Agricultural Mechanic
| Posting date: | 26 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £29,842 to £32,315 per year, pro rata |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 22 February 2026 |
| Location: | Harpenden, Hertfordshire |
| Remote working: | On-site only |
| Company: | Rothamsted Research |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | 853 |
Summary
Are you an experienced agricultural mechanic looking for a role with real purpose and impact? Join us in Harpenden, part of the world‑leading Rothamsted Integrated Farm Platform (IFP), where cutting‑edge agricultural science meets practical, real‑world farming.
Our farm is no ordinary workplace. You’ll be working with an exciting and diverse portfolio of trials – from historic long‑running experiments like Broadbalk (est. 1843) to innovative, multi‑crop research shaping the future of sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Rothamsted is a friendly, supportive, and rewarding place to work, where your skills directly contribute to globally important agricultural research. You’ll be surrounded by expert colleagues and benefit from ongoing training and development throughout the year.
The Role
As Agricultural Mechanic, you’ll be a key member of the farm management team. You'll ensure our fleet of commercial and trial machinery operates safely, efficiently, and at peak performance. You’ll be the go‑to expert for machinery health, maintenance, and safety, helping our farm team deliver vital research outcomes.
Key duties include:
Maintaining and overseeing a wide range of farm and trial equipment
Championing health and safety, ensuring best practice across all machinery operations
Daily machinery checks and compliance across the farm
Working closely with farm colleagues and Rothamsted scientists to enable research activity
Providing hands‑on support during busy periods of farm operations
Line management and training of an Agricultural Mechanic Farm Technician (where required)
Do you have practical engineering expertise?
How about a flexible and proactive mindset?
Are you comfortable working in a collaborative research environment?
Can you communicate effectively with a wide range of colleagues?
You’ll have:
An industry‑recognised agricultural engineering qualification
Solid experience with tractors, trailers, cultivators, and general farm machinery
Rough terrain handler experience (desirable, but not essential)
Strong communication skills and a team‑focused approach
The flexibility to assist wider farm operations when needed
If you’re looking for the chance to be part of something truly meaningful for the future of agriculture, we’d love to hear from you.
Our farm is no ordinary workplace. You’ll be working with an exciting and diverse portfolio of trials – from historic long‑running experiments like Broadbalk (est. 1843) to innovative, multi‑crop research shaping the future of sustainable agriculture worldwide.
Rothamsted is a friendly, supportive, and rewarding place to work, where your skills directly contribute to globally important agricultural research. You’ll be surrounded by expert colleagues and benefit from ongoing training and development throughout the year.
The Role
As Agricultural Mechanic, you’ll be a key member of the farm management team. You'll ensure our fleet of commercial and trial machinery operates safely, efficiently, and at peak performance. You’ll be the go‑to expert for machinery health, maintenance, and safety, helping our farm team deliver vital research outcomes.
Key duties include:
Maintaining and overseeing a wide range of farm and trial equipment
Championing health and safety, ensuring best practice across all machinery operations
Daily machinery checks and compliance across the farm
Working closely with farm colleagues and Rothamsted scientists to enable research activity
Providing hands‑on support during busy periods of farm operations
Line management and training of an Agricultural Mechanic Farm Technician (where required)
Do you have practical engineering expertise?
How about a flexible and proactive mindset?
Are you comfortable working in a collaborative research environment?
Can you communicate effectively with a wide range of colleagues?
You’ll have:
An industry‑recognised agricultural engineering qualification
Solid experience with tractors, trailers, cultivators, and general farm machinery
Rough terrain handler experience (desirable, but not essential)
Strong communication skills and a team‑focused approach
The flexibility to assist wider farm operations when needed
If you’re looking for the chance to be part of something truly meaningful for the future of agriculture, we’d love to hear from you.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.