Farm Manager - Calgary, AB

Job Type:  Full Time / Permanent

Location:  Calgary, AB

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 Director of Operations, the Farm Manager is responsible for the overall performance of the farm, from efficiency to productivity to profitability. They manage day-to-day operations of the farm and develop strategies to optimize farm performance leveraging lean manufacturing principles. They perform all these tasks while adhering to the highest industry standards for quality and safety (human and food).

The Farm Manager will be a strong ambassador of GoodLeaf’s culture and focus on people leadership, including managing, developing and motivating a high performing team

Roles & Responsibilities

Operational Excellence:

  • 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

  • Focus on continuous improvement on an ongoing basis

  • Define performance indicators/metrics

  • Collaborate with the leaders of QA, Horticulture, and Engineering on decisions involving crop inputs, outputs, and capital projects.

  • Leverage expertise in TPM and Lean manufacturing principles and tools to eliminate waste, optimize processes, reduce costs, and drive innovation

People Leadership:

  • Drive continuous performance improvement and accountability

  • Coach, motivate, attract, retain, develop and scale a lean, high-performing team

  • Implement recruitment solutions that achieve the company's financial objectives and planned business growth

  • Actively communicates (upstream and downstream) and be visible, present, open, and accessible

  • Ability to ensure ongoing collaboration and ability to break down interdepartmental silos when necessary

  • Appropriately assigns, and effectively develops direct report, ensuring they have the necessary tools and support to successfully carry out their jobs

Risk Mitigation:

  • Identify and mitigate risks to ensure business continuity

Safety:

  • Ensure that production personnel have the necessary tools, equipment, and training, and verify that food production is carried out safely and securely, in accordance with regulatory and SQF requirements, and that it is free from 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 and safety culture

  • Lead and deliver on the highest level of both food and employee safety

  • Develop a health and safety model as a prototype for future farm operations

  • Work with the Quality Assurance team to ensure the delivery of safe products

  • Maintain cleaning and maintenance programs and ensure that all cleaning and disinfection practices are completed in a timely manner

  • Ensure that all staff are trained in food safety and hygiene and follow standard operating procedures (SOPs) 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

  • Set the leadership standards by promoting a healthy, safe environment, and a culture of inclusiveness

Profitability - Financial Performance:

  • Responsible for the farm's overall operating profit and operational success

  • 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 the operating budget and evaluate workforce planning to optimize efficiency

  • Collaborate with managers of other departments on agricultural input and capital expenditure decisions

  • Manage resource allocation to project activities

Production, Maintenance and Logistics:

  • Regularly communicates and interacts with employees and functional department managers to ensure the operations team is informed and aligned with operational priorities, in accordance with business direction and requirements.

  • Continually investigates and introduces improvement measures to streamline processes, resources, and materials

  • Effectively measures and manages performance to meet and exceed objectives.

  • Produces and presents relevant performance reports and KPI’s to aid in decision-making (ie. downtime, resource utilization, yield improvement, quality, and workflow optimization)

  • Participates in negotiations with suppliers to ensure product relevance and profitability.

  • Ensures the efficiency of logistics and supply chain processes and the quality of the customer experience.

  • Stays abreast of industry best practices and trends.

All other duties as assigned

Qualifications & Educational Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, Logistics, Engineering, 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 preferred

  • Proven leadership and people management experience, with a strong focus on talent development

  • 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

  • Strong communication skills in English.  French is an asset

GoodLeaf Farms is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind.  All employment decisions at GoodLeaf Farms are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, colour, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status.