Greenhouse Automated Controls Specialist - PRT

Who are we:

At PRT, we believe in being the stewards of growth and renewal for generations to come. Our Mission is to provide the most trusted growing services, best suited to the needs of our customers, and we achieve that by putting our customers first while always respecting our employees. PRT is the largest commercial-scale growing provider in North America for a wide range of high-quality forestry seedling species. PRT has the capacity to grow and sell more than 630 million seedlings annually, at its 28 nursery locations across Canada & USA and we owe our success to our employees. By joining PRT you will become part of a team of people that grows trees for our future forests!

Check out our career video here!

A Day in the Life:

PRT is seeking a Full-Time, Remote Automated Controls Specialist to join PRT’s Crop Support Team. The Crop Support Team helps Growers at each nursery, to plan and execute high-quality, reliable crops. The team creates and publishes training materials and documents Standard Operating Procedures for growing trees. The Automated Controls Specialist will provide direct support to Growers, Managers and Repair & Maintenace staff at all of our nursery locations to ensure that staff are effective users of our current systems, and that each site is optimizing its automated controls systems.

The Automated Controls Specialist will be responsible for standardizing, modernizing and de-risking the hardware and software systems used in growing crops across our nursery operations. A portion of work time will be spent outdoors and in greenhouse environments with exposure to varying temperatures, machinery, equipment, and pesticides during work. The remaining portion of work time is spent indoors in an office environment. Regular travel to PRT nurseries across Canada and the USA is required.

Key Accountabilities of the Automated Controls Specialist:

• Software
  • Help transition all sites onto one standard version of Argus software
  • Set up and deploy standard monitoring screens across all PRT sites
  • Collaborate with PRT’s in-house software development team to support integrations between PRT’s crop management system and automate control systems’ output.
• Hardware
  • Develop a standard number of inputs and functional sensors per facility type that optimizes for cost vs risk mitigation, then assist all sites in implementing this standard
  • Coordinate external service providers to implement major hardware updates (ex: Argus conversions)
  • Manage the inventory of spare parts company-wide
  • Investigate new technologies not currently used and trial their efficacy in the PRT context
• Service
  • Develop and maintain service contracts with automated controls systems providers
  • Track metrics and report on key KPI’s including response times to support tickets
• Training and Risk Management
  • Develop in-house training materials, guides and Standard Operating Procedures for use by Growers, Managers and Repair & Maintenance staff at PRT sites
  • Track Grower enrollment and completion in Argus-created modules
• Contribute to the development of PRT’s overall approach to Crop Support by taking an active role in Crop Specialist Team discussions, workshops and planning sessions
• Encourage innovation and continuous improvement.
• Promote collaboration and teamwork at all levels.
• Set targets (i.e., production, timelines) and evaluate achievement.

About the team:

Automated Controls Specialist will be part of the Crop Support Team and will report to the Director of Crop Production. The Crop Support Team meets monthly to coordinate the team’s approach across all sites. Each specialist also meets with the Director of Crop Production on a regular, individual, basis to workshop individual projects, and focus on professional development according to PRT’s Leadership Competencies. This position will be based out one of our Nursery Locations across Canada or the USA.

Enough about us, let’s talk about you:

Required/Minimum Qualifications & Skills:

• Post-secondary education in Computer Science, Information Systems, Engineering or a related field, or a combination of equivalent education and experience
• Minimum of five years of experience programming greenhouse controls systems
• Hands-on experience growing crops in a production-focused environment
• Knowledge of greenhouse control systems, with Argus expertise a plus
• Valid Driver’s License
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25lbs
• Self-motivated and able to work with minimal supervision
• Ability to travel to PRT sites across Canada and the USA
• Strong planning, organization, and time management skills
• Good problem-solving skills with the ability to conduct a root cause analysis
• Ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions
• Professional verbal and written communication skills
• Communicate with honesty, kindness and respect

Our Leadership Competencies:

• BUILD TRUST AND CONFIDENCE
• FOSTER COLLABORATION
• CREATE ACCOUNTABILITY TO ACHIEVE GOALS
• INSPIRE INNOVATION AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

Compensation and Benefits:

At PRT, we believe in unconditional success through people. We strive to be the place where people can sow their career and grow with us. Other components of our total rewards offering include:

• