Director, Agriculture Seed

Position Title:Director Agriculture - Seed

Position Type: Regular - Full-Time

Requisition ID:44872

Director Agriculture - Seed

Montrose

In every role McCainers are ambitious curious and passionate about creating exceptional work experiences - together. With a customer-first mindset we make doing business with McCain easy.

About the role.

This is a rare opportunity to lead McCain Potatoes GB seed potato business from our Montrose Pugeston site in Scotland. Reporting to the VP of Agriculture youll run a unique vertically integrated inhouse seed operation and be McCains visible champion to industry regulators and customers. Youll own the endtoend seed supply chain from sevenyear supply planning and production through to seed operations storage grading and commercial delivery. Plus responsibility for the seed budget capital programme and site health & safety.

You will inspire lead and develop the seed management team drive performance and succession and build a highperforming commercially focused culture. Lead and develop the seed management team while contributing to the overall GB agriculture leadership team and strategy development. A focus will be defining and embedding regenerative agriculture within our seed supply: working with growers and GB Agriculture to create a sustainable futurefit seed programme that secures supply boosts resilience and leaves a lasting positive legacy for McCain.

What youll be doing.

Own the Safety of Everyone on Site

This role carries overarching accountability for the health and safety of every McCain Potatoes employee visitor contractor and associated venture at Montrose. Youll set the tone from the top building a culture where safety isnt just a priority its a non-negotiable way of working every single day.

Set the Strategic Direction for Seed

Youll be the author of McCains Seven-Year Plan for Seed the roadmap that ensures our supply chain is always ahead of demand. From factory requirements and processing needs through to customer commitments youll make sure the right seed is in the right place at the right time every time.

Lead a Team That Takes Pride in What They Grow

Youll lead develop and inspire the McCain Potatoes seed team managing performance running meaningful 1:1s building development plans for salaried staff and putting genuine succession thinking in place. Youll lead in full alignment with McCains Leadership Principles creating a team that holds itself accountable and takes genuine pride in delivery.

Build and Protect Our Grower Relationships

Growers are at the heart of this operation and youll own those relationships completely. Working around the grower partnership charter youll define contract content and structure shape the cost of production indexation model and ensure that every grower feels like a genuine partner in what were building together.

Be the Voice of Seed at the Leadership Table

Youll represent the seed business within the GB Agriculture Leadership Team bringing the seed perspective into strategic conversations and helping shape the direction of the overall agriculture function. Your insight and challenge will matter.

Own the Numbers All of Them

Full financial accountability comes with this role. Youll set control and monitor the seed sales budget office overheads and own-grading budgets and youll be the driving force behind capital programme delivery including CapEx requests SCA and RCO delivery. Youll build the business cases make the recommendations and own the outcomes.

Be the Commercial Authority on Seed

Youll act as the consulted authority across the retained seed plan seed sales plan stock reconciliation grower contract payments and operating system development. Youll set seed selling prices alongside the Agriculture Leadership Team manage royalty licences for controlled varieties and negotiate third-party traded seed purchases and sales bringing commercial sharpness to every decision.

Keep the Business Informed and Connected

Every month youll deliver a seed business report to the VP of Agriculture and beyond that youll represent McCain Potatoes externally and internally ensuring the seed operation is visible valued and well understood across the business and the wider industry.

What youll need to be successful.

This is a senior specialist role in McCain for a confident commercially minded leader who thrives with autonomy makes decisive choices and cares about agriculture and people.

Proven Senior Leader in Agriculture Significant senior leadership experience in agriculture seed potatoes or fresh produce supply chains with deep sector understanding.

Financially Sharp and Commercially Driven Experience owning a P&L managing budgets and CapEx and making commercially sound decisions.

Strategic Thinker Skilled in long-range supply and demand planning and translating strategy into operational delivery.

Industry Knowledge Strong knowledge of the GB potato industry (and ideally wider Europe) its players commercial dynamics and regulatory requirements.

Health & Safety Champion Familiar with health and safety management systems (eg ISO 45001/50001) and committed to building a strong safety culture.

