Cultivate Your Career: Be Our Next Head Grower!
Ready to lead a thriving organic operation and grow the highest quality specialty produce?
We're not just growing crops; we're cultivating a legacy. Since the 1980s, we've been dedicated to being the best at what we do, prioritizing freshness, premium quality, and unwavering food safety. We're a tight-knit team where collaboration is key, and we truly believe in investing in our people. If you're passionate about horticulture, committed to excellence, and looking for a place where your hard work is genuinely appreciated, you've found your home.
Why Grow With Us?
- Team-Centric Culture: We pride ourselves on a collaborative, supportive environment where everyone works together to achieve success.
- Commitment to Quality: Be part of a company renowned for its premium produce and rigorous food safety standards, including weekly monitoring.
- Invested in You: Enjoy a competitive compensation package, excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits, 401K, and a generous PTO package.
- Lead Innovation: Drive horticultural excellence, optimize growing conditions, and help us maintain our leadership in specialty crops.
- Impactful Role: Your expertise will directly influence order fulfillment, product quality, and customer satisfaction.
The Role
As our Head Grower, you will oversee all young plants and outdoor finished growing operations, leading the development of people, processes, equipment, and systems within the Growing department. You'll be accountable for every aspect of crop cultivation, from initial planning to harvest, ensuring our products meet stringent quality and yield standards. This is a pivotal leadership position, reporting directly to ownership, that requires a blend of strong technical skills and a passion for team development.
Key Responsibilities:
- Cultivation & Production Management: Oversee the planning and execution of all crop cultivation stages, ensuring maximum quality and yield. This includes managing irrigation, fertility, and media, as well as optimizing environmental conditions and space utilization.
- Climate & Environmental Control: Expertly manage climate control systems with daily and weekly plans to optimize growing conditions and increase productivity.
- Pest & Disease Management: Lead the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program, developing and executing weekly and long-term control strategies to maintain crop health. This involves managing water resources and systems.
- Quality Assurance & Compliance: Lead crop inspections to maintain quality standards and ensure compliance with company, statutory hygiene, health, and safety standards, policies, and procedures, including Cal-OSHA regulations.
- Team Leadership & Development: Lead and develop a growing team of 3-5 direct reports, providing job-specific training, fostering collaboration, and maximizing labor productivity and efficiencies.
- Forecasting & Planning: Prepare regular crop forecasts for the packhouse and sales teams, and make informed decisions about variety selection and planting schedules.
- Data & Trials: Carry out trials of new plant varieties, collect data, and analyze results to identify top-performing varieties.
- Operational Efficiency: Minimize horticultural waste and assist with emergency administration as needed.
- Financial Accountability: Manage financial aspects, including budgeting for assigned areas.
- Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with Sales, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Operations to ensure seamless execution and success through innovation.
What You'll Bring:
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Experience & Education:
- Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in Horticulture, Plant Sciences, Biochemical Engineering, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of growing experience, with at least 2 years as a Lead or Head Grower.
- 3 years of supervisory experience.
- Experience authoring crop protocols is preferred.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred.
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Technical Expertise:
- Comprehensive knowledge of producing quality plants, including perennials and annuals.
- Proficiency in biological controls and IPM programs.
- Proficient with environmental control systems.
- Good working knowledge of Microsoft Office.
- Pesticide applicator’s license (can be obtained after hire).
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Leadership & Personal Attributes:
- Strong leadership, team-building, managerial, and interpersonal skills.
- Positive customer service attitude and strong work ethic.
- Self-motivated with the ability to prioritize for results in a fast-paced environment.
- Flexible and adaptable to changes.
- High integrity, bringing passion and pride to work every day.
- Effective time management with the ability to balance floor and office time.
- Willingness to work all days, including regular weekends and holidays for emergency and alarm coverage, with appropriate breaks and rest periods.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to maintain a good driving record.
Compensation:
Salary is competitive and based on experience (DOE).
Ready to cultivate your future with us? Apply today!
Our company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state or federal law.
This policy applies with regard to all aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits and termination.
