Mission:

Manage implement and plan agricultural trials following Good Experimentation Practices (GEP) and according to protocols/study plans, procedures and official texts.

As a field trials officer, you'll develop and manage research trials, monitoring the effects of experiments on plants in the field or laboratory. You may be involved with the entire process, or just one particular stage of the research procedure.

You'll work closely with scientists to match their requirements with the trial site or laboratory and will play a key role in making large-scale scientific research happen.

The results of research trials are used to inform development decisions in agriculture, as well as to determine product safety and inform sales information. You may need to communicate your findings in a detailed report or presentation.

Responsibilities:

·       plan, prepare and organize trials, either on-site or in the laboratory

·       write research proposals

·       monitor field conditions in close detail

·       apply chemicals to trials

·       design and develop experiments

·       undertake detailed statistical planning

·       balance the demands of new experiment designs with site limitations

·       gather and accurately record data

·       record and process results, using specialist software such as ARM

·       analyze, write and present reports

·       conduct discussions with research staff

·       meet with clients and adapt their requirements to suit your work

·       help undertake demonstrations and presentations for commercial clients

·       deal with a range of paperwork

·       ensure that work adheres to government legislation

·       work to a high level of confidentiality and protocol

·       coordinate audit trails and accompany visiting auditors

·       project-manage research

·       give specialist advice and information to clients and colleagues.

What to expect

·       The job involves mainly field work in summer and office or laboratory work in winter, although there may be a combination of both throughout the year in some posts.

·       The job is based on enabling communication between the field and the scientist or customer, so meetings and consultations with a range of people regularly form part of the working cycle.

·       European legislation means that paperwork and protocol checks are a feature of the role, particularly at higher levels. Company-level clients have their own protocols, which also have to be adhered to.

·       The role is often physically demanding and may involve using farm machinery. Resilience, versatility and a hands-on approach are needed to cope with any setbacks, for example adverse weather conditions.

·       Travel within the working day is frequently needed and overnight absence from home may sometimes be required, particularly in the summer time.

Qualifications

A degree is typically required for entry into the career of field trials officer. Relevant subjects which may be helpful include:

·       agriculture

·       biology or biological science

·       biotechnology

·       botany and plant science

·       crop science

·       environmental sciences

·       horticulture.