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Head Grower
Lead the cultivation and production of tropical ornamental crops, guide our growing team, and help deliver exceptional plant quality through strong horticultural practices and effective greenhouse management.
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About the Position
As a Head Grower, you will play a crucial role in the cultivation and production of a variety of tropical ornamental crops. You will oversee the cultivation process, ensure optimal growing conditions and high-quality plants, and lead the site's team of growers and assistant growers. You will apply Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) and stewardship practices and communicate with the Operations Manager.
Responsibilities
- Lead the growing team across all crops, including marketing, breeding and field trials and elite greenhouse activities.
- Resolve production problems, optimize growing conditions and minimize crop loss.
- Support proper propagation, transplanting, irrigation, fertilization, plant growth regulator application, plant maintenance, and insect and disease management.
- Understand site trials and adapt growing practices to each trial's goals.
- Maintain an effective Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program; monitor, prevent and address pests and diseases.
- Interpret media and plant nutrient test results to improve crop performance.
- Align crop and trial growing protocols with stakeholder quality standards; communicate progress, deviations and challenges.
- Work with operations and planning, including NetSuite and SPPS, to review weekly schedules and prioritize growing tasks.
- Guide climate control settings, watering, fertilization and crop-protection strategies.
- Use crop yields, soil testing and chemical application information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
- Ensure accurate plant health and performance data collection and support innovation in growing and breeding.
- Guide department leaders and employees in cultivation practices; conduct evaluations and update protocols with lessons learned.
- Enforce HSE, phytosanitary, safety and stewardship requirements; complete training and attend safety meetings.
- Communicate with peers and supervisors and ensure compliance with county pesticide-use regulations and reporting requirements.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Strong understanding of plant physiology and growing techniques; potted floral greenhouse experience is desirable.
- Proficiency with MS Office, especially Word and Excel, and ability to learn inventory-management and label-printing systems.
- Excellent teamwork, communication, stakeholder management and practical problem-solving skills.
- Motivation to learn new technologies; experience with greenhouse control hardware and software.
- Minimum B.S. degree in horticulture, biological sciences, botany, genetics, agriculture, crop science, or plant science.
- Understanding of practices affecting the precision and accuracy of trial data.
- At least 5 years of greenhouse growing experience with technical expertise in floriculture crop production; R&D experience is a plus.
- At least 4 years of experience building and leading growing teams in production or R&D.
- Experience with horticultural practices in greenhouse and field settings.
- Experience applying pesticides and a PCA and/or CCA license, or the ability to obtain one within 6 months of hire.
- Experience with Integrated Pest Management (IPM).