Senior Manager, Field Services

About this Role

The Senior Manager, Field Services’ primary responsibility is to assure optimal service level of treatments within the category and to ensure that Field Services Supervisors have the right behaviors, skills and attitudes to successfully lead their sites' operation and teams, including team building, performance oversight, coaching and career development. You will also be responsible for maintaining the commercial relationship with senior executives at the packhouses, and being a liason directly with the retailers and Sales team to ensure that retail programs are planned and executed seamlessly.

The Senior Manager, Field Services will effectively communicate with other teams and functional leaders to set the Field Services Supervisors up for success and continuously improve the performance of the category. You will escalate and propose solutions to unresolved issues to the Operations Director and be accountable for the category field services operations, KPIs and metrics.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and define the department vision, growth strategy, organizational structure and employees development to allow efficient scale up and growth of the category.
• Define, implement and standardize best in class manufacturing practices through all the sites in the category (process, KPIs, reporting, meetings, communications, etc.).
• Lead communications representing Field Services to make sure company culture, policies and standards are being compiled and promoted throughout the department.
• Manage and improve the category Field Services KPIs and metrics. Encourages team members towards creativity and innovation to foster growth and adopt a continuous improvement mentality.
• Define and implement a clear reporting structure, content and communication channel to enable visibility within the BU to support and align with key targets.
• Manage the category Field Services budget, forecasting and OPEX while actively seeking for COGS reduction through efficiency and cost reduction initiatives.
• Estimate, facilitate and optimize Headcount resources needed for the season according to treatment volume forecast, site utilization and other departments requirements.
• Participate in recruiting processes and strategy to seek talent and adapt roles to the BU strategy as it develops. Establish a respectful, emphatic and dynamic working environment at sites.
• Foster an environment of learning and career development within the department. Moreover, seek training opportunities for the FSS and the TFS to allow professional growth and fulfillment within the department roles.
• Promote a result oriented and customer facing strategy to increase engagement with the team and suppliers.
• Actively lead supplier relationship management and engage in initiatives to reduce suppliers´ operational burden related to the Apeel process.
• Coach, support and develop FSS to set them for success, make them grow within their role and to keep adding value to our operation for our organization, customers and suppliers.
• Promote teamwork between departments and a safety, quality, data driven and continuous improvement culture within the Field Services department.
• Seek for synergies within the BU leaders to eliminate blockers and facilitate the achievement of BU strategies and goals while optimizing and reducing non-added value operations within the Field Services department.
• Ensure and design strategy to support service level targets across sites and support new sites integrations envisioning solutions to support accelerated growth within the BU.
• Actively participate and promote participation to achieve performance and QC targets within the BU.
• Lead communication and negotiation with suppliers to adapt strategic services proposal to align with BU needs for growth and efficiency.
  
  

What You Bring 

• PhD/ MS / B.S. degree in Science and/or Engineering; and 7-10+ years of experience in related positions within the agro-food, food manufacturing, engineering services and/or chemical industries.
• 5+ year’s experience with leading and motivating highly skilled/qualified teams.
• Working Knowledge and practical experience with Production Manufacturing or Technical Service Support, customer satisfaction mentality and ability to work and take decisions under pressure.
• Great analytical, strategical, results- oriented, customer- oriented, business- driven mentality.
• Highly motivated, enthusiastic, negotiation skills and experienced in Leading dispersed teams.
• Proactive, dynamic, emphatic and hands on work (Lead by example) attitude.
• Well versed in Lean Manufacturing and Continuous Improvement. 
• Passion for problem-solving and developing others; excellent leadership, organizational, and interpersonal skills; and the proven capability to make timely and sound decisions.
• Proficiency in English and Spanish is a must, other languages are highly appreciated.
• Experience in fast growing organizations and/or KAM is a plus.