Growing and Sourcing Manager

Job Summary

This position will be working directly with the directors and senior managers of Love Beets and with the owners and senior managers of the grower business from whom we source our beets from. You will be working closely with all to develop and implement our sourcing strategy, leading by example and often having to be hands on to show, teach, lead, coach and mentor our growers as we develop their capabilities and improve the whole beet supply chain, seed to factory, to allow us to achieve our objectives. This role requires someone to be qualified and have +5 years’ growing experience, including organic growing experience and a strong grasp of farm management and farm supply chain practices and procedures, as this role will be providing the specialist farming and growing knowledge and expertise to the business.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

• Produce growing programs for each individual grower, planning out planting dates, harvest dates, yield targets, size targets and acres to be grown. You will have responsibility in determining volumes to be grown by each grower.
• Put together annual budget costs for the sourcing of beets from each individual grower and supply chain for getting the beets to the factory. Ensuring the plan is cost effective and balanced against risk management.
• Record/collect and analyze the results as they occur, so we can have a positive review at the end of the season and also able to make any changes to plan/budget that you are responsible for.
• Monitor beet quality in store post-harvest and work with the supply chain team to plan out their usage, according to needs and quality of the stored crop, so all is used minimizing in store losses.
• Put together a trials and product development plan with the growers and the factory for the season and take a lead in making sure the trials are carried out and data recorded. This includes varietal development and working with seed houses on this, but also fertility, weed control and other growing and harvesting techniques to ensure we are continuously improving.
• With senior management at Love Beets and the growers, develop short-, medium- and longer-term growing strategies. That allows everyone to be successful over the long term.
• Develop a best practice guide for the growers, that can be shared with all growers and help new growers to develop quickly.
• Work closely with the growers to help them implement and where necessary take action to ensure we are implementing the agreed strategy and timelines for that implementation. Developing a rolling 5-year strategic sourcing plan.
• To visit all growers across North America, and to search and find new growers (Conventional and Organic) to meet the supply chain demands and risk management of Love Beets as the business grows year on year. Develop a strong understanding of the North American beet grower base and regions.
• Expecting to walk the fields with the growers to help monitor and understand what actions need to be taken to improve growing.
• To be assisting growers where required by being onsite at key stages of the growing cycle, (land prep, planting, growing, harvesting) to help them get these key timings right.
• Work with Growers to plan out harvesting capacity by grower, during harvest to reduce bottle necks and other harvest and post-harvest related issues.
• To present quarterly updates to the group board on grower and supply chain of beet performance against targets.
• Working with Cornell University and other institutions to continue to progress R&D into all aspects affecting beet growing and storage.
• Benchmarking and sharing information across the G’s Group of Beets growers.
  

Skills and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Agriculture or related field, with knowledge of organic growing
• At least 5 years of arable/vegetable crop production
• Organic growing and/or Organic growing college or degree qualification.
• Equivalent of UK BASIS or FACTS qualification in crop production/ agronomy.
• Other practical farming and machinery handling certifications preferred
• IT proficiency skills include Excel & Word and PowerPoint.
• Leadership and people management skills and experience.
• Ability to take strategic view and plan accordingly.
• Valid drivers license