Assistant Farm Manager

Attention: This role will require you to be 100% onsite at our Springfield, OH Campus. We are open to U.S.-based candidates coming from anywhere to relocate. We provide a generous relocation package for this position. 

About Square Roots

Square Roots is the technology leader in indoor farming. We create meaningful jobs in modern farming, empowering a new generation of leaders in agriculture. With production farms in Brooklyn, NY, Kenosha, WI, Grand Rapids, MI, and Springfield, OH (with more to soon!). Square Roots is on a mission to responsibly bring our locally grown food to people in cities around the world, all year round.

The way we operate our business and operate our farms is better for local communities. Everyone on the Square Roots team—from farmers to engineers, commercial experts to operations specialists—is supported, connected, and empowered to do their best work to help Square Roots achieve its goals as a company.

About the Role

We’re now looking for an Assistant Farm Manager to fit seamlessly into our mission-driven, busy team. The ideal candidate will have 1+ years of farm management experience and is ready to help lead a team with energy, knowledge, ability, and a no-task-too-small attitude.

This is a hands-on role, responsible for assisting the Farm Manager in leading our production operations and a team of enthusiastic Next Gen Farmers! Qualified candidates have demonstrated experience managing greenhouse or controlled environment agriculture production facilities. This person will have the ability to independently perform and lead daily farm tasks and possess the skill-set to teach and mentor our Next-Gen Farmers.  

This position will report directly to the Farm Manager in Springfield and will play a critical front-line role in ensuring daily, monthly and quarterly production goals are met.  The Assistant Farm Manager will be expected to learn many aspects of the production operation and will be cross-trained in most aspects of farm management to support consistent production with the Farm Manager. The right candidate is a super-organized, energetic all-rounder, with a positive outlook on life and a belief in the power of for-profit companies to change the food system for the better.

You will:

• Coordinate and participate in the daily farm operations and is accountable for ensuring Next-Gen Farmers achieve their daily responsibilities (including but not limited to seeding, transplanting, harvesting, packing, cleaning, sanitization, etc.).
• Assist the Farm Manager with plant health monitoring, pest scouting, and implementation of established food safety protocols.
• Ensure the production plan is followed and report any misalignments to the Farm Manager.
• Work closely and collaborate with the Farm Manager to ensure company wide goals and initiatives are achieved.
• Responsible for daily production reporting and data entry.
• Responsible for the health and safety of all facility employees.
• Assist the Farm Manager in ensuring the quality of work and standards enforcement.
• Assist the farm management team with training and ongoing mentorship of the Next-Gen Farmers.
• Develop new processes to support campus production, efficiency, and crop health goals. 

You will have experience in:

• Farm management experience (1+ years, greenhouse or CEA preferred).
• Proven ability to excel in a farm production environment.
• Managing multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Thriving in fast-paced, sometimes ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills and experience troubleshooting independently.
• General familiarity with farm production and systems equipment (i.e., nutrient tanks, pumps, sensors).
• Food safety procedures, protocols, documentation, and the aptitude to instill the importance of food safety throughout the farm campus.
• Competence in identifying basic crop nutrition deficiencies, diseases, or pest-related symptoms.
• Bachelor’s degree in agronomy, horticulture, or management (or equivalent experience) is preferred but not required.

You are:

• Passionate about tech-enabled local food and the future of farming.
• Enthusiastic about training new young farmers.
• A self-starter who understands the end goal, and works both independently and collaboratively to achieve objectives and key results.
• A critical thinker who is a master problem solver with a transparent & honest approach to problems, but not afraid to ask for help.
• Able to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and projects simultaneously in fast-paced sometimes ambiguous situations.
• Able to observe, adapt, and iterate quickly.
• Willing to contribute to tasks and activities outside of a prescribed job description to achieve business objectives. 
• An expert in taking projects through to completion. 
• Able to lift up to 50 lbs and comfortable standing for long hours. 
• Strong verbal and written communicator. Comfortable being able to present to various members of the organization.

You'll love working at Square Roots because: 

• We're here to change the food system. You'll have the opportunity to play a significant role in our work at the intersection of technology, farming, and the global food industry - and we're only just getting started. 
• Our team is driven by a shared set of values. These keep us aligned and remind us how to show up every day in the face of growth and ambiguity. Whether you’re in the office or on the farms,  collaboration, respect, optimism, and humility are all embraced, and we seek to empower people at every step. Ask us about the rest!
• Benefits and perks, of course. We're all here first and foremost to play our part in the mission, but medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible work-life culture, and lots of samples of the delicious food we grow certainly do not hurt. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy:

New employees are required to be fully vaccinated prior to their start date. The definition of fully vaccinated includes a booster for those that are eligible.

You are considered fully vaccinated if: 

• You have received a full series of the vaccine recently (meaning 2 doses within 5 months for the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, or 1 dose within 2 months for Johnson and Johnson). 
• You received your full series over 5 months ago for Pfizer and Moderna or over 2 months ago for Johnson and Johnson, and have also received a booster shot. 

Proof of vaccination is required during the hiring process, and employees will be required to get booster shots as they become eligible to maintain their fully-vaccinated status.  

As federal guidance on booster shots evolves, the definition of ‘fully vaccinated’ may change.  

In accordance with EEOC guidance, if you are not vaccinated or do not intend to be due to medical reasons or deeply held religious beliefs, you may make an accommodation request and Square Roots will make a reasonable effort to accommodate you, subject to the requirements of the role you are applying for. 

Failure to be fully vaccinated by start date without a documented accommodation will result in offer rescindment or termination.