Senior Project Manager, Research & Development

Oishii • Jersey City, NJ

17h • $120,000 - $140,000 • Onsite

About The Position

We grow the world’s BEST Strawberries & that wouldn’t be possible without our Research & Development Team! We are hiring a Senior Project Manager for our R&D team to support product or cultivar development. Our Research & Development team works on various projects from breeding to cultivar development to fundamental product research and is composed of varying team members such as expert growers, plant scientists, and project teams. What you’ll be responsible for: Lead mid- to long-term, high-impact R&D and operational initiatives critical to advancing cultivation performance, large-scale production, and business scalability, operating effectively in environments with high ambiguity and evolving scope. Translate strategic intent into structured, executable plans by defining clear objectives, success metrics, priorities, and milestones, and continuously refining scope and approach based on data, field insights, and close partnership with your direct manager and senior leaders. Own a portfolio of strategic initiatives end to end, setting direction, sequencing work, balancing resources, and driving execution across R&D, cultivation, production, engineering, operations, and commercial teams. Directly manage and develop project managers and contributors while leading and influencing indirect reports and cross-functional team members; establish clear expectations, coach teams through complex problem solving, and foster accountability, rigor, and momentum without relying solely on formal authority. Drive execution by establishing strong project governance, progress tracking, risk management, and escalation mechanisms that ensure forward momentum in fast-changing environments. Proactively identify dependencies, bottlenecks, and risks, engaging directly with on-site operations—including farm-level execution—to validate assumptions, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with operational realities. Surface issues early, develop clear response options and alternatives, and partner closely with your direct manager to enable timely decisions and course corrections. Lead field-driven problem solving in partnership with expert growers, engineers, and operators, owning issues from root-cause analysis through implementation and measurable impact. Translate on-the-ground data and execution outcomes into insights that improve performance, scalability, and future roadmap decisions, synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations for senior leaders. Clearly communicate project outcomes, insights, risks, and trade-offs to executive and cross-functional stakeholders, providing decision-ready perspectives that inform strategy and investment priorities. Capture and institutionalize key learnings, best practices, and decision rationales as reusable organizational knowledge, continuously improving project execution and problem-solving practices across the organization. Strengthen organizational execution capabilities by developing teams’ structured thinking, planning, and analytical skills through direct leadership, coaching, and influence.

Requirements

• 8-10+ years of experience leading complex projects or strategic initiatives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments (e.g., consulting, operations, R&D, strategy, or startups)
• Experience operating at a senior leadership level, with either an MBA from a top-tier program or equivalent hands-on experience driving strategy and execution
• Proven ability to manage and develop teams, including 4–5 direct reports across individual contributor and manager levels
• Demonstrated mastery of core project management and enabling skillsets, including planning, prioritization, stakeholder management, and structured problem solving
• Proficient and familiar with communication tools such as Google suite, Microsoft Office suite, Slack, Asana, etc.
• Comfortable onsite daily in a farming and production environment.
• Proficiency in English is required

Nice To Haves

• proficiency in Japanese is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead mid- to long-term, high-impact R&D and operational initiatives critical to advancing cultivation performance, large-scale production, and business scalability, operating effectively in environments with high ambiguity and evolving scope.
• Translate strategic intent into structured, executable plans by defining clear objectives, success metrics, priorities, and milestones, and continuously refining scope and approach based on data, field insights, and close partnership with your direct manager and senior leaders.
• Own a portfolio of strategic initiatives end to end, setting direction, sequencing work, balancing resources, and driving execution across R&D, cultivation, production, engineering, operations, and commercial teams.
• Directly manage and develop project managers and contributors while leading and influencing indirect reports and cross-functional team members; establish clear expectations, coach teams through complex problem solving, and foster accountability, rigor, and momentum without relying solely on formal authority.
• Drive execution by establishing strong project governance, progress tracking, risk management, and escalation mechanisms that ensure forward momentum in fast-changing environments.
• Proactively identify dependencies, bottlenecks, and risks, engaging directly with on-site operations—including farm-level execution—to validate assumptions, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with operational realities.
• Surface issues early, develop clear response options and alternatives, and partner closely with your direct manager to enable timely decisions and course corrections.
• Lead field-driven problem solving in partnership with expert growers, engineers, and operators, owning issues from root-cause analysis through implementation and measurable impact.
• Translate on-the-ground data and execution outcomes into insights that improve performance, scalability, and future roadmap decisions, synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations for senior leaders.
• Clearly communicate project outcomes, insights, risks, and trade-offs to executive and cross-functional stakeholders, providing decision-ready perspectives that inform strategy and investment priorities.
• Capture and institutionalize key learnings, best practices, and decision rationales as reusable organizational knowledge, continuously improving project execution and problem-solving practices across the organization.
• Strengthen organizational execution capabilities by developing teams’ structured thinking, planning, and analytical skills through direct leadership, coaching, and influence.

Benefits

• Competitive $120,000-$140,000 salary and equity
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Roth & Traditional)
• EAP Access
• 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental leave, Paid Time Off & Paid Sick Time
• Paid Training & 7 Paid Holidays
• Office social events including happy hours, parties, and community service projects
• Employee activity groups for basketball players, Yoga Enthusiasts, runners…

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees