Assistant Grower - AeroFarms

AeroFarms is looking to hire an Assistant Grower in our Operations team in Danville Virginia. 

The world needs our help. By 2050, there will be 9 billion people on the planet with less arable land than ever before. We need a solution to cultivate more using less and define the future of farming for generations to come. In 2004, AeroFarms began transforming agriculture with humans and our planet at the forefront.

In 202, with 30 current patents, 60 pending patents, and 300 invention disclosures, AeroFarms agriculture technology continues to grow unprecedented sustainable products, delivering elevated flavor, taste, experience, quality, access, and unmatched nutrition to you.

Here’s how we’re growing the best plants possible for the betterment of humanity:

• Researching and understanding plants to be better, more intuitive farmers
• Elevating local communities by increasing access to nutritious, high-quality, consistent, and safe products in a way that’s better for you and the planet
• Protecting and sustaining our environment for future generations
• Pioneering consistent, and scalable indoor vertical farming food safety & traceability practices, and manufacturing standards
• Investing in our AeroFarms humans and fostering our diverse company culture of inclusion, equity, excellence, teachability, and curiosity

Click here to watch a video and learn more about AeroFarms

As AeroFarms approaches our next phase of explosive growth, we seek out creative, motivated humans who will join us in disrupting industry standards and lead the way in vertical farming, artificial intelligence, and plant biology breakthroughs to solve and tackle global issues.

Assistant Grower - Operations

To be responsible of leading and developing a Team of Leaders, Horticulturists and Operative AeroFarms Employees; to deliver excellent quality of leafy microgreens cultivation/support service and, the maintenance, delivery, and implementation of work programs. 

Health and Safety regulations 

Necessary health, food safety, hygiene and environmental standards should be observed all the time on the Grow Room. 

Leadership principles

The Assistant Grower should have a set of traits and values that guide his/her actions with employees and, the Company will provide direction through his/her career. These principles are also an important tool for self-evaluation to identify strengths and weaknesses to seek self-improvement. Always observe AEROFARMS principles: Collaboration, Communication, Accountability, Agility, Respect and Empowerment. 

Job Description

The Assistant Grower will be passionate about horticulture science and plants and will share our values around all teams conducting high quality. He/She will be an energetic, forward-thinking, and creative individual with high standards and good judgment. In addition, our organization values individuals who can lead by example and keep focus on a team-centered environment. 

Reporting to the Head Grower and working closely with the Horticultural and Growing Operations Team, the Assistant Grower will contribute to research projects involving plant growth. The Assistant Grower will be responsible for water and fertilizer management, daily plant production, routine pre harvest scouting, supporting inventory management and allocations of fertilizers and growing aids, monitoring of automated grow room controls and parameters, proper tower and centralized water rotation for cleaning, and development of the loading plan each day. 

The Assistant Grower will make sure his/her/their team will always contribute to and comply with safety and quality rules of the Company, finish tasks in a timely manner, always be on top of communicated priorities, create a positive work environment. The Assistant Grower is also responsible for making sure that each one of the Grow Room team members are effectively and efficiently working, reporting and fixing issues in the towers and on the entire grow room floor. The Assistant Grower must be able to operate with minimal supervision but also ask questions if they are not sure of the answer and create an open and honest environment for their team. 

Responsibilities

• Report to Head Grower on all events in grow room to analyze determine course of action 

• Manage and provide leadership through strong communication and goal setting to the Horticulture Team. 

• Help maintain healthy crops throughout the growing process. 

• Check and confirm all details of the tower's functional operation. 

• Help determine nutrient and watering/moisture requirements. 

• Identify and problem solve crop issues and implement solutions as directed by the Head Grower. 

• Oversee scouting and pest control processes by implementing IPM controls as directed by Head Grower. 

• Test water and tissue to track/determine accurate levels of nutrients for plants growth. 

• Oversee and monitor pH, EC, Temperature, Humidity, CO2 and VPD proper levels for plant growth. 

• Assist in hiring, coaching, developing and training team personnel. 

• Host weekly Horticulture Team meetings to build and improve relationships with team members. 

• Develop schedule for tower scouting and follow up on compliance. 

• Ensure Horticulture Team members have all the tools and equipment required to perform their jobs efficiently and safely. 

• Operate greenhouse Ignition, Platform, and any other system available to monitor temperature, humidity, CO2, fans, etc. 

• Must maintain a clean Grow Room environment. 

• Enforce “Safety First Policy” making safety always the number one priority. 

• Report findings internally in a collaborative environment and across to other groups when needed. 

• Manage and maintain analytical equipment and growing systems properly. 

• Show a “Continuous Improvement” mentality and remain updated on common goals. 

• Assure daily POD is correct, make any necessary changes and communicate to horticulture team members. 

• Train new hires on Safety First Policy, scouting and scissor lift driving/protection processes. 

• Assure that all new loaded towers and all integral parts perform properly before leaving home. 

You have/are:

• BS/BA in Environment Science/Biology, or related field or equivalent work experience. 

• Proven to be goal focused and results oriented. 

• Strong and creative problem solver and must be comfortable with basic science and math. 

• An attentive listener and willing to learn, a leader that is empathetic and team oriented. 

• Persistent and agile with the ability to press on despite challenges; plants do not always perform as expected. Persistence and creativity will pay off with a quality product. 

• Self-Awareness and emotional intelligence – Understand who you are, including your skills, values, interests, and character, and how you can help others. 

• Good people management skills. 

• Physically up to the demands of being on your feet and moving most of the day. Able to stand and walk for extended periods of time. 

• Experience with food safety protocols desired. 

• Experience with hydroponic/aeroponic indoor systems, and vertical farming desired. 

• Positive, respectful attitude. 

• Reliable attendance and punctuality. 

• Effective communication skills and definitively a team worker. 

• Proficient in spoken and written English. Helpful if able to speak or understand Spanish. 

• Able to operate and calibrate scales, calipers, EC/pH meter, HMI, and tablet (training provided). 

• Must be able to operate scissor lifts and access plants 20 feet in the air after training. 

• Flexibility to work, at least, one weekend day per week is necessary. 

Additional Requirements 

• Must pass all required background checks. 

• Must be and remain compliant with all legal or company regulations for working in the industry. 

Working Conditions

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to perform grasping, talking, hearing, seeing and repetitive motions. 

• Physical demands – May be required to stand and/or walk for extended periods. Must be able to lift, carry and balance up to 50 pounds. 

• Schedule days will be established with the Head Grower. 

At AeroFarms, we believe that our corporate community should reflect the communities we serve. We are dedicated to fostering an inclusive culture that celebrates diversity across race, sex, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, nationality, religion, experience, and thought—not only because it is right, but because it makes us better. Our mission—the right to wellness—informs our commitment to champion economic opportunities in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs through employment and community involvement. AeroFarms is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

Apply now to join AeroFarms and be part of our innovative team transforming agriculture for the future!

In accordance with organizational protocol, employees will at times be required to fill absences in the operation process that are equal to or lower than their positional hierarchy. Additionally, if an employee is absent, the role of the absent employee is to be completed by their immediate superior.

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