Assistant Grower

Number of employees

110

Shepherdsville, KY, United States

Posted on: 2023-01-25

Category: food

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Expired

Employment type:

Full time

Experience required:

Intermediate

Salary

Salary not provided

About the company:

Square Roots is a leader in urban indoor farming. Its scalable farm-tech platform brings fresh, healthy food to urban areas year-round, while simultaneously training future generations of farmers. The company was founded in 2016 by serial entrepreneurs Tobias Peggs and Kimbal Musk (WEF Social Entrepreneur of The Year 2017) and is headquartered in New York City.

About the Role

We’re now looking for an Assistant Grower to fit seamlessly into our mission-driven team. The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field +1 year of commercial growing experience, and is ready to help lead a team with energy, knowledge and ability. 

This is a hands-on role, primarily responsible for plant health and development across all production crops. You will work closely with the management team to support farm production and balance your work with the priorities of our campus production team.   

You will report directly to the Production Manager and will collaborate cross-functionally with the campus management team along with key stakeholders in the Square Roots central team, including Farm Ops, Marketing, Sales, Engineering, Business Operations, and People functions. 

You will: 

  • Work closely and collaborate with both campus management and central teams to ensure that consistent quality yields are achieved. 
  • Track weekly yields and set quarterly yield projections per crop. 
  • Conduct batch analyses utilizing Tableau and the Toolbelt (SQR proprietary software), leveraging data to maintain or drive an increase in quality yield targets.
  • Train and lead production teams on seeding, transfer, and transplant processes. 
  • Conduct on-site trials for continual improvement of current crops and as part of our innovation planning through distributed R&D. 
  • Collect and submit nutrient, tissue and other relevant samples to third-party laboratories for pest and disease diagnostics and nutrient uptake analysis.  
  • Lead weekly pest and disease scouting events to monitor severity and population levels, proposing measures for prevention and reaction. 
  • Audit and maintain accurate and up-to-date records and documentation associated with plant health. 
  • Train staff on best practices related to pest and disease prevention including but not limited to: scouting and pest identification, integrated disease mitigation, pest-specific control measures and beneficial applications. 
  • Mix stock tank fertilizers, pH buffers and other plant health related solutions. 
  • Monitor and maintain optimal growing conditions such as temperature, humidity, lighting and CO2 supplementation. 
  • Share weekly updates with the broader campus team to provide visibility.
  • Perform other duties as assigned. 
  • Report directly to the Production Manager.

You have experience with:

  • Growing commercially (2+ years working in a farm production environment or Bachelor’s degree in Horticulture Science or related field + 1 year commercial growing experience).
  • Pest and disease identification and treatment without the use of pesticides.
  • Interpreting data to develop insights and action plans.
  • Plant nutrition and beneficial applications for healthy development.
  • Demonstrated critical thinking skills and experience troubleshooting accurately and  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.

You are:

  • Passionate about tech-enabled local food and the future of farming. 
  • Enthusiastic about training new farmers.
  • A self-starter who understands the end goal, and works well 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 working remotely 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 the start date without a documented accommodation will result in offer rescindment or termination.

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