Agriculture
This Scheme is now CLOSED for applications for our 2008 intake.
Agriculture is at the forefront of our business and forms the cornerstone crop for a significant proportion of the arable land within East Anglia and the Midlands. You would form part of a highly specialised network of Area Managers who are skilled at communicating accurate technical advice and co-ordinating the efficient delivery of the final crop to the factory.
The grower base spreads out over 5000 farms which provide our four processing factories with more than 7 million tonnes of sugar beet to process on an annual basis. This gives rise to a dynamic role which changes through the season. The delivered beet is converted into one of our many sugar products or may be processed into biofuels for inclusion into unleaded petrol.
The training programme will give you a grounding in all aspects of the business, with the opportunity to spend time in other departments such as operations, commercial and finance, as well as learning more about our links with sister companies such as Trident Feeds.
Once trained; with your professional qualifications the opportunities are excellent. The primary route following completion of the trainee scheme is to become a home-based Area Manager. Alternatively, this role can lead to development moves into our R&D team, Agricultural Operations Manager roles or Agricultural Communications and Support positions at our Head Office. From square one you will be given encouragement to succeed and the responsibility to undertake an active part within the business.
The Agriculture development scheme will build on the core agricultural, business or scientific skills you have gained at University. The scheme encompasses field to factory and offers a job with real management team exposure from day one, involvement in the full sugar lifecycle – including seed drilling, growing and harvesting through to the supply chain logistics involved in delivering the beet to the factory at the right quality, time and volume to satisfy our operational demands.
Benefits
The benefits of a career with British Sugar are an appealing mix of the professional and the financial:
- Salary – c£20,000, reviewed in line with successful completion of professional exams such as BASIS and FACTS
- Full support towards achievement of professional qualifications
- Formal and informal mentoring scheme
- Opportunity for cross-functional moves
- Company pension scheme
- 21 days’ holiday in first year rising to 26 in subsequent years plus 8 statutory days’ holiday
- Early responsibility – for example, most graduates in Agriculture are appointed to the position of Area Manager within eighteen months.