Senior Grower - Superior Fresh

[molly.stanek]

Please apply by sending your resume to [email protected]

Superior Fresh is an industry-leading aquaponics facility specializing in organic leafy greens and Atlantic salmon. Our Wisconsin facility is situated on a private 800-acre Native Restoration Preserve nestled in the picturesque Coulee Region. Our state-of-the-art, land-based recirculation aquaculture system is the first in the United States to raise Atlantic salmon. In conjunction with salmon, Superior Fresh grows the highest quality organic produce in an ultramodern 13-acre hydroponics greenhouse. At Superior Fresh, we produce the freshest, healthiest food available year-round, while maintaining the highest sustainability standards.

The Grower is responsible for plant health and plant yield optimization, the development and administration of best practices and standard operating procedures for plant and greenhouse management, input inventory and management, and the ongoing development of knowledge of horticulture within the operations team.

Primary Job Functions

This section describes the primary/essential responsibilities that this job performs.

• 1. Optimize growing strategies and standard operating procedures to achieve consistently high quality, high yield crops of leafy greens.
• 2. Oversee seeding, transplant, harvest, and pest/disease management to optimize yields and reduce waste and costs.
• 3. Coordinate with Production Manager to align seeding and horticultural schedules with production and sales needs.
• 4. Demonstrate mastery of Priva environmental controls and strategy appropriate to the annual patterns of climate in Northfield, Wisconsin.
• 5. Maintain an innovative mindset and contribute to furthering the competitive advantage of Superior Fresh with contributions to plant science, technology development, data management and ongoing continuous improvement.
• 6. Continually assess, author, and update SOP’s related to all hydroponic growing processes to ensure industry leading practices are in place.
• 7. Maintain awareness of new technologies, equipment, and practices and integrate that knowledge within our continuous improvement efforts.
• 8. Contribute to design and optimization of current and future farm systems.
• 9. Propose and carry out projects that improve efficiencies and reduce operating costs, driven by compelling ROI calculations.

Secondary Job Functions

This section describes the secondary responsibilities that this job performs.

• 1. Maintain and model reliable attendance.
• 2. Actively participate in meetings, training and education.
• 3. Assist with training employees and providing backup.
• 4. Complete other assignments and special projects as requested.

Job Qualifications

Education: · High School Diploma or equivalent, Required

· Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Horticulture or Plant Science, Preferred
Experience: · 5-7 years in Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, Entomology, Plant Science or another related field, preferred.

· 2+ year of organic hydroponics experience, desired.

· 3+ year of greenhouse environmental-control systems, desired.
Licenses or Certifications * · Food safety, GAP, HACCP, etc., preferred.

· Pesticide Applicator license
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities * · Advanced knowledge in plant physiology and pathology.

• · Demonstrated history of proficiency in techniques used for the production and culture of leafy greens and fruiting vegetables.
• · Mastery of water chemistry and equipment used to evaluate water quality parameters.

· Excellent oral and written communication skills.

· Excellent interpersonal skills.

· Maintain a professional demeanor with utmost discretion and respect for confidentiality of company intellectual property.

· Handle multiple projects simultaneously within established time constraints.

· Perform under strong demands in a fast-paced environment.

· Respond professionally in situations with difficult employee/vendor/customer issues or inquiries.

· Able to work independently as well as in a team environment.

· Proficient computer skills, including experience with Microsoft Office Suite and environmental control software.
Physical Effort & Work Environment · Effectively communicate in written and spoken means in order to perform the requirements of the position.

· Remain standing for long periods of time, move about from one area of the workplace to another, and balance on narrow footings.

· Perform repetitive tasks with both hands to include handling plants, keyboarding, handwriting, using hand tools and operate equipment.

· Work environment varies from general office and shop conditions where there are many individuals working in a shared space, to extreme temperatures (35-100⁰+F), humidity, wet/damp conditions, and loud noise from the equipment/machinery involved in harvesting and packing produce on the farm.

Schedule Expectations

• 1. Primary hours to be first shift, modified as needed to match against needs of systems and crops.
• 2. Will include some evenings, weekends.
• 3. Flexible and willing to work extended hours, when necessary.
• 4. On-call shifts as needed over weekends, nights, and holidays to respond to system alarms, on rotation with other members of Grow Team.
• 5. Travel up to 10%