Grower Trainee

Job Title: Grower Trainee Business Unit: Growing Locations: Mushroom Farms Reports To: Farm Manager Work Schedule: Generally [5 day work week, weekends] Travel Time %: None Position Type: Full-time FLSA Status: Exempt
POSITION SUMMARY: The purpose of this position is to provide guidance, direction and insight to the growing staff, oriented toward the hands-on aspects of growing. Through experience and training the individual could eventually direct any or all aspects of the growing process. This is a full-time salaried exempt position with benefits. Schedule varies depending upon the needs of the department.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and ability required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to ensure individuals with disabilities are able to perform the work functions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Consistently deliver high quality mushroom crops.
• Monitor disease control crew.
• Obtain a pesticide applicators license.
• Supervise hourly employees.
• Monitor, maintain and improve cost efficiencies.
• Insure compliance with company safety policies, GMPs, Food Safety, and sanitation policies.
• Maintain monthly pesticide and food safety documentation.
• Will also learn Harvesting operations.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist in weekly reports in functional work area.
• Is responsible for reviewing performance and administers corrective action.
• Plans the work schedules, assigns duties, tracks absenteeism and reviews work to ensure quality standards.
• Responsible for monitoring work for legal or regulatory compliance.
• Observes and practices safety and housekeeping procedures at all times. Attends and/or conducts Safety Meetings.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:

Direct Reports: General Laborers, Irrigators, Sanitation crew, Harvesters In addition to managing current direct reports; this position manages all employees of the department and is responsible for the performance management within that department.

COMPENTENCIES:

• Planning and Organizing – Engages in short and long-term planning, sets priorities to optimize time usage, adheres to schedules and plans.
• Creativity and Innovation – Initiates conceptual ideas with practical applications, develops creative strategies and opportunities, creative thinking and problem solving, promotes a creative climate.
• Judgment and Decision Making – Solves problems, considers relevant alternatives before making decisions, displays intuitive judgment, shows timeliness and conviction in making recommendations and decisions.
• Teamwork and Relationship-Building Skills – Assists team members in accomplishing their objectives by helping things go right, establishes effective working relationships, and promotes team efforts.
• Adaptability and Change Management Skills – Ability to change to fit changed circumstances. Has the skill to multi-task and juggle competing priorities.
• Develops Subordinates or Self – Helps subordinates learn and grow, maintains current knowledge in the field.
• Communication and Cooperation – Effectively communicates upward, downward and laterally. Prevents unproductive responses, improves the effectiveness of communications and interactions with others.
• Accountability and Productivity – Holds themselves accountable to team members, accepts responsibility for their own decisions, sustains peak performance and solves problems that impede productivity.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Strong mathematical skills.

EDUCATION & WORK EXPERIENCE:
Required:

• Demonstrated leadership qualities; must be a team player.
• Good interpersonal skills for effective communications with management, peers and subordinates.
• High School Diploma required.

Desired:

• Bi-lingual (English/Spanish) preferred.
• Science background a huge plus.
• Some experience in agriculture preferred.

Notice:

The company has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the company reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the company may deem appropriate.