Harvest Manager - Chichester - £38,000 - £44,000 + Bonus - Benefits

Harvest Manager

Harvest Manager - Chichester - £38,000-£44,000 + Bonus + Benefits

The Job

This is a large scale operational management role with responsibility for people management, forward planning, cost control and daily production targets. The role would suit an experienced manager from fresh produce, food production, agriculture, horticulture or another fast-paced environment involving perishable products and large workforces.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage approximately 500 seasonal workers and 30 Team Leaders
• Plan labour and harvesting requirements around 5 weeks in advance
• Set and monitor daily production and harvesting targets, ensuring output remains on schedule
• Manage labour costs, productivity and operational budgets
• Monitor performance and take action where targets are falling behind
• Lead, support and develop Team Leaders and supervisors
• Coordinate labour and resources to meet changing operational requirements
• Work within strict timeframes due to the short shelf life of the product
• Monitor product quality and ensure harvesting takes place at the appropriate time
• Manage operational challenges caused by weather, temperature and seasonal conditions
• Maintain accurate records and reporting
• Ensure health & safety, quality and operational standards are maintained

The Company

A successful and growing commercial agricultural business with a large seasonal workforce and a strong focus on productivity, quality and operational efficiency. This is a key management position within a large-scale operation where effective planning, people management and achieving daily targets are essential.

The Candidate

• Proven experience managing large workforces, ideally 150+ employees, with experience managing supervisors or Team Leaders
• Strong forward planning and organisational skills, including experience planning operations several weeks in advance
• Proven ability to manage demanding daily and weekly production targets, costs, labour and operational performance
• Experience working with perishable products or short shelf-life environments, where timing and product quality are critical
• Experience could come from fresh produce, soft fruit, top fruit, vegetables, greenhouse production, food production, meat, poultry, dairy, vineyards, flowers/horticulture or similar
• Strong leadership, communication and problem-solving skills
• Flexible approach and willingness to work longer hours and early starts during peak seasonal periods
• The actual product background is less important than having the required scale of management and operational experience

The Package

• Salary £38,000-£44,000 DOE, with potential to go slightly higher for the right candidate
• 5% discretionary performance bonus
• 5% employer NEST pension contribution

Candidate Requirements

All applicants must hold a minimum of an NVQ Level 2, Scottish NVQ Level 2, or an equivalent qualification relevant to the role applied for. Candidates must also have the legal right to work in the UK or hold a valid visa permitting employment.