Outdoor Cultivations Tractor Driver

Job Summary 

We have an exciting opportunity for a Cultivations Tractor Driver to join our team permanently at Agrial Fresh Farms in Colchester. You will carry out cultivations for the outdoor cropping. This includes primary and secondary cultivations and will also include the application of slug pellets and herbicides. Your responsibilities will include completing maintenance duties, and you'll carry out tasks using farm implements e.g. spraying, fertiliser, drilling, cultivations, and irrigation, etc. Recent experience driving large modern agricultural equipment is essential. 

Working hours:  The role is predominantly Mon- Fri, however due to the nature of our farming this role will include some weekend work (mainly Saturday mornings) during our busier periods.

About Us 

Agrial Fresh Farms Ltd is one of four UK based sites owned by the French co-operative group, Agrial. Agrial has operations across 18 regions with 280 farming outlets and it's not just about lettuce!  
 
All 4 UK sites operate under the name of Agrial Fresh Produce Limited and fall under Agrial's vegetable division. The business is more recognisable in the UK by its Florette salad brand and we are now one of the UK’s leading producers in the industry. We have a recipe for success through our EPIC values and working together as one team.  
 
Our Agrial Fresh Farms site is an Integrated farming operation based in Colchester, Essex. The salad farm provides baby leaf year-round to the UK, grown in polytunnels, and whole head and outdoor crops throughout the summer. The produce is supplied into our UK sites for processing and distribution.  

Main Responsibilities 

• Driving and carrying out regular maintenance on tractors and other agricultural equipment. This includes general maintenance of cultivation equipment
• Operate Tractors and machinery safely and efficiently 
• Carry out daily routine checks on vehicles to ensure they are safe to operate, and any faults are reported to the growing manager
• To ensure that health & safety is always adhered to and that all incidents and accidents are reported to the management team
• To carry out cultivations for the outdoor cropping. This includes primary and secondary cultivations and will also include the application of slug pellets and herbicide.
• To assist with some spraying and fertiliser applications 
• To assist if required in the off season with the indoor growing team
• The movement of agricultural equipment, produce or other items with a tractor or trailer  
• The setting up and movement of irrigation equipment

Skills and Experience Required 

• Recent experience driving large modern agricultural equipment
• A Full Clean Driving Licence
• PA1, PA2 and PA4 desirable
• A good level of spoken English is desirable but not essential 
• Forklift/Teleporter certificates not essential

What You Will Get In Return  

A competitive salary, inclusion in our annual bonus scheme and a range of employee benefits you’d expect from a market leading business, including:

• Life Assurance - three times your basic salary paid to your nominated beneficiary.
• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme: providing a Remote GP service along with a 24/7 helpline for financial, legal, medical and life issues.
• A flexible & competitive annual leave entitlement that increases with service and offers an option to purchase additional holiday.
• Personalised training and development.
• Employee discount and salary finance schemes. 
• Recognition awards and an annual volunteering day. 

Next Steps 

It’s an exciting time to join our business! We’re growing and looking for positive and innovative people to join our growing, professional team. If you have the skills and experience we are looking for, and want a new challenge in a company experiencing growth and success we would love for you to join us on our journey!  

Please apply directly or alternatively contact Liza Crane, Recruitment Officer for a totally confidential discussion.  
 
Note to recruitment agencies: this role is being handled by the company HR team and no agency contact is required. 

Agrial Fresh Produce reserve the right to close this vacancy once we have received sufficient applications. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

We are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of all of our staff. That’s why we’ve taken the Mental Health at Work Commitment and are currently delivering a programme of activities to ensure that everyone can have open and honest conversations about their wellbeing in the workplace and feel supported. We encourage applications from persons with experience of poor mental health and are committed to supporting our employees to fulfil their potential and perform at their best in work.

Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd is an Equal Opportunities employer. In addition, as part of Responsible Recruitment, Agrial Fresh Produce Ltd believes in the Employer Pay Principle. No worker should pay for a job – the costs of recruitment should be borne not by the worker but by the employer.