Agricultural Consultant

Title: Agricultural Consultant

Type: Permanent, Full-Time

Salary: GBP27,531 - GBP38,143

Location: FRBS Forfar

REF: CML/CS/035/23

Closing Date: 28TH January 2024

Are you looking for an exciting and varied career within agriculture and the rural sector? SAC Consulting, part of SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), has opportunities across Scotland, working closely with farms, crofts, and other rural businesses - Be a part of our expert team.

SAC Consulting is one of the leading agricultural consultancies in Scotland, uniquely placed to support the sustainable growth and prosperity of agriculture and land-based businesses; working across food supply chains as they rise to the challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss and food security.

Our Agricultural Advisory business believes in being local which is why we have 85 consultants and a further 35 technicians and administrators in 23 offices across Scotland, and more in Northern England, providing local knowledge and farming expertise to 9,000 farmers and crofters.

We have decades of experience, but as demands and expectations around land management have evolved, so have we. We work progressively, backed by our strong connections with research and education colleagues, to support rural enterprise in areas including arable and livestock production, business diversification, financial management, ecology, biodiversity, carbon management, environmental schemes, and forestry.

Our broad scope and unique environment enable you to shape your own role, employing your own interests, passions, and unique expertise for the benefit of our customers.

The main purpose of this role is to provide expert technical and business consultancy services to customers throughout the Forfar area and South-East Region. The role will require flexible working hours and regular travel to accommodate customer needs. You should also be able to harness your knowledge and experience for the benefit of both your customer and your colleagues. For the candidate, with the right skills, there are always opportunities to quickly progress to other roles within the company.

Through knowledge transfer, advisory services, tools, and collaboration SAC consultants assist and support their clients to meet their individual business objectives, as well as helping industry stakeholders, government agencies and private sector businesses to achieve greater success or to deliver on their organisation objectives.

Key elements of this role include:

• Providing technical, business, specialist expertise and financial consultancy services to customers and their farming businesses
• Identifying solutions for customers as they adapt to changes in regulation, Government policy and evolving markets.
• Winning and delivering new business, through maximising opportunities to introduce the customer to the most appropriate consulting services we can offer to support their business.
• The opportunity to facilitate or assist in the delivery of content and events for the Farm Advisory Service (FAS)
• Where and when appropriate, use your skills and knowledge to provide training and insight for others within SAC Consulting

As an ideal candidate you will have:

• A HND or degree in a relevant discipline. Whilst an agricultural qualification is desirable you may have a qualification within an area of business, finance or land-based sectors. Equally your qualification could be in a transferable area such as teaching but backed up by your farming experience.
• FACTS (Fertiliser Adviser Certification and Training Scheme), FBAASS (Farm Business Adviser Accreditation Scheme for Scotland), or another relevant professional accreditation such as BASIS or RICS would be desirable, though not essential.
• Experience working in the rural sector; an awareness of the challenges faced by agricultural businesses.
• A broad knowledge many farming enterprises and systems with a deeper level of knowledge in a specific area of interest.
• The ability to drive your own success whilst also working as part of a team.
• Curiosity to ask questions and the courage to give advice.

• A commercial awareness of the value of your expertise and the ability to use the team around you to get the best result for the customer.

In addition, SAC Consultants work collaboratively with their academic peers to strengthen the links between industry and academic interests to support the relevance of SRUC as a whole.

SAC Consulting is part of SRUC which is unique to Scotland and one of the largest organisations of its kind in Europe. SRUC was established in 2012 through the merger of the Scottish Agricultural College (SAC) with Barony, Elmwood and Oatridge Colleges. Through these institutions, we can trace our lineage back over 100 years.

Today, SRUC is on a journey to become Scotland's enterprise university at the heart of our sustainable natural economy. Its mission is to create and mobilise knowledge and talent - partnering locally and globally to benefit Scotland's natural economy. To achieve this, it draws upon longstanding strengths in world-class and sector-leading research, learning and teaching, skills and training and consultancy (through SAC Consulting).

Benefits / What you will get in return:

• Enhanced holidays
• Enhanced pension contributions (5% employee and 10% employer opposed to 5% employee and 3% employer)
• Cycle to work scheme
• RAC Membership
• Enhanced family leave
• Flexible working patterns
• Hybrid working solutions (in some areas)
• Tailored investment in and individuals' learning and development

Further details on the requirements of this role can be found in the Job Particulars document which you must read before applying for this role. This is downloadable when you click the APPLY link.

Further information

Please read the Job Particulars Document before proceeding with your application.

Apply

To apply for this role, please use the SRUC online application system. CVs will not be accepted without a completed application form.