JOB FILLED - Director of Crop Science - Joe Produce | Produce Jobs, Produce Careers, Agriculture Jobs, Agriculture Careers

JOB FILLED - Director of Crop Science

Job Description: 
Iron Ox has reinvented farming, using a human led, robotics-first approach to ensure every plant is grown at it’s best from seed to harvest. Robotic farming addresses labor shortages and supply chain issues, more pressing today than ever. Founded in 2015, Iron Ox has become one of the more prominent names in the world of agricultural robotics. In 2018, the company announced its first indoor farm at the headquarters in San Carlos, California, growing a slew of leafy green vegetables hydroponically.  Their third facility in Lockhart, Texas will be opening later this year bringing total combined greenhouse production space to over 500,000 square feet.
 
Their mission at Iron Ox is dedicated to addressing some of the most significant issues in food security, now and in the future. We’re focused on sustainable, scalable food production for a changing climate and an ever-growing population. Iron Ox is a well-funded startup, backed by the likes of YCombinator, Pathbreaker Ventures, and Crosslink Capital. Their experienced team of innovators are passionate about deeply understanding and developing this new wave of technology to feed an ever-growing population. It is an exciting time to join Iron Ox in this newly created role.
 
At a critical point in their growth trajectory, Iron Ox is looking for a Director of Crop Science to mentor, develop and strategize a team of talented Growers, Head Growers, and Plant Scientists. The Director of Crop Science will lead teams focusing on production phases, plant growth, crop optimization, crop modeling, and data analysis. Working in Northern California in the San Carlos Headquarters as well as frequenting the greenhouse production locations in Gilroy, California and Lockhart, Texas. 
Compensation/Salary: 
DOE
Responsibilities & Duties: 
  • Lead and mentor a team of Head Growers, Growers, and Plant Scientists 
  • Develop and implement long term strategic road maps for existing and new crops
  • Guide the team through commissioning and ramping up new greenhouse production facilities
  • Oversees research in product development, crop modeling, greenhouse production, data analysis, and crop optimization
  • Keep strategic and tactical groups within the department aligned and working towards company goals and milestones
  • Develop and grow the production and research teams
  • Connect scientific improvements with real-world commercial applications
  • Set clear expectations, guide, and trust people to decide how to complete high-quality work
  • Align work and resources to ensure success
Qualifications: 
  • 7+ years of leadership experience in controlled environment agriculture, horticulture, or plant science research
  • Degree in Plant Science, Horticulture or similar field representing crop research and innovation
  • Experience in both operations and production as well as research and development in controlled environment agriculture (CEA) at scale
  • Playbook for opening new greenhouses that prepares the team to hit the ground running
  • Strong people management, coaching, developing, and mentoring skills 
  • Demonstrated ability to effectively interact with cross-functional teams and build collaborative relationships
  • Entrepreneurial spirit. Someone who can simultaneously think big, but also grounded in the immediate, practical, get-stuff-done mindset of a start-up
  • Strategic mindset, excellent problem solving, and high degree of resourcefulness
  • Communication of various forms including presentation, and written communication

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