichester

Working Hours: typically 7am – 3pm, 5 days per week, Thursday to Monday

Salary: £12.90 per hour, paid to you monthly

Job Type: Full-Time, Permanent

Join the team behind the UK's favourite fresh herbs!

At Vitacress, we're passionate about producing the freshest, highest-quality herbs for customers across the UK. We're looking for a Horticulture Operative to join our friendly team in Runcton and help us nurture our crops from seed to harvest.

Vitacress is one of the UK's leading fresh herb growers, supplying major retailers nationwide. We're looking for an experienced Horticulture Operative to support the production and quality of our herb crops within our commercial growing operation.

This role is ideal for someone with previous horticulture, nursery, glasshouse, greenhouse, crop production, or commercial growing experience who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment and takes pride in producing high-quality crops.

What You'll Be Doing...

• Sowing, planting, spacing and maintaining herb crops
• Monitoring crop health and identifying pest, disease and quality issues
• Supporting irrigation, crop care and growing programmes
• Maintaining high standards of hygiene, quality and food safety
• Operating equipment and machinery safely
• Accurately recording crop and production information
• Supporting continuous improvement activities
• Working in line with Health & Safety procedures at all times

What We're Looking For...

• Previous experience within horticulture, crop production, glasshouse, greenhouse or nursery operations
• Good understanding of plant husbandry and crop care
• High attention to detail and quality standards
• Strong teamwork and communication skills
• A proactive and reliable approach to work
• Ability to work independently and prioritise tasks

Desirable Experience...

• Forklift Truck (FLT) Licence
• Pest and disease identification experience (Level 2 Award PA1 and/or PA6)
• Food Safety knowledge
• Manual handling experience
• Experience working within a commercial growing environment

Why Join Vitacress?

• Permanent, full-time position
• Friendly and supportive team environment
• Opportunities for development and progression
• Work with one of the UK's leading fresh produce growers
• Ongoing training and skills development

At Vitacress, many of our colleagues have progressed from operational roles into specialist and management positions. If you're passionate about horticulture and want to grow your career with a market-leading business, we'd love to hear from you.

Vitacress Herbs, based just outside historic Chichester, West Sussex, is a primary supplier of Herb and horticulture products in the UK. With our 23-acre site covered in specialist glass houses, we take immense pride in our work ensuring our consumers have a fresh, quality product to enhance their home cooking or enhance their garden environment. We take pleasure in ensuring the best possible standards and we will empower you to do the same. From the way we grow our products, to the relationships we maintain with customers, everyone knows exactly what is going on. We are authentic and grounded. At the centre of everything is a trust that you can feel every day at work. From the herbs that is grown on site; to the investment in facilities and the growth of the business; to growing and nurturing out talented employees, growing is truly at the heart of what we do. Join us and become a trusted partner in our business.