Influencer and Relationship Builder Able to build trust with growers regulators and stakeholders negotiate confidently and influence at senior levels.

People Developer Proven at building highperforming teams coaching talent and holding others accountable with care.

Benefits.

Although we do encourage you to taste the goods youll be pleased to know we dont pay you in chips. Alongside your salary youll enjoy a range of benefits including:

• Private healthcare family cover
• Annual bonus scheme based on both company and individual performance with the ability to salary sacrifice into your pension
• Annual car allowance
• An excellent salary sacrifice pension scheme where well contribute double what you do up to a maximum of 12% of your salary
• 25 days annual leave from day one plus bank holidays (increasing with service) giving you plenty of time to recharge with the opportunity to buy and sell up to 5 days holiday per year
• Life insurance cover providing peace of mind for you and your family
• Enhanced maternity and paternity pay because the moments that matter outside of work matter to us too
• Medicash health cash plan helping you claim money back on everyday healthcare costs with access to a virtual GP and wellbeing support
• TELUS Health employee and family assistance programme offering full wellbeing support - including a 24/7 confidential counselling line legal and financial guidance and a range of employee discounts.
• Salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme
• A paid Chips In Volunteering Day giving you the opportunity to support projects that make a positive impact in our communities
• Flexible/hybrid working arrangements where the role allows

And because youre joining a global business your career opportunities dont stop at the factory gate. Whether youre looking to deepen your expertise step into leadership or even explore opportunities internationally well support your growth. With ambitious plans for the future theres plenty of scope to develop your career with us.

About the team.

Youll lead a specialist seed team based in Montrose a tight-knit group with deep expertise. Your four direct reports (Operations Production Seed Crop and Storage & Grading Managers) cover the full seed lifecycle and will rely on you for clear direction and accountable leadership. Youll also manage a flexible seasonal labour pool that scales with the growing calendar ensuring operational resilience year-round. As a recently formed team with strong potential youll shape culture drive performance and build a high-performing cohesive unit.

About McCain.

Click Here to learn more about McCain and how we provide you with opportunities to make an impact that matters.

Leadership principles.

At McCain our leadership principles guide how we engage with customers collaborate as a team and achieve success. We focus on understanding customer needs driving innovation empowering people and taking ownership to clear obstacles and deliver results.

AI & Digital Capabilities.

At McCain AI and digital capabilities are part of how we work and innovate. We value curiosity toward emerging technologies and the thoughtful responsible use of AI-enabled tools to improve outcomes as part of our future-ready culture.

The McCain experience.

We are McCain. This statement is a testament to our collective strength and our individual value. Your contributions play a vital role in our success. Our winning culture is rooted in authenticity and trust empowering us to bring out the best in one another. Here youll find opportunities to learn grow and thrive. Join us and experience why were better together.

Our purpose is grounded in building meaningful relationships. Were big believers in the power of working together in personit helps us stay connected collaborate more effectively and grow as a team. At the same time we recognize the importance of flexibility. Most office-based roles follow a hybrid model with the option to work remotely two days a week. There may be exceptions depending on the role and location so we encourage you to speak with your recruiter for more details.

#LI-OW1

McCain Foods is an equal opportunity employer. As a global family-owned company we strive to be the employer of choice in the diverse communities around the world in which we live and work. We recognize that inclusion drives our creativity resilience and success and makes our business stronger. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race religion color national origin sex age veteran status disability or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

McCain is an accessible employer. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process (including alternate formats of materials or accessible meeting rooms) please let us knowand we will work with you to find appropriate solutions.

Your privacy is important to us. By submitting personal data or information to us you agree this will be handled in accordance with McCains Global Privacy Policyand Global Employee Privacy Policy as applicable. McCain leverages AI in the hiring process though all final decisions are made by humans. You can understand our approach to AI and how your personal information is being handled here.

Job Family:Agriculture

Location(s): GB - United Kingdom : Scotland : Montrose

Company:McCain Foods (G.B.) Ltd