Work Here
We are always on the look out for:
- Warehouse professionals
- Horticulture professionals
- Casual labour
- Markets and Events professionals
If you are interested in working at the South Devon Chilli Farm, please send your CV to jenny@southdevonchillifarm.co.uk
WE ARE CURRENTLY HIRING FOR:
Nursery Co-ordinator (Maternity Cover)
Reporting to the Horticultural Manager (HM), the Nursery Co-ordinator (NC) is responsible for organising the South Devon Chilli Farm plant nurseries, managing stock & layout, improving & developing processes, ensuring seed germination targets are met, seedlings & plants are grown efficiently, following best practice and that orders are fulfilled with excellent plant quality.
The NC will work with the HM to ensure crop tunnels are maintained to the highest standard, ensure yields are maximized for each variety and that production targets are met for seeds, plants & fresh. The NC and HM will share responsibility of organising the weekend rota during the course of the season and supervise temporary staff, providing guidance & training as required.
The NC will also play a key role in the maintenance of the farm, taking on gardening tasks as required and assisting in site development activities including making the most of the show tunnel.
The NC role will involve some weekend working.
Areas of Responsibility:
· Seed Germination
· Plant Care & Development
· Stock Management
· Nursery Layout
· Process Development & Improvement
· Organising Weekend Rota
· Overseeing Temporary Staff
· Fruit Harvesting & Processing
· Order Fulfilment
· Site Maintenance
· Health & Safety / HACCP
Seed Germination:
- Organize the plant nursery production, ensuring seed germination targets are met, communicating any issues with the HM
- Together with the management team, plan & execute the sowing schedule (ie. sow seedlings late Jan/early Feb, sow crop plants mid-Feb)
- Ensure all plants are clearly labelled using the correct trays to prevent discrepancies and maximise space
- Prepare nursery tunnel ready for the sowing to begin at the start of the year (ie. laying black plastic, capillary matting & heating matts
Plant Care & Development:
- Ensure best practices are followed throughout the nursery growing process and plant care is of the highest standard
- When seedlings have germinated ensure these are carefully pricked-out and transferred into coir plugs in module trays with heating matts installed
- When seedlings have matured ensure these are potted-on promptly and pots are filled with the correct amount of soil and with the correct ratio of soil/perlite/vermiculite/osmocote
- Perform daily checks of plants assessing signs of disease, pest damage and isolating high-risk plants as a matter of urgency, communicating any issues with the HM
- Make sure plant watering is effective, minimizing usage through precise watering technique
- Ensure plant feeding is meticulously followed so plant growth is consistent allowing for smooth operational control
- Work with the HM to ensure crop tunnels are well maintained, urgently addressing any issues with plant support, pest damage or fruit spoiling
Stock Management
- Ensure nursery stocks are maintained to maximise sales across all channels
- Work with the Operations Manager (OM) and Administrator to ensure seedling/plant listings are accurate and up-to-date
- Complete end of season stock take and report to the OM for re-order
- Ensure stock levels are maintained for packaging materials ie. seedling packs, plant bags etc. and alert the OM to any low stock items
- Provide quarterly stock takes for all nursery materials
Nursery Layout
- Ensure all plants are stored efficiently to help save time inspecting, watering & replenishing
- Make sure plants are spaced correctly at all times to promote growth and prevent any issues
- Implement and maintain clear and accurate labelling in plant nurseries at all times to allow effective stock management, reporting and efficient processing of orders
Process Development & Improvement
- Suggest improvements to the management team for plant operations, looking for efficiency gains at every opportunity
- Be proactive in evaluating current processes & researching new techniques with the aim of increasing productivity & profitability
- Work with the HM to develop new processes as required and report to the management team
Organising Weekend Rota
- Together with the HM, organise and partake in the weekend rota to ensure plant care is maintained throughout the season
- Provide proper training & clear instructions where the use of temporary staff is required
- Ensure the rota is planned 1 month in advance at all times and alert the management team to any issues
Overseeing Temporary Staff
- Supervise & delegate tasks to temporary staff to assist in nursery operations
- Provide proper training to staff members as required
- Ensure clear instructions are provided at all times and give feedback
- Report any issues to the OM to be resolved promptly
Fruit Harvesting & Processing:
- Ensure fresh picking is carried out efficiently and with maximum care
- Work with the HM to ensure fresh picking targets are met for the production kitchen & dehydrator
- Accurately record all bulk fruit weights before processing for reliable yield data
- Ensure the dehydrator capacity is maximized and that picking schedules are in sync with the drying process
- Assist the HM in training & supervising temporary fruit pickers
Order Fulfilment:
- Ensure customer expectations are met and quality of all seedlings, plants & fresh chillies is of the highest standard and carry out final inspection before packing
- Make sure plants are correctly supported before packing to limit damages of mail order plants
- Work with the Fulfilment Manager to ensure fulfilment deadlines are met for daily orders of plants & fresh chillies
