Farm Manager

Attention: This role will require you to be 100% onsite at our Shepherdsville, KY 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, and Grand Rapids, MI and Springfield, OH (with more to come 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 experienced Farm Manager to join our mission-driven, passionate team to establish & maintain a first-class production environment. The ideal candidate will have 3+ years of direct farm management experience and is ready to lead this position with energy, knowledge, ability and a no-task-too-small attitude. 

This is a hands-on role, responsible for managing our production operations and directing the priorities of our farm management team and enthusiastic Next Gen Farmers. You will have experience managing greenhouse or controlled environment agriculture production facilities, as well as the ability and skill set to motivate the team to regularly meet deadlines and achieve production quotas.   

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

You will:

• Oversee the daily operations of the farm and be accountable for ensuring production targets for both yield and quality are consistently met.
• Be accountable for plant health, IPM, and implementation of established food safety protocols.
• Conduct production planning, and support the farm management team in managing schedules and day-to-day resource allocation.
• Continually evaluate and improve farm operations to increase yields and quality of product.
• Work closely with the facilities team on scheduling and tracking preventative maintenance, inventory management, and prioritizing other campus efforts.
• Work closely and collaborate with Square Roots Central Team and other Farm Managers in our network to ensure company-wide goals and initiatives are achieved.
• Report data, metrics, and insights to Square Roots Central Team.
• Manage the performance, success and well being of campus farm team members
• Be accountable for the health and safety of all facility employees.

You will have experience in: 

• Direct farm management experience (3+ years, greenhouse or CEA preferred). 
• Managing a team to achieve desired outcomes in a complex dynamic commercial production environment, with an emphasis on organization, prioritization, and delegation.  
• Leveraging and reporting on data, metrics, and analytics to drive results.
• Responsible for creating and maintaining the training program for CEA farmers. Be able to facilitate the onboarding process to empower their personal and professional growth.
• Food safety procedures, protocols, documentation, and the aptitude to instill the importance of food safety throughout the farm campus.
• Administering IPM programs, and capable of identifying and mitigating any pest-related risks to the growing operation.
• General troubleshooting of farm systems hardware and equipment.
• Bachelor's degree or higher, preferably in agronomy, horticulture, management, or equivalent. 

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, but not afraid to ask for help.
• A confident people manager, capable of communicating with individuals and groups across various levels and functions in the organization.
• 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.