Vineyard and Hops Manager
- Company: Oncoland Ltd
- Closing Date: 20-07-2025
- Location: Farningham
- Salary: £30 - £45,000 based on experience and if
- Hours: Fixed term
- Contact Title: Admin
- Contact Name: Lucy
- Contact Email: lucy@billingsgroup.co.uk
- How to Apply: Email lucy@billingsgroup.co.uk
Description
We are looking for a Vineyard and Hops Manager to join our team, as our current manager moves towards retirement.
About You
You will need experience in a Vineyard or on Hops – we have a brilliant consultant who will support your learning in one or both, and the current Manager will work alongside you to pass on their depth of knowledge.
You will need people management skills, as both require a lot of labour at harvest.
You will need decision making skills to plan workload, resource and budgets for efficient and cost-effective operations in both the hop gardens and vineyard.
You will have an understanding of crop protection, nutrition and soil health, and have spraying experience. PA1, 2 and 3 spraying license preferred but training to gain qualification can be provided.
You will promote a safety first culture, maintaining compliance with health and safety standards. This is particularly important during hop harvest.
You will be practical and hands on, with pruning and trellising and during harvest.
You will be mechanically practical, with maintenance of the hop machinery.
You will be a self-starter. You will be supported by other employees, the Director and the consultant, but we hope to find someone that embraces the autonomy and takes hold of the hops and grapes to become a strong, thriving sector.
About the Farm
There are 11 hectares with 56,000 vines (chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier), and 13 hectares of hops (north down, fuggles and challenger).
The hops and vines are part of a wider mixed farm, that grow cereals and forage, have dairy and beef cattle and renewable energy.
Hours
It is typically a Monday to Friday role, from 8am to 5pm. During hop harvest for 2 weeks in September, the days are longer to make the most of dry weather. Vine harvest for 3 weeks in October the days start at 7am and finish typically at 3pm.
Location
Farningham in Kent, England