- Communicate seedlings/plant progress with the fulfilment team to schedule pre-order processing
Site Maintenance:
- Ensure the polytunnels are well maintained, communicating any issues with the HM and carrying out repairs when necessary
- Ensure health & safety procedures are adhered to and that any hazards are dealt with urgently ie. trip hazards in the nursery tunnel
- Together with the HM, manage the growing conditions and watering schedule to ensure plant health is maintained ie. watering at weekends during summer, partial-closing of tunnel doors
- Maintain nursery storefront, keeping plants & growing equipment well stocked, ensuring the area is clean & tidy and interacting with customers answering any growing queries they have
- Maintain show tunnel keeping the area clean & tidy with signage clearly visible & canes safely capped, checking beginning & end-of-day and periodically throughout the day during peak season
- Ensure garden beds are well maintained and customer facing areas are kept clean & tidy ie. grass cutting, picking trays/trolleys stored away
Health & Safety / HACCP:
- Meticulously follow health & safety procedures for the outdoor operation and ensure any hazards are addressed urgently ie. trip hazards in nursery, show tunnel
- Ensure HACCP procedures are followed and fruits are washed & processed correctly
- Communicate hazards with the HM where necessary and work with the management team to address concerns
- As required by the HM or management team, complete routine audits of key areas ie. nursery & show tunnel to monitor stock levels, efficiency and general safety
- Work with the OM to supervise new staff members ie. temporary pickers in the summer and maintain health & safety standards
Job Types: Full-time or Part time, Temporary, Fixed term contract
Contract length: 9 months
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
SDCF Market Partners (MP)
Summary
Market Partners (MP) will play a key role in the success of our sales department, providing exceptional customer service representing SDCF at in person events.
The MP will work hard to promote brand awareness of SDCF and grow sales in their region.
MPs will work remotely from our Devon farm, and be required to travel around their home region of the UK and sometimes further afield, running an SDCF stand at markets and shows. This will require overnight stays at times. The role is seasonal and will require weekend working.
We will ask you to come to the farm for initial training and at other times during the year as appropriate.
The MP will report to the Operations Manager; new responsibilities may be added to the MP role by the directors as the business evolves.
We will provide a branded gazebo, point of sale displays and signs, as well as product training etc. Having your own transport (van) is highly desirable for this role.
Areas of Responsibility:
· Sales
· Research
· Customer Service
· Merchandising
· Stock Management
Sales
· Maximise sales at in person markets and events throughout the year
· By learning all about SDCF products, trying them yourself and being able to talk about them and answer questions confidently
· Look for upselling opportunities
· Look for new sales opportunities across new events, new stockists etc.
· This may be a mixture of retail and/or trade events
Research
· Research new events that might be suitable for attendance
· Research travel and accommodation options & provide suggestions to Operations Manager
· Complete application forms for new events and act as point of contact for events companies
· Look for new ways to improve the stand and make it appeal to customers to maximise sales, keeping it on-brand.
Customer Service
· Use card payment systems to take payment and issue refunds when needed
· Provide exceptional customer service & promote the good name and brand awareness of SDCF
Merchandising
· Set up and take down the stand for each event
· Together with the Shop Manager monitor product listings to ensure details are current & correct and notify management of any errors
· Set up and merchandise the stand before each event
· Look for ways to improve merchandising of events stands
Stock Management
· Be able to estimate stock requirements for events and work with the kitchen and Operations Manager to ensure you have the stock & samples you need in time
· Reintegrate remaining stock back into the warehouse supply after events are completed working with the Fulfilment Manager
· Coordinate restocking of larger events where necessary with the Operations Manager
· Carry out restocking & move stock between van and warehouse
Other
· Partake in social media updates on events with live videos, stories, reels etc
· Take good care of the market and event equipment & store it tidily between events
· Maintain a clean, tidy and safe working environment
· Maintain a good working relationship with your teammates at the Farm
· You will need to be able to carry heavy stock & erect a gazebo and stand for each event so physical strength is required
Desired skills:
· Driving license essential
· Own transport highly desirable
· Excellent attention to detail
· Trustworthy when handling cash & stock
· Confident and polite when dealing with general public
· Ability to learn about our products and answer questions from the public
· Good organisation & time management
· Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment
· Good team player willing to support colleagues & liaise across the business
· Quick learner with a positive can-do attitude
We are open to considering self-employed or employed arrangements for the right person.
Competitive hourly rates and commission structure is available to be negotiated.
Hours will vary depending on event schedule and will definitely involve weekend working.