Working Farm Manager - Arable, Livestock & Distillery Supply

Grahamslaw Farm, Scottish Borders

Grahamslaw Farm is a historic and progressive 670 acre farm at the heart of a 1,500 acre estate near Kelso in the Scottish Borders, comprising arable, grassland, hill farming and high quality sporting enterprises.

The farm plays a central role in an exciting and ambitious distilling venture, with on-farm grain drying, storage and malting facilities enabling true field to bottle production from barley grown at Grahamslaw Farm.

This is a rare opportunity to lead a farming business that is fully integrated into a premium single malt whisky supply chain, where the quality, character and provenance of the barley genuinely matter and where farming decisions directly shape the character of the whisky and the wider estate. Our long term ambition is to build a world class distillery and farming operation, embedding soil health, circularity and environmental responsibility into every aspect of the business.

The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic, motivated and working Farm Manager to lead the day to day farming operation and integrate it closely with the wider distillery and estate. The successful candidate will be responsible for operational delivery across arable, grassland and livestock, while also contributing to long term planning, sustainability objectives and continuous improvement.

This role combines practical leadership with stewardship: from producing exceptional distilling barley, to building a high quality livestock enterprise within a closed loop system, to caring for the estate's land, woodland and infrastructure.

Key Responsibilities

• Overall management of the arable and grassland enterprises
• Full responsibility for arable operations including cultivations, drilling, spraying, fertiliser applications and harvesting
• Crop planning and delivery to meet distillery quality and specification requirements
• Leadership of varietal selection, crop trials and continuous improvement in yield, quality and consistency
• Stewardship of grain drying, storage and on-farm logistics, including quality control and traceability
• Development and management of a small, high quality livestock enterprise as part of a self-sufficient, circular system (including use of distillery draff for feed, returning manure to fields, and supplying beef for the estate and guests)
• Oversight, care and maintenance of a modern fleet of farm machinery and equipment, ensuring reliability, safety and value retention
• Oversight of buildings, yards and general farm infrastructure
• Responsibility for ongoing farm maintenance and improvement, including fencing, woodland management and estate enhancements
• Health & safety leadership and compliance
• Record keeping, budgeting and regulatory compliance
• Working closely with the distillery and estate teams to align farming output with production plans and future development
• Driving the development of sustainable, low carbon and regenerative farming practices, including soil health, input optimisation and circular resource use

The Ideal Candidate

• Proven experience in farm management or a senior arable role
• Strong technical knowledge of arable systems, livestock basics and modern farm machinery
• Organised, proactive and commercially aware
• Comfortable working within a wider, integrated estate and distillery business
• Genuine interest in crop quality, provenance, sustainability and continuous improvement
• A long term, stewardship mindset with pride in building something exceptional over time
• Practical, hands on leadership style with high standards for maintenance and presentation
• Full UK driving licence (essential)

What We Offer

• Competitive salary, dependent on experience
• A rare opportunity to lead a farm that sits at the heart of a premium whisky business
• The chance to build a distinctive, high quality livestock enterprise within a field-to-bottle-to-plate vision
• Involvement in a long term, sustainability led estate and distillery strategy
• Supportive working environment with real scope to shape the role and the future of the business
• Accommodation available

How to Apply

Please submit a CV and covering letter outlining your experience and interest in the role to: Charlotte Dun

Closing date: Monday 16th March 2026

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