Head Grower

Gotham Greens•Chicago, IL

1d•$95,000 - $120,000

About The Position

THE ROLE The Head Grower is a senior leadership position within the company whose primary role is to manage all aspects of crop production to achieve best in class yields and quality. This role will oversee and mentor the Assistant Grower and Growing Specialist. This role reports to the Director of Growing and works closely with the Plant Manager at their specific location to run the entire facility.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science, Horticulture or Related Field
5-10 years’ experience in management role in commercial greenhouse production
Understanding of all aspects of crop production and growing in CEA
Experience with climate control software platforms
Extremely well organized
Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal skills
Strong computer skills

Nice To Haves

Master’s Degree in Plant Science, Horticulture or Related Field
Commercial production experience in hydroponics
Commercial production experience in leafy greens and herbs
Superior problem-solving and analytical skills
Experience with business intelligence systems
Passionate commitment to the company vision

Responsibilities

Oversee yield & quality for all crops to achieve company targets
Use data driven approach to manage all areas of crop production
Oversee climate strategy for all plants and compartments
Determine optimal settings for all greenhouse equipment and irrigation
Evaluate climate strategy impact on energy use and yield
Oversee and determine all cultural practices for young plant production
Oversee IPM Program – compliance, record keeping and IPM strategy
Oversee young plant program- dictating nursery culture and strategies
Monitor functioning of greenhouse, production and irrigation equipment regularly with Maintenance Supervisor
Oversee plant nutrition program
Review crop schedules and adjust as needed for sales, operations or p`lant needs
Provide training to operations team as needed on crop specific tasks
Facilitate a culture of continuous improvement and teamwork
Provide continuous climate management training to the assistant grower
Ensure proper documentation of growing KPIs in central growing dashboard
Document all growing strategies and targets in the facility roadmap
Manage plant nutrient calculator to determine add-ins and communicate to growing specialist via print outs.
Review agricultural supplies spending to report to the VP of growing