Strutt & Parker – Head of Farming

Background

Strutt & Parker is a national rural property management and advisory business with a history of 140 years and part of the BNP Paribas group. We are looking for an experienced agricultural leader with a professional background in Farming. This is a senior position working as part of Strutt & Parker’s leadership team to drive strategic direction.

Our farming consultants are based in offices across England and Scotland and advise farmers and farmland investors on the management of their farming activities from detailed agronomic advice to financial budgets and modelling through to the delivery of strategic change.

The rapid phasing out of de-linked payments and the re-focus of government funding for environmental schemes will make for difficult times for many farm businesses. Strutt & Parker is well placed to advise our clients through this change and identify new opportunities for them.

The nature of what we do will need to change and adapt to reflect the changing policy backdrop and economic environment impacting both food production and environmental outcomes. This will mean expanding our reach and our range of skills and capability as well as relying on our core areas of management expertise. Our clients’ look to us for leadership, guidance and expertise in this changing world. Working together with our wider rural professionals, our farming team will need to be able to provide this leadership.

Location is flexible but travel across the UK will be required.

The role

To lead the Farming team through a time of significant change, both in terms of change within our own business and change of agricultural policy following the repatriation of agricultural policy to Westminster. The Head of Farming is accountable for the creation and implementation of the Company’s Farming business strategy in the short, medium and longer term. 

Responsibilities

•    Working in conjunction with the Head of Rural to implement effective business plans and vision

•    Accountable for delivery of the agreed strategy and driving high performance across the Farming department as a whole

•    A key focus on driving a business development culture in order to cultivating existing clients and establishing new clients

•    Retain responsibility for managing own client relationships

•    Oversight of processes in order to manage risk, drive quality and profitability

•    Work in conjunction with the Head of Rural to develop a culture of process improvement through training, communication and development of appropriate systems and processes

•    Ensuring compliance with all relevant regulations (we are a RICS regulated firm) including Know your Client (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations

•    Accountable for P&L for the Farming department

•    Accountable for the achievement of budgets and reforecast of the Farming department

•    Communicate financial information to the relevant people in the Farming department

•    Be a visionary and inspirational leader 

•    Actively communicate and drive the vision of the Company, rural and farming businesses 

•    Work with the leadership team and HR to identify and hire the right people and driving a high-performance workforce

•    Inspiring, coaching, mentoring and developing successors including the identification of top talent 

•    Instilling an ethos of business development throughout the business line 

•    Acting as a role model for organisational behaviour across the business

•    Identifying and developing new business opportunities and facilitate key cross-selling business opportunities between the regions and the wider BNP Group.

•    Working with our Marketing and PR teams to act as a figurehead for the business and increase the company profile in the press, media and at industry events across the UK.

•    Responsible for overall client satisfaction and monitoring quality of business undertaken.

•    Working with the wider business to develop and execute regional and national business development plans

•    Accountable for the compliance with Anti Money Laundering regulations and KYC process on a regional basis

Person specification

The candidate should be a strong communicator, highly numerate and with a high degree of adaptability and flexibility. They will be an experienced and knowledgeable agriculturalist able to represent Strutt & Parker with authenticity and credibility. They will support and articulate the vision for the business and will create clear and effective plans to drive performance and deliver measurable results.

Qualifications:

•    Educated to degree level in an agricultural discipline

•    MRICS as an option but not required

•    CAAV as an option but not required

•    BASIS and FACTS desirable but not required

Experience

•    Demonstrable record of the Farming sector with a strong consultancy and client management background

•    Previous experience of team leadership and a proven ability to inspire followers to deliver enhanced performance through growth and profitability

•    Strong market profile as both a leader and new business generator

•    Significant experience of delivering presentations, reports and commentary to in-person groups, media, press, webinars, podcasts etc

Key Skills

•    Strong interpersonal, social and communication skills with an ability to connect with and develop long-term relationships with clients and prospective clients

•    Competent and experienced agricultural consultant with experience of delivering work across a range of projects

•    Demonstrable knowledge of the wider agricultural sector and the ability to explain how these sectors are evolving in the face of sustainability challenges and opportunities

•    Demonstrate team leadership potential including facilitating the career development of team members.

•    Sales-orientated, capable of identifying new business opportunities and generating new leads

•    Possess a composed manner and ability to work under pressure

•    Excellent time management and ability to prioritise workloads

•    Ability to meet deadlines

•    To work with accuracy and attention to detail

•    Confident manner with clients and the team

•    Flexible approach to work and hours undertaken

•    An understanding of confidentiality issues and the use of discretion

We are proud to offer award-winning benefits to support and reward our employees:

•    Health & Leisure: Private medical cover, 30 days annual leave + public holidays (the option of purchasing up to 5 additional days via flex benefits), health screening, gym discounts, wellbeing support, volunteering opportunities, cycle to work scheme, eye care voucher, travel & retail discounts, travel insurance, concierge service, kids pass, open fairways golf card, great company culture and social events (including sports teams, charity events, art pass), perks at work 

•    Financial:  Pension, company car allowance, life assurance at 8 x basic salary, group income protection (long term disability insurance), interest free season ticket loan, bonus scheme – you will be eligible to participate in the Company’s Bonus Scheme, share incentive plan, financial and mortgage advice 

Strutt and Parker is committed to providing a work environment that fosters diversity, inclusion, and equal employment opportunity without regard to race, colour, gender, age, creed, sex, religion, national origin, disability (physical or mental), marital status, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, or any other legally protected status.