North-East Norfolk
Competitive Salary + Benefits
Know what happens when you combine water, nutrition, technology and a few million plants?
You get one of the most important jobs on the farm. Redfox is working with a highly respected, long-established UK fresh produce business to recruit an Assistant Irrigation Manager for its substantial soft fruit growing operation in Norfolk. This is a fantastic opportunity for somebody with irrigation, fertigation or growing experience who is ready to take on greater responsibility within a progressive commercial fruit business.
And this isn’t simply about keeping irrigation systems running. You’ll be helping make daily decisions that directly influence plant health, vigour, yield, quality and ultimately commercial performance.
The Role
Working as part of the senior farming and irrigation team, you’ll take responsibility for the installation, operation and monitoring of irrigation systems across the fruit-growing operation, ensuring water and nutrients are delivered accurately and effectively. Day to day, you’ll be managing irrigation and fertigation programmes and monitoring substrate and soil moisture, pH, EC and run-off levels.
But here’s where it gets more interesting.
You’ll need to understand the crop.You’ll calculate appropriate fertigation rates, work with both powder and liquid fertilisers, monitor plant health and use that information to make decisions around feeding regimes. You’ll analyse irrigation data, identify unnecessary water use, take water and compost samples and adjust feeding programmes when the crop tells you something needs to change.
In other words, this is irrigation with agronomy attached to it.
Technology + Practical Know-How
You’ll use computer and handheld technology to monitor feeding regimes – but you’ll also need to be comfortable getting your hands dirty. The role includes maintaining and troubleshooting irrigation pipework, pumps, filters and control systems, alongside keeping accurate system and maintenance records.
You’ll also work closely with Farm Managers on new field layouts and irrigation infrastructure, while ensuring water use remains within the appropriate abstraction licences.
And There Are People Involved Too…
This is an Assistant Manager position, so we’re looking for someone capable of doing more than understanding pumps, pipes and plants.
You’ll supervise small teams when required, build strong relationships across the farming operation and help create a positive, safe and productive working environment.
We’re looking for somebody who can take responsibility, communicate well and get things done.
Who Are We Looking For?
You could currently be an:
- Assistant Irrigation Manager
- Irrigation Specialist or Technician ready to step up
- Soft Fruit Grower
- Assistant Growing Manager
- Irrigation/Fertigation Supervisor
- Horticultural or agricultural professional with strong irrigation experience
Experience within soft fruit – particularly strawberries or raspberries – would be highly relevant, although we’re equally interested in people coming from other intensive horticultural or fresh produce environments.
You’ll ideally understand irrigation systems, fertigation and plant nutrition and have the confidence to interpret crop and irrigation data rather than simply record it.
Some understanding of biological control and its application would also be useful.
Most importantly, we’re looking for somebody with a combination that’s surprisingly difficult to find:
Technical enough to understand the data.
Practical enough to fix the problem.
Commercial enough to understand why it matters.
And good enough with people to help lead the team.
Why Consider It?
Because irrigation is rapidly becoming one of the most important disciplines within modern commercial horticulture. Water availability, nutrient efficiency, crop performance, environmental responsibility and precision growing are only going one way in terms of importance. This role gives you the opportunity to develop all of those skills within a significant UK fruit-growing business – while taking a genuine step into management. The company is established, ambitious and continuing to develop its growing operation.
For the right person, this could be considerably more than simply your next irrigation job. It could be the role that moves you into irrigation and growing management.
Interested? Apply via this website or contact Ian Reed on 01284 715055 quoting Ref: 6109IR
