Farm General Manager

Hog Island Oyster Company•Marshall, CA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Marshall Farm General Manager oversees shellfish growing, harvesting, processing, and daily farm operations at Marshall. The role leads the farm team, manages production plans and budgets, and ensures safe, efficient operations that meet HIOC’s quality standards and regulatory requirements. The position reports to the Director of Farm Operations and directly supervises the Grow Manager, Harvest Manager, and Marshall Farm crew. It is an exempt role with a variable schedule shaped by tides, weather, seasonal production needs, and operational demands, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Requirements

Demonstrated experience supervising teams and managing shellfish farming, processing, or comparable production operations.
Working knowledge of Tomales Bay, boat operations, navigation, and tide information.
Proficiency in shellfish-growing techniques, sizing, and quality standards.
Ability to safely operate sorting equipment, a forklift, and a skid steer.
Experience managing shellfish processing operations, including throughput, inventory, and cold chain.
Experience with farm management software and inventory systems, including BlueTrace.
Ability to develop and manage budgets and production plans.
Working knowledge of desktop applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel.
Deep understanding of HACCP and farm regulatory compliance, including the Vibrio Control Plan, rainfall closures, time-temperature matrices, and shellfish tagging and traceability.
Experience with a variety of equipment, including boats, trucks, a skid steer, and a forklift.
Swim certification.
CPR/First Aid certification.
Must be punctual, have a good attendance record, and have reliable transportation to work.
Must be available for a variable schedule based on tides, weather, seasonal production needs, and operational demands, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Nice To Haves

Spanish communication skills.

Responsibilities

Work with sales and senior management to develop annual, quarterly, and weekly production goals and projections.
Create and execute plans for harvesting, growing, processing, staffing, and equipment; track production against goals, communicate gaps, and adjust plans.
Develop team performance indicators, communicate deviations from targets, and ensure corrective action.
Provide daily updates to sales and planning teams, including inventory and storage-log updates.
Plan staffing and farm activities around tides, weather, and safe operating windows.
Oversee Marshall processing operations, including shellfish received from the Marshall and Humboldt locations, and coordinate transfers, receiving, and processing schedules with the Humboldt Farm team.
Ensure employee and food safety procedures are followed and implement food-safety and regulatory requirements with QA and the Director of Farm Operations, including HACCP, the Vibrio Control Plan, shellfish tagging and traceability, and wet-storage requirements.
Maintain accurate Marshall Farm BlueTrace inventory and ensure farm activity is recorded in Farm Management Software; audit software and tracking sheets for accuracy and completeness.
Implement approved improvements to growing methods, support approved studies and trials, and lead process improvement across growing, harvesting, and processing.
Coordinate approved capital investments and infrastructure projects at Marshall Farm, including oyster-lease and land-based projects.
Coordinate with maintenance to keep equipment in good working order and ensure the team has the equipment, tools, training, and resources it needs.
Promote crew safety through training, PPE, safe work practices, regular safety meetings and inspections, and prompt reporting, investigation, and correction of incidents and near misses.
Ensure operations protect wildlife, prevent debris and pollution, and respect other bay users.
Develop the annual farm budget with the Director of Farm Operations, manage to budget targets, review monthly results and variances, take corrective action, and submit expense reports accurately and promptly.
Provide a safe and respectful work environment; reinforce compliance, best practices, SOPs, and company policies; and address production and employee issues promptly.
Supervise and develop the Grow Manager and Harvest Manager, provide overall farm-team leadership, and oversee scheduling, onboarding, training, and performance reviews through those managers.
Address performance and conduct concerns and participate in hiring and make recommendations regarding hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination in coordination with the Director of Farm Operations and DOP.
Promote a positive, collaborative work environment consistent with HIOC’s values.
Provide occasional backup coverage as boat captain or truck driver, within the scope of required training, company authorization, and applicable licenses or certifications.
Perform other duties as assigned.