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Research & Development Farm Manager

Driscoll's, Inc. -
Maidstone

Quick apply

Job details

£45,000 - £60,000 a year

Benefits

Profit sharing
Annual leave
Employee assistance programme

Qualifications

Management
Business processes
Master's degree
Project management
Bachelor's degree
Leadership
Horticulture

Full 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.

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.

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