Assistant / Rural Business Advisor (Job Ref. 124)

This is a great opportunity in a diverse company to share the rapidly increasing workload within the Kent team and to promote new sources of income and specialisms within the wider company. We are looking for a new team member who wishes to grow and enhance their career within the agricultural advisory sector.

Our experienced and enthusiastic team are a strong element of our employee-owned business and are actively encouraged to play a part in the business’ future and success.

You will:

• Identify gaps within our current client offering and bring in new opportunities or skillsets.
• Liaise and work with the wider team, Sentry farms and external clients to work towards the joint objectives and aims of each unique business.
• To provide a diverse range of consultancy services to support the complexity of the farming businesses.
• To work within the team assisting with current workload and ongoing projects.
• Based in the South East Kent.
• Over time to take responsibility for and manage clients.
• We aim to include you in as many areas of the business as possible which will require you to be trained and guided accordingly within a short time frame; This will require you to be actively motivated and responsible to complete this.

Will include:

• Assist with establishing a ‘value-added’ approach throughout the company.
• Explore the market for new opportunities for our products and services.
• Grant Applications.
• CSS, the new SFI scheme and any future developments.
• Budget and cashflow work.
• Soil, manure and nutrient planning.
• Sentry Membership – involvement in the running and management of our benefits to members.

The role will involve a large amount of on-the-job training. Sentry operates a range of training courses for staff members and managers at all levels.

• You will be given a Personal Development Plan and begin your training period within the first 6 months of joining. This will be a mix of internal, external and on-the-job training.
• Sentry is an Employee-Owned company and encourages participation of all employees to become direct ownership shareholders. We run an Employee Forum which you would be invited to participate in.
• Sentry has a long history of providing successful careers to employees and we hope you will recognise the personal potential for your own career as an employee.
• You will receive regular appraisals during your 6-month probationary period to ensure you are progressing as expected, thereafter an annual appraisal will assess progress, training, and development. This will include monthly review meetings.
• This role involves travel to farms and clients. It is therefore essential that the candidate has a clean and current driving licence and their own transport.