About Riverford

Every week, Riverford delivers organic food to around 84,000 homes and businesses across the UK. This takes loads of brilliant people, from growers to IT experts, and more besides!

We’re a friendly, forward-thinking bunch, and we celebrate diversity, valuing, supporting and developing the whole person as an equal opportunities’ employer. In 2018, Riverford became employee owned. Working here makes you a ‘co-owner’, our version of ‘employee’.

Sustainability has been at the heart of Riverford’s values since we saw the light of day in 1987.

The business has grown in recent years - we employ about 950 people. This is an exciting new position addressing the most important challenge of our time.

We’re also proud to be a B Corp – a certification for ethical businesses who work not just for profit, but also to benefit people and the planet.

What you’ll be doing

You will be responsible for developing, researching and supporting the practical and commercial implementation of (mainly) land-based environmental projects at Riverford and neighbouring Baddaford Farm, with the aim of reducing environmental impacts and providing proof of concept that others might follow.

This will include providing research evidence to support communications with co-owners, customers, growers, other partners and the wider world, which will take various forms including articles, presentations, and content for our online magazine, Wicked Leeks.

Sustainability Researcher Responsibilities:

The role will be project focused and will involve a broad range including:

• Growing nuts/regenerative agriculture/SilvoPasture - Practical proof of concept
• Hedgerow management - Biodiversity
• Beavers – practical viability and risk
• Packaging - Wider environmental impact research of materials and processes
• Renewable energy - including solar and wind. You will be tasked with looking at the implementation and feasibility at Riverford for this.
• Integrating renewable energy and food production systems
• Ongoing research for weekly newsletters - Providing/suggesting material

Skills & experience:

• Hold a BSc or BEng degree.
• Desk research experience; basic understanding of science and scientific processes, in addition to some field-based research experience.
• Analytical thinking.
• Good communicator, on paper and verbally, especially skill at communicating sometimes complex and scientific research.
• Enthusiasm for positive change and doing things differently.
• A pragmatic and solutions-focused outlook
• Self-motivated and proactive, ability to work on own initiative as well as part of a small team.
• Resilient and able to deal with pressure

This is a great opportunity for the successful candidate to be involved in a variety of key projects at Riverford, whilst working with our experienced Sustainability Manager, as well as Riverford founder Guy Singh-Watson at neighbouring Baddaford Farm, where some of the projects are based. A valid driving licence and willingness to regularly travel to other Riverford sites is required.

In addition to a competitive salary, Riverford also offer a wonderful benefits package including 33 days holiday pro rata (including bank holidays), annual profit share; 10% of all our profits are split equally between all co-owners, 25% off everything we sell and heavily discounted organic breakfasts and lunches to name just a few!!

For a full Job Description and to learn more about Riverford Organics, please take a look at our website.