Farming and Rural Business Advisor

• Category: Economic Growth and Development
• Contract type: Fixed term
• Working hours: 36 hours per week
• Posted on: 18 February 2026
• Directorate: PLACE
• Location: Surrey - please see advert for details

This role has a salary of £61,784 per annum, based on a 36 hour working week. This is a fixed term contract until 31st March 2027, with the possibility of extension subject to ongoing programme funding in 2027/28 and beyond.

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of Surrey's rural economy. Join our dedicated Economy and Growth Team and make a meaningful impact on farming and rural businesses across the county. If you're a credible sector professional with hands on experience in agriculture, land based industries, or rural enterprise development, and you're passionate about helping businesses innovate, diversify, and thrive - we encourage you to apply.

This role will work remotely, visiting farms and rural businesses across Surrey, with regular travel throughout the county.

Our Offer to You

• 26 days' holiday, rising to 28 days after 2 years' service and 31 days after 5 years' service
• Optionto buy up to 10 days ofadditionalannual leave
• A generous local government salary related pension
• Up to 5 days of carer's leave and 2 paid volunteering days per year
• Paternity,adoptionand dependents leave
• An Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) to support health and wellbeing
• Learning and development hub where you can access a wealth of resources
• Wellbeing and lifestyle discounts including gym, travel, and shopping
• A chance to make a real difference to the lives of our residents

About the Team

The Economy and Growth team is dedicated to driving sustainable economic development across Surrey, working collaboratively as 'One Council' to support strategic priorities that benefit the county's 1.2 million residents. The team provides key services in business support, innovation, skills, and infrastructure, and works with major employers and local partners to strengthen the regional economy, home to 110,000 businesses contributing £50 billion annually to the UK economy.

This new role will focus specifically on strengthening the resilience, productivity, and long term sustainability of Surrey's farming and rural business community.

About the Role

Surrey County Council is seeking an experienced and credible Farming & Rural Business Support Advisor to work directly with farmers, landowners, and rural enterprises across the county. This pivotal role will help rural businesses adopt new technologies, improve operational processes, explore diversification opportunities, and access relevant funding and support.

As the Farming & Rural Business Support Advisor, you will:

• Visit farms and rural businesses to understand their operations, challenges, and ambitions
• Provide tailored advice on technology adoption, digital tools, and process improvement
• Support businesses to identify diversification opportunities and new revenue streams
• Help businesses navigate grants, funding programmes, and innovation initiatives
• Build trusted relationships within rural communities and with key stakeholders
• Contribute to workshops, events, and knowledge sharing activities
• Maintain a strong understanding of agricultural policy, rural innovation, and sector trends
• Deliver high quality reporting and intelligence on the sector

You will be responsible for delivering high quality support at pace to strengthen Surrey's rural economy.

Your application

In order to be considered for shortlisting, your application will clearly evidence the following skills and align with our behaviours :

• Recognised experience working within agriculture, land based industries, or rural business development
• Strong understanding of farming operations, rural challenges, and sector trends
• Experience supporting businesses to adopt new technologies or improve processes
• Proven ability to identify diversification opportunities and support business development
• Strong communication, relationship building, and stakeholder engagement skills
• Ability to work independently across multiple sites and manage a varied caseload
• A collaborative mindset and a proactive approach to supporting rural communities

To apply, we request that you submit a CV and you will be asked the following four questions:

• Please describe your experience working with farming or rural businesses. What specific roles, responsibilities, or projects demonstrate your credibility in this sector?
• What do you see as the biggest challenges currently facing farming and rural businesses in Surrey, and how would you approach supporting businesses to address them?
• Describe a time when you supported a business to diversify or identify new revenue opportunities. What analysis did you carry out, and what was the outcome?
• Tell us about a time you worked with multiple stakeholders (e.g., landowners, councils, suppliers, community groups). How did you manage differing priorities and maintain progress?

Before submitting your application, we recommend you read the job description and ourLife at Surrey handbook to get an insight into working at Surrey.

Contact us

Please contact us for any questions relating to the role. This could be to discuss flexible working requests, transferable skills or any barriers to employment.

The job advert closes at 23:59 on 08/03/2026 with interviews taking place in person at Woodhatch Place, Reigate between 17th March and 24th March 2026.

We look forward to receiving your application, please click on the apply online button below to submit.

Local Government Reorganisation (LGR)

Surrey County Council is undergoing Local Government Reorganisation, moving from a two-tier system to two new unitary councils in April 2027. If you are employed by Surrey on 1st April 2027, your role will transfer with current terms and conditions to one of the new organisations, supporting local devolution and greater powers for our communities.

We are a disability confident employer which means if you have shared a disability on your application form and haveevidencedyou meet theminimumcriteria, we guarantee you an interview.

Your skills and experience truly matter to us. From application to your first day,we'recommitted to supporting you with any adjustments you need, we value inclusion and warmly welcome you to join and help build a workplace where everyone belongs.