Rural Surveyor — Qualified / Graduate / Apprentice

Townsend Chartered Surveyors; Exeter; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Townsend Chartered Surveyors in Exeter is seeking an ambitious rural surveyor on a qualified, graduate, or apprentice path. The role blends traditional land agency with cutting-edge natural capital and environmental markets, offering training toward professional qualifications and early client contact from day one.

You will work closely with the founder on varied projects, gain real responsibility, and benefit from a forward-thinking team that embraces technology, AI, and data-driven approaches

Qualifications

• RICS-accredited rural degree or studying (graduate or apprentice track)
• Good communication and client-facing skills
• Interest in technology and AI applications in land markets

Responsibilities

• Solve problems and present options to project owners
• Assist with negotiations from sale through contracts and completion
• Coordinate with solicitors, foresters, ecologists and other specialists
• Follow natural capital markets and write about them
• Support specialist projects such as woodland creation and carbon/natural capital work during UK-wide delivery
• Deliver expert presentations on natural capital policy and trends

Job description

Join a small Chartered Surveyor firm — trading for over 30 years and now operating nationally as the leading UK brokerage house selling land based intangible assets and creating & selling natural capital and environmental credits.

We're looking for an ambitious rural surveyor — qualified, graduate or apprentice — to join our small, forward-thinking and creative team. This is a varied role combining traditional land agency with cutting-edge work in natural capital and environmental markets, alongside the chance to train towards your professional qualifications. We want someone who enjoys variety, technology, brokerage and problem-solving, and who wants to help shape a forward-thinking business while building their career.

Working closely with the founder, you'll gain early client contact, real responsibility and a high level of support from day one.

About us

Based in Exeter, we provide local and national traditional land agency services with a reputation for excellence, and we are a leading independent environmental credit creation project manager and broker in the UK. We work across the rural surveying, natural capital and environmental sectors, helping landowners and farmers through:

• Estate management, farm and land sales, and valuations
• Planning, ecological and forestry advice
• Landlord & tenant, and rent reviews
• ELMS, BPS and SFI claims
• Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG), Carbon, Nutrient Neutrality (NN) and Water Abstraction Licences
• BPS Entitlements (Wales, Scotland and NI)

The role

Your responsibilities will include:

• Solving problems and professionally presenting options and solutions to project owners
• Leading/supporting the negotiation of sales through to exchange of contracts and completion
• Managing our panels of solicitors, foresters, water technicians and ecologists
• Following the natural capital markets and writing about them
• Supporting specialised projects such as expert witness work, woodland creation, and BNG, NN & Carbon creation projects UK-wide
• Giving expert advice and presentations, online and in person, on cutting-edge natural capital policy
• Assisting with rolling out AI and refining data collection systems
• Carrying out professional land agency fee work

About you

You'll be someone who:

• Has the ability to distil complex projects into understandable, concise terms
• Has excellent organisational and communication skills
• Is confident with everyday business software (email, spreadsheets, shared documents)
• Has strong attention to detail
• Is self-motivated and works well independently and in a small team
• Is interested in technology and AI
• Is comfortable speaking with clients and stakeholders

Who we're looking for

We welcome applications at three levels:

• Qualified — a recently qualified or experienced rural surveyor, ready to become an integral part of our team.
• Graduate — you'll have completed, or be studying for, an RICS-accredited rural degree (full or part-time).
• Apprentice — about to begin an RICS-accredited rural degree, learning on the job with a high level of support.

Our trainees since 1992 have a proven track record of achieving chartered status as rural surveyors (RICS) and agricultural valuers (CAAV), while enjoying genuine challenges and early responsibility (see "Join Us" for testimonials).

What we offer

• Work directly with the founder, with real responsibility from day one
• Broad-based training across all areas of traditional land agency, without over-specialising too early
• Early client contact and the chance to build long-term relationships with farmers, landowners and developers
• Rare expertise in fast-growing environmental markets, and hands-on work with the latest AI tools
• Significant opportunities for career development and advancement, with support towards RICS and CAAV qualification gaining a wide range of experience across the competencies required.