Farm Manager
Job Type: Fulltime / Permanent
Location: Guelph, ON
Would you like to be a part of a revolution in agriculture in Canada? If so, we would love to hear from you!
At GoodLeaf Farms we are a proud Canadian company at the forefront of innovation, striving to grow food security for communities from coast to coast. We are breaking ground in an industry that is quickly proving itself to be sustainable, not only environmentally but economically and socially as well. We are focused on producing ultra-fresh greens, 365 days a year using no harsh chemicals, a carbon footprint that is just half that of a traditional farm and using less than 10% of the water traditionally used, to create a world where plants thrive!
Why work at GoodLeaf Farms?
It is our commitment to provide you with the work environment and tools necessary to be successful in your role. We hope that you will find your work here rewarding, challenging, and meaningful.
- You will have the opportunity to take your career to the next level. GoodLeaf is growing and we want you to grow along with us!
- We have an entrepreneurial and inclusive spirit with the heart of a startup.
- We foster an environment of cooperation and communication.
- We have competitive compensation and benefits
Every day at GoodLeaf Farms we get to help solve the challenge of food security for communities across Canada and do it in innovative ways that inspire healthy lifestyles. We think that’s exciting and the best reason of all to join us!
What we are looking for
Reporting to the VP, Operations, the Farm Manager is responsible for the overall performance of the farm from efficiency to productivity to profitability. They will manage the day-to-day operations of the farm and develop strategies to create optimal farm performance. They will do all of that with the highest standards in the industry from a safety (people and food), and quality point of view.
Roles & Responsibilities
Reporting to the VP, Operations, the Farm Manager is responsible for the overall performance of the farm from efficiency to productivity to profitability. They will manage the day-to-day operations of the farm and develop strategies to create optimal farm performance. They will do all of that with the highest standards in the industry from a safety (people and food), and quality point of view.
Operational Excellence:
- Focus on continuous improvement on an ongoing basis
- Leverage expertise in lean manufacturing principles and tools to eliminate waste, optimize processes, cut costs, and boost innovation
- Provide direction and oversee all manufacturing (facility and all related processes), functions including safety, coordination of materials, labour and equipment to meet production targets, ensuring production flow, monitor and analyze our processes and efficiencies, and liaise with other departments as needed
- Define performance metrics
- Coordinate with the QA Department to ensure all product grown undergoes quality control testing
People Leadership
- Drive continuous performance improvement and accountability
- Coaches, motivates, attracts, retains, and scales a lean, high-performing team
- Implements staffing solutions that achieves financial goals and projected business growth
- Actively communicates (up and down stream) and is visible, present, open, and approachable
Risk Mitigation:
- Identifies and mitigates risk to ensure business continuity
Safety First:
- Ensure that production staff have the tools, equipment, and training required and verify that food production is done safely, securely, in accordance with regulatory and SQF requirement and is free from any contamination
- Adhere, safeguard, and comply with the Standard Sanitization Operating Procedures, Standard Operation Procedures, Occupational Health and Safety Act and Good Manufacturing Practice at all times.
- Create a Health & Safety driven culture
- Lead and deliver on the highest level of both food and employee safety
- Develop a model of health and safety as a prototype for future farms
- Work with the Quality Assurance team to ensure safe product is delivered
- Maintain cleaning and maintenance programs and ensure all cleaning and sanitization practices are conducted in a timely manner
- Ensure all staff are trained on food safety and sanitation and follow the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s) in all aspects of production
- Communicate all procedural changes that can affect the food safety of the product to the QA Department and collaboratively work on a plan
- Act as a leader by promoting a healthy, safe environment, and a culture of inclusiveness
Profitability - Financial Performance for the long term:
- Responsible for overall operating profit and operational success of the farm
- Build and execute successful operations of the farm facility in alignment with sales targets and objectives
- Plan, organize and control production to ensure our products are produced efficiently, on-time, within budget and to standard
- Determine labour requirements based on operating budget, assess labour scheduling for efficiencies
- Lead and work closely with the horticulture lead to establish benchmarks for outputs
- Collaborate with the leaders of other departments on decisions involving crop inputs and capital expenses
- Manage the allocation of resources to project activities
Production & Logistics:
- Appropriately assigns, and effectively develops, direct reports, ensuring they have the necessary tools and support to successfully carry out their jobs
- Communicates and interacts regularly with direct reports and functional department heads, to ensure the operations team is updated and aligned with operational priorities as guided by business direction and commercial demands
- Continually investigates and introduces improvement measures to streamline processes, resources, and materials
- Effectively measures and manages performance to meet and exceed goals
- Produces and presents relevant performance reports and metrics to aid in decision-making (ie. downtime, resource utilization, yield improvement, quality, and workflow optimization)
- Participates in vendor negotiations to ensure product relevance and cost-efficiency
- Ensures logistics and supply chain processes are effective and provide for a good customer experience
- Stays abreast of best practices and industry trends
Must have’s
- Engineering, Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Logistics, or other industry-related field
- 10+ years leading high growth production operations in a food processing and/or manufacturing environment
- Knowledge and experience in production processes and techniques, quality systems, safety standards, safety compliance, and maintenance
- Previous leadership roles in scaling new facilities are a strong asset and preference
- Proven leadership and people management experience with proficiency in developing talent
- Demonstrated performance in use of analytics and development of software-based performance metrics
- Experience in a new facility launch and / or startup is highly preferred
- Fluency in written and spoken French is nice to have
