Research & Development Farm Manager

Driscoll's; Maidstone; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Paid time off

Profit-sharing bonus

Career growth

EAP

Job summary

Driscoll's in Maidstone, UK is seeking a Research & Development Test Plot Farm Manager. You will be a people-first leader building and guiding a technically skilled farm team to deliver high-quality trials and data that advance breeding and applied research.

You will translate innovation strategy into clear team priorities, develop talent, manage budgets, ensure safety and compliance, and collaborate with Breeding, Agronomy and Operations to scale new genetics and drive enterprise value.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture, Agriculture, Biology or related field.
• 8+ years’ experience in horticulture/agriculture or 5+ years with a Master's.
• Proven leadership of teams in research, agriculture, or operations.
• Budgets, resource allocation, and operational planning experience.
• Experience with trial execution and data integrity preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a high-performing research farm team.
• Align priorities with cross-functional partners to execute trials.
• Ensure safety, compliance, and data integrity in farming operations.
• Drive talent development and succession planning.
• Influence enterprise decisions through high-quality data and insights.

Skills

People Leadership

Communication

Performance Management

Strategic Thinking

Operational Excellence

Innovation Mindset

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture/Agriculture/Biology

Master’s degree in Horticulture/Agriculture/Biology

Job description

About The Opportunity

The Research & Development Test Plot Farm Manager is a people-first leader responsible for building, developing, and leading a high-performing, technically skilled research farm team. This role drives excellence by aligning team capabilities, priorities, and execution with Driscoll’s innovation strategy, ensuring the successful delivery of experimental farming and research trials.

Location

UK - Maidstone

Job Family

Research & Development

Time Type

Full time

Job Requisition ID

R0008880

Employee Type

Regular

Partnering closely with cross-functional stakeholders, the Manager establishes a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and operational excellence, enabling teams to consistently generate high-quality data, implement best-in-class agronomic practices, and deliver strong outcomes for breeding and applied research programs.

This leader plays a critical role in talent development, succession planning, and organizational capability building, ensuring the research farm teams are equipped to scale and support the enterprise’s long-term innovation goals. Through strong leadership, strategic execution, and team engagement, this position enables the full expression of new genetic material and maximizes enterprise value.

Goal of the Position / Key Results Areas

• Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, engaged research farm team that consistently delivers high-quality trial execution and data.
• Enable team success by fostering strong technical capability, ownership, and accountability across all levels.
• Translate innovation strategy into clear team priorities and execution plans that maximize the potential of proprietary genetics.
• Strengthen organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure research farms serve as a center of excellence, influencing commercial practices and grower adoption.

Responsibilities

People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and mentor a team of research farm professionals, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration, and continuous improvement
• Build team capability by developing technical expertise, leadership skills, and career growth pathways
• Drive succession planning and talent pipeline development for key operational and leadership roles
• Establish clear goals, provide ongoing feedback, and conduct performance management, evaluations, and development planning
• Create an inclusive and motivating work environment that reflects Driscoll’s values of passion, humility, and trustworthiness

Team Execution & Operational Excellence

• Align team priorities with cross-functional partners (Breeding, Agronomy, Applied Research) to ensure seamless execution of trials and initiatives
• Ensure teams consistently execute against best-in-class agronomic and research practices
• Develop systems and processes that enable teams to efficiently manage labor, resources, and equipment
• Champion a culture of data integrity, accountability, and operational discipline

Strategic Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with key stakeholders to translate strategy into clear, actionable plans for the research farm teams
• Influence enterprise decisions by ensuring teams deliver reliable, high-quality data and insights
• Lead the adoption of innovative practices, technologies, and process improvements across research farms
• Engage with external stakeholders, including growers, to demonstrate and scale successful practices

Operational Oversight & Governance

• Provide leadership oversight of farm operations, ensuring safety, compliance, and adherence to company policies
• Guide teams in maintaining accurate records, plant material tracking, and treatment documentation
• Ensure effective budget management through team accountability and resource prioritization
• Oversee equipment management, safety programs, and facility standards through delegated team ownership

Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a strong people leader with deep technical credibility, capable of building and scaling high-performing teams in a research-driven agricultural environment.

Experience & Knowledge

• Bachelor’s degree (8+ years experience) or Master’s degree (5+ years experience) in Horticulture, Agriculture, Biology, or related field
• Demonstrated success leading teams in agricultural, research, or operational environments
• Experience in people management, coaching, and organizational development
• Strong foundation in agronomy, plant physiology, and crop production systems
• Experience with budgeting, resource allocation, and operational planning
• Project management and process improvement experience
• Familiarity with agricultural research and trial execution preferred
• Berry/soft fruit production experience is highly desirable

Core Leadership Competencies

• People Leadership & Talent Development – Builds strong teams, develops future leaders, and fosters engagement
• Communication & Influence – Clearly aligns teams and effectively partners across the organization
• Performance Management – Drives accountability, execution, and results
• Strategic Thinking – Connects day-to-day work to enterprise goals
• Operational Excellence – Implements scalable processes and continuous improvement
• Innovation Mindset – Encourages experimentation and adoption of new technologies
• Collaboration & Team Building – Creates alignment across functions and stakeholders

Compensation & Benefits

The following information is provided in good faith as a general description of the salary range and benefits for the position posted. The actual compensation offered to the successful candidate is dependent upon experience, skills, education, work location, internal pay equity, and other objective job-related factors.

Salary Range estimated for the Test Plot Manager: $45,000 to $60,000 GBP.

Driscoll’s is committed to a culture of care and offers an attractive benefits package that includes, amongst others:

Health + Time Off

We care for the whole you. Strong health benefits and meaningful paid time off so you can focus on what matters most.

Financial + Wellbeing

Plan your future with employer supported annual profit-sharing bonus, retirement or savings programs and wellbeing resources supported annually.

Community + Balance

Join a team that invests in your wellbeing and gives you time to give back.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Life can get complicated and when it does, we offer extra help with our EAP.

Professional Growth

Driscoll's offers employees at all levels opportunities to acquire business, job-based, and leadership skills. It's a win-win combination.

Note: Benefits and eligibility vary by location/role. Additional country-specific benefit information is currently being developed in our career site; details are provided during the application process.

About Driscolls

Driscoll's is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll's is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world. Driscoll's exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm-to-table, we focus on delivering a high quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners. Driscoll's is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries.

Driscoll's es el proveedor líder en la comercialización de Fresas, Frambuesas, Zarzamoras y Arándanos Azules en el mundo. Con más de 100 años de herencia en agricultura y cientos de productores independiente alrededor del mundo, Driscoll's es una compañía apasionada por cultivar Berries frescas, hermosas y deliciosas. Nuestros valores de humildad, pasión y confianza han guiado nuestra misión de deleitar a los consumidores en el mundo. Las variedades exclusivas de Driscoll's han sido desarrolladas a través de años de investigación usando sólo métodos de mejoramiento natural. De la granja a la mesa, nos enfocamos en ofrecer una experiencia de alta calidad con apoyo de nuestros socios de la cadena de suministro. Driscoll's es la marca de confianza de sólo las mejores Berries.