Production Harvest Supervisor

Job Title: Production Harvest Supervisor 

Location: Various Locations 

Reports to: VP of Production 

Employee Type: Exempt (California); Full-Time/Year Round 

POSITION/GENERAL SUMMARY 

The Production Harvest Supervisor is responsible for leading the day-to-day supervision, coordination, and execution of assigned harvest operations. This position provides hands-on leadership to Foremen, crew leaders, and harvest employees to ensure crops are harvested safely, efficiently, timely, and in accordance with Company standards, customer requirements, quality specifications, food safety requirements, and applicable laws and regulations. 

The Production Harvest Supervisor leads daily harvest operations, coordinates labor and operational resources, monitors productivity and quality, maintains appropriate staffing levels, and ensures crews have the equipment and support necessary to successfully complete daily operations. 

This position also serves as a key point of contact for customers, growers, shippers, and other business partners and supports customer relations, customer retention, and business development. The Production Harvest Supervisor is expected to maintain strong professional relationships, understand customer needs, address operational concerns, and identify opportunities for additional or new business. 

The position serves as an operational link between Production Management, Foremen, Human Resources, Safety, Food Safety, Payroll, Transportation, customers, growers, and other Company departments and business partners. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Harvest Operations & Production 

• Lead, plan, coordinate, and supervise daily harvesting activities for assigned commodities, crews, fields, ranches, and customer locations. 
• Execute daily harvest plans and communicate production expectations, schedules, priorities, and changes to Foremen and employees. 
• Coordinate crew placement, staffing, start times, field movement, harvest sequence, labor requirements, equipment, transportation, and operational resources. 
• Maintain a strong field presence and monitor production, productivity, product quality, crop conditions, harvest intervals, field conditions, and customer requirements throughout the workday. 
• Identify and respond to production delays, labor shortages, equipment issues, quality concerns, weather conditions, or other operational challenges. 
• Make appropriate operational adjustments within the authority of the position to maintain safe, efficient, and productive harvest operations. 
• Coordinate with Production Management, growers, shippers, coolers/packinghouses, customers, and other operational partners. 
• Assist Management with harvest scheduling, labor forecasting, operational planning, resource utilization, and continuous improvement. 
• Promote efficient use of Company labor, equipment, materials, and resources to support productivity, quality, and profitability. 

Customer Relations & Business Development 

• Serve as a primary operational point of contact for assigned customers, growers, shippers, and business partners. 
• Maintain strong professional relationships and regular communication regarding harvest schedules, production progress, labor needs, quality, field conditions, and operational requirements.
• Understand customer expectations and work with Production Management and Company departments to ensure commitments and service expectations are met. 
• Respond promptly and professionally to customer questions, concerns, service issues, or changing operational needs and communicate significant matters to Management. ● Support customer retention by providing dependable service, responsive communication, and effective operational support. 
• Identify opportunities to expand services with existing customers and assist in developing relationships with prospective customers. 
• Identify potential new harvest opportunities, commodities, locations, or services that align with Company operations and communicate business leads to Management. 
• Participate as requested in customer meetings, field visits, operational discussions, estimates, proposals, labor planning, and other business development activities. 
• Represent the Company professionally and promote its reputation for safety, quality, reliability, customer service, and operational excellence. 

Supervision & Leadership 

• Provide direct leadership, supervision, coaching, training, and direction to assigned Foremen, crew leaders, and harvest employees. 
• Ensure Foremen and employees understand production expectations, job responsibilities, safety requirements, food safety standards, and Company policies. 
• Monitor crew and employee performance, productivity, attendance, quality of work, conduct, and compliance with Company expectations. 
• Identify training, coaching, performance improvement, or staffing needs and communicate significant concerns to Management and Human Resources. 
• Ensure new or transferred employees receive appropriate instruction and training before performing assigned work. 
• Promote accountability, teamwork, effective communication, and professional and respectful treatment of employees.
• Work closely with Human Resources before taking disciplinary or employment-related action and follow established Company authorization procedures. 
• Assist with employee investigations and provide accurate documentation, information, and witness information when requested. 
• Ensure Foremen and supervisors use Company-approved training, disciplinary, safety, and operational documentation. 

Safety, Food Safety & Compliance 

• Promote and maintain a strong safety and food safety culture throughout harvest operations. 
• Ensure employees and Foremen comply with Company safety policies, food safety requirements, safe work practices, required training, and applicable regulations. 
• Monitor operations for unsafe acts, unsafe conditions, food safety concerns, and potential hazards and immediately correct or stop unsafe work when necessary. 
• Ensure required PPE is available and properly used and employees are appropriately trained and authorized before operating vehicles, tractors, forklifts, machinery, or specialized equipment. 
• Monitor weather and environmental conditions and ensure compliance with applicable heat illness prevention requirements, including drinking water, shade, rest periods, employee monitoring, and emergency response procedures. 
• Conduct or assist with required safety meetings, tailgate trainings, retraining, and safety communications. 
• Immediately report workplace injuries, illnesses, near misses, vehicle incidents, property damage, and significant safety or food safety concerns in accordance with Company procedures. 
• Cooperate with Safety, Human Resources, Workers' Compensation, Food Safety, and Management regarding investigations and corrective actions.  Ensure emergency procedures are understood and followed and emergency services are
• contacted when circumstances require immediate assistance. 

Equipment, Vehicles & Operational Resources 

• Ensure crews have the equipment, tools, supplies, drinking water, sanitation facilities, shade, transportation, and other resources necessary to perform assigned work. 
• Monitor the condition, safe operation, and proper use of Company vehicles, machinery, harvest equipment, tools, and other assets. 
• Ensure required pre-use and pre-trip inspections are completed when applicable. 
• Remove unsafe equipment from service and promptly coordinate repairs, replacements, or other operational support with the appropriate department. 
• Ensure only trained, qualified, and authorized employees operate Company vehicles and equipment. 
• Protect Company and customer equipment, tools, supplies, crops, and property from damage, misuse, unauthorized removal, or loss. 

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Previous experience in agricultural harvesting, production, or field operations required; experience with Onions, Grapes, Garlic, Pears, Citrus, and Peppers preferred. 
• Previous supervisory or leadership experience in agricultural operations strongly preferred. 
• Experience supervising large agricultural crews and multiple Foremen preferred. 
• Knowledge of agricultural harvesting, production practices, safety, food safety, quality, sanitation, and applicable labor requirements. 
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. 
• Ability to manage multiple crews, locations, customers, priorities, and operational responsibilities simultaneously.
• Ability to build and maintain professional relationships with customers, employees, Management, and business partners. 
• Ability to accurately complete required reports and use Company electronic systems, applications, and timekeeping programs. 
• Bilingual English/Spanish strongly preferred. 
• Valid driver's license and acceptable driving record required when driving is an essential function of the position. 

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & ABILITIES 

• The successful Production Harvest Supervisor must demonstrate strong leadership and employee-management skills; knowledge of agricultural harvesting and production operations; understanding of labor utilization, production efficiency, quality, safety, and food safety; and the ability to communicate professionally with employees, customers, growers, and Management. 
• The position requires strong organizational and problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, accurate recordkeeping, sound judgment, and the ability to adapt to changing harvest schedules, customer requirements, weather conditions, staffing needs, and operational priorities. 
• The employee must be able to work independently while maintaining appropriate communication with Management and may be required to work extended hours, early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays based on harvest and customer needs. 

PHYSICAL & WORK ENVIRONMENT REQUIREMENTS 

• This position primarily works in outdoor agricultural and harvest environments and requires regular travel between fields, ranches, customer sites, and other Company locations. 
• The employee may regularly be exposed to heat, cold, wind, dust, uneven terrain, agricultural equipment, moving vehicles, noise, and changing weather and field conditions. The position may
• require prolonged standing and walking, bending, reaching, climbing, and entering or exiting agricultural vehicles and equipment. 
• The employee must be able to safely perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. 

ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES 

This job description describes the general nature and level of work expected of the Production Harvest Supervisor and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every duty, responsibility, or qualification associated with the position. Management may assign additional duties or modify responsibilities based on operational and business needs. 

The Production Harvest Supervisor is expected to lead by example and support the Company's commitment to employee safety, food safety, product quality, regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, profitability, respectful treatment of employees, and continued business growth. 

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.