jobs
Thank you for your interest in working with us.
We are committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships. We believe in hiring the best person for the job whoever they are, helping them thrive in it and celebrating their individuality.
We strive to be an environmentally conscious company.
We are currently hiring for the following positions (please note the locations of each role):
skilled operative - plant care coordinator
Rookery Farm Nursery, Spalding, Lincolnshire
ROLE OVERVIEW
The primary responsibility is to coordinate and execute pesticide applications in a safe and effective manner. This role will handle & operate complex equipment as well as managing several elements of the application process. For the right candidate – Full industry training will be provided. PA1 and PA6 certificates preferable.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Mix or apply pesticides, herbicides & fungicides through sprays & drenches – under the direction of the growing manager
- Cover areas to specified depths with pesticides, applying knowledge of weather conditions
- Fill sprayer tanks with water and chemicals, according to formulas – following the clear instruction of the growing manager
- Using either control mechanisms or direct physical activity to use machines or processes
- Safely use agricultural/horticultural equipment and vehicles
- Maintain work area, chemical storage area, and equipment in a condition that promotes good safety practices and is compliant with CDPR
- Use and keep all personal protection equipment (PPE) recommended for each work situation.
- Responsible for inventory control and record keeping
- Performs other duties as assigned
- Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources
- Plant care and watering requirements throughout the year – inside glasshouses and polytunnels & outside areas
SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE
- Physically fit
- Understanding of work-based instructions
- Able to prove problem solving skills
- The ability to listen to and understand information through spoken words and reading
- Controlling operations of equipment or systems
- Equipment Selection -- Using the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job
- Performing physical activities
- Due to the nature of the business, there will be other duties involved
- Good understanding of written and spoken English
SHIFT PATTERN
- Day shift – Sunday – Thursday – (can be discussed)
- Full time – Summer/ Winter shift
To apply for this role or receive more information about the role, please contact sally@sarahraven.com with subject title ‘Skilled Operative'. Please include a CV, and details of your salary expectations.
Salary: dependent on experience
finance director
Marlborough Office, Wiltshire
Reporting to the CEO
Sarah Raven is the premium ecommerce gardening brand in the UK, our vision is to bring beauty, colour and joy to every garden. We offer carefully tried and tested plants, seeds, bulbs and gardening kit as well as lovely things for your home, all personally selected by Sarah Raven, the well-known author and broadcaster.
After a period of digital transformation and acquisitions we are looking for a Finance Director to join our executive team, supporting the business growth plans.
Main Duties
- You will take the lead in developing & driving the financial and commercial strategy to assist Sarah Raven’s growth ambitions
- You will take ownership over the profitability of the business both at a total and a unit level providing insights and developing strategies for continuous improvement with other teams
- Take ownerships of tax, compliance and corporate structuring
- You will be responsible for the financial processes, performance reporting and analysis, cash management, strategic planning, legal and risk management operations of the business
- The successful candidate will also be responsible for ensuring that the business has in place adequate processes, controls and systems to enable it to scale, through setting and monitoring KPIs across the business, supporting across departments to deliver on performance goals
- Own the relationship with our bank, accountants, auditors, lawyers and other professional advisors, ensuring the highest degree of transparency and controls
- Play an active role in discussions with current and potential future shareholders, including the preparation for and management of any DD process
- Lead, motivate and develop a small finance team
In this role you will be responsible for:
Commercial Analysis & Unit Economics
- Prepare the management accounts, develop budgets and forecasts for the business (taking inputs from other stakeholders) and monitor performance against plans whilst keeping a strong handle on the unit economics of business ensuring that future growth is profitable and ultimately increases shareholder value
- Lead the analysis of unit economics working with the key areas of the business to continually identify areas for improvement and ensure controls are in place to avoid overspends
- Ensure the continuous improvement of unit economics through consistent performance analysis and reporting to the executive team and the Board, identifying issues and corrective actions as appropriate
- Providing commercial support & modelling for future growth plans and projects across the business
Finance, Compliance & Planning
- Responsible for financial modelling and analysis, formulating data-led strategy and insight
- Manage Payroll and payments
- Develop and apply finance policies, ensure high accounting standards and consistent governance and drive improvement in finance processes across the business
- Determine the financial and business KPIs working alongside the CEO and executive team to ensure departments are delivering consistently against their goals
- Preparation of management accounts, budgets and forecasts for the business and monitoring performance against plans
- Ensure cash flow is appropriate and sustainable, preparing and communicating regular cash updates to the board and other stakeholders
- Ensure compliance with statutory law and financial regulations, full responsibility for ensuring correct financial controls and processes are in place and that financial management and statutory reporting are carried out in an efficient, accurate and timely manner
- Ensure the effective reporting to the CEO and the Board of all financial and legal matters, financial performance and recommending corrective action where appropriate
Skills required:
- A strong leader, ideally with proven experience in an online consumer business
- Demonstrable experience of having operated as a business partner, as well as financial controller, working as a value add partner with other teams, leaders and functions
- A qualified accountant with excellent analytical & modelling skills
- An operational business builder who combines strong change management skills with a track record of improving operational efficiencies
- Experience of building and operating within a highly analytical and data-driven environment, able to extrapolate and interpret numbers to really understand how the business is operating/performing and therefore support the organisation in making data-based decisions
- Ideally experience in working with institutional investors
- Experience in setting up and managing scalable financial systems and processes for forecasting, budgeting and reporting
- Hands on approach & good fit with our values
To apply for this role or receive more information about the role, please contact alison.doherty@sarahraven.com with subject title ‘Finance Director'. Please include a CV, and details of your salary expectations.
Remuneration package based on experience
freelance horticultural copywriter
Sarah Raven is recruiting for a Horticultural Copywriter to work alongside our marketing team and founder Sarah Raven. This is freelancer position, working on a retainer 2 days a week. Must be accessible to work from Perch Hill Farm, East Sussex when required.
As Horticultural Copywriter you will combine your expertise in horticulture with strong writing skills to produce engaging, informative, and persuasive content for various media platforms, working closely with marketing, and buying teams to develop content that aligns with brand messaging, targets specific audiences, and drives business goals.
You will also enjoy researching and discovering existing copy that has been written by Sarah or in Sarah’s books, or produced in articles, repurposing it for new content initiatives for seasonal campaigns. Therefore, be comfortable ensuring your copy is horticulturally accurate and consistent.
This would include:
- Horticultural content: Write compelling and informative content focused on horticulture topics, including plant care guides, gardening tips, landscape design ideas, product descriptions, and more
- Marketing content: Write clear, persuasive, and creative copy for a variety of media, including websites, advertisements, social media, email campaigns, brochures, and more.
- Brand Voice: Maintain and develop a consistent brand voice across all content, ensuring alignment with the brand's identity and messaging
- Research: Conduct thorough research on plants, gardening techniques, industry trends, and products to create accurate and authoritative content.
- Collaboration: Work with marketing and buying teams to create content that supports marketing campaigns, product launches, and customer education.
- SEO Optimization: Integrate relevant keywords and follow SEO best practices to enhance content visibility and drive organic traffic.
- Editing and Proofreading: Ensure all content is grammatically correct, free of errors, and consistent with the brand’s style guide.
- Educational Content: Create educational materials, such as e-books, guides, blog posts, and newsletters, that inform and engage the audience.
- Customer Engagement: Write content that helps engage and educate customers, answering common questions, and addressing gardening challenges.
Qualifications:
- Education:
- RHS qualified, degree (or equivalent) in journalism, English, communications, or related discipline
- Experience:
- 2-5 years of experience in copywriting, preferably in advertising or marketing environment
- Experience working with horticulture brands, nurseries, gardening publications, or landscaping companies would be an advantage
- Skills:
- Strong writing and editing skills with a passion for horticulture.
- In-depth knowledge of plants, gardening techniques, and landscaping.
- Familiarity with horticultural products and the ability to describe them in a compelling manner.
- Strong understanding of branding and marketing principles.
- Strong research skills to ensure content accuracy and relevance.
- Excellent attention to detail and ability to work independently or as part of a team.
- Passion for gardening or personal experience in horticulture-related activities.
- Strong project management skills, and able to work to deadlines
To apply for this role or receive more information about the role, please contact sally@sarahraven.com with subject title ‘Horticultural Copywriter’. Please include a CV, and details of your daily rate.
accounts assistant
Marlborough Office, Wiltshire
An exciting opportunity to join a well-established and growing business. Sarah Raven’s Kitchen & Garden is an award-winning online gardening business, which offers carefully tried and tested plants, seeds, bulbs and gardening kit as well as lovely things for your home, all personally selected by Sarah Raven, the well-known author and broadcaster.
OVERVIEW
Working closely with the Accountant & Finance Director in a small Finance team the successful candidate will be given the opportunity to make the most of the position covering all aspects of accounting within an SME environment. Experience within a Finance function is desirable and support for self-studying is available.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
- Prime entry
- Bank reconciliations
- Quarterly VAT
- Stock reconciliation
- Budgeting and forecasting
- Variance analysis
- Assisting with Management Accounts preparation
- Assisting in year end audit work
- Answering finance queries from staff
- Ad hoc reporting and projects
KEY SKILLS
- Good knowledge and experience with Excel
- Confident with using computers in general
- Confident communication skills
- Experience within a similar role an advantage
- Have a positive attitude
- Self-motivated
- Attention to detail
- Ability to work independently
- Experience with Microsoft Dynamics would be beneficial
KEY PERKS
- Training support
- Enhanced holiday
- Birthday leave
- Volunteer day
- Private medical insurance
- Staff discount on the Sarah Raven website
- Discounted shopping
Salary dependent on experience
To apply for this role or receive more information about the role, please contact sally@sarahraven.com with subject title 'Accounts Assistant. Please include a CV, and details of your salary expectations.
