Assessor / Trainer – Plant Sciences

Trainer and Commercial Delivery – Plant Sciences
Hours: Full time (37 hours each week, all year round)
Duration: Permanent
Salary: £29,455 to £32,515 a year + benefits
Location: Dearne Valley College, Rotherham

Are you a passionate, industry-skilled Plant Sciences specialist ready to make your mark? This is a brand-new, dynamic role where you won’t just teach – you’ll innovate. You will have the unique opportunity to shape, grow, and drive our Plant Sciences curriculum (Entry Level to Level 3) across study programmes, adult courses, and apprenticeships, while expanding our exciting commercial ventures.

About the Role

This role will encompass development and growth of our course offering at study programme, apprenticeship, adult and short courses, alongside commercial opportunities. This is a real opportunity as a passionate and innovative industry-skilled specialist to make this your own ‘Centre of Excellence’ within the region growing both the curricula offering alongside commercial aspect.

Key duties of this role will be:

• Inspire & Deliver: Lead high-quality classroom, online, and practical training, ensuring students from school leavers to adults exceed their potential.
• Innovate the Curriculum: Design, plan, and evaluate cutting-edge course content and resources that reflect current industry trends.
• Get Hands-On: Manage student support through project supervision, exciting field excursions, and pastoral care. You will also be responsible for maintaining the land and growing flora to meet both curriculum and commercial needs.
• Lead & Collaborate: Provide day-to-day leadership and guidance to the lecturing and assessment team, while working closely with academic partners and industry stakeholders.
• Drive Commercial Success: Grow regional commercial opportunities and manage related budget targets and KPIs (such as recruitment and retention) alongside your Curriculum Performance Lead.

This is a wide-ranging, rewarding role, where no two days are the same.

You will…

We are on the lookout for a flexible, organised team player who brings:

• Industry Expertise: A strong, recent background in Land-Based industries, plant biodiversity science, and commercial activities.
• Qualifications: A relevant Level 3 Plant Science qualification (or equivalent), a Level 3 teaching or training qualification and an Assessor qualification.
• Educational Experience: Proven experience delivering strong outcomes and high-quality teaching within an education establishment.
• Curriculum Knowledge: A solid understanding of Plant Science curricula and relevant industry licenses (e.g., NPTC / Licenses to Practice or Lantra-approved qualifications).
• Great Connections: An established network of industry professionals to help shape our future curriculum and secure first-hand work experience for our students.

We understand that no candidate will perfectly match every qualification or criterion listed. If your experience differs from what we’ve outlined but you believe you can contribute to this role, we encourage you to apply!

Department Info

You will join a small, busy, and highly collaborative team, reporting directly to the Curriculum Performance Lead for Animal Care and Plant Sciences.

You’ll have the autonomy to run your programme while receiving the support and structure needed to hit your targets and truly thrive.

Our excellent benefits and rewards package:

• Access to local government pension scheme (with employer contributions from 15.6%)
• Up to 44 days annual leave per year including closure during Christmas period
• Access to our gyms, restaurants and salons
• Staff health & wellbeing and benefits schemes including in-house Occupational Health service
• Extensive wellbeing support through a digital Wellbeing Hub that offers a broad range of support for physical, mental, and financial wellbeing.
• Full, part time and flexible working hours available in many roles
• Free Parking available at all of our sites
• Fantastic career development opportunities including funding for teacher training, apprenticeships and various other industry recognised qualifications
• New FE teachers can also apply for grants of up to £6,000 in STEM subjects (conditions apply) through the teacher retention initiative
• Recruitment Referral Scheme for all employees, worth £200 per referral made

What is the RNN Group?

RNN Group’s main goal is to be an ‘outstanding’ education and training provider and this is at the heart of everything that we do. To help us achieve this we are looking to recruit highly motivated, innovative and dynamic individuals to join our existing teams. To be a part of the team at RNN Group we will expect you to be committed to our values too;

• We are Inclusive,
• We have Integrity,
• We Deliver,
• We are One Team.

We are OFSTED ‘Good’ (November 2022)

We celebrate diversity and are proud to be recognised as Investors in Diversity for our commitment to the FREDIE (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement) model, fostering a supportive environment for all. We welcome applications from everyone regardless of background, proudly participating in the Disability Confident Scheme, and provide reasonable adjustments.

The RNN Group is proud to be part of the South Yorkshire Institute of Technology (SYIoT).

As a newly designated Defence Technical Excellence College, RNN Group is proud to support the UK’s defence sector by developing the next generation of highly skilled technical talent.

We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, vulnerable adults and young people. All new employees will be required undertake a DBS check and other associated checks in line with Keeping Children Safe in Education Guidance.

The Group’s core operating hours are 8.30am-5.00pm (9pm on a Tuesday and Thursday during term time). You may be expected to work at any time during these hours to ensure business needs are met.

All candidates must have the legal right to work in the UK.

Closing date: Monday 14 September 2026 – if you are shortlisted for this post, you will be contacted within a week of the closing date.

If you require further information about this vacancy, please contact the HR department on 01709 722750 or [email protected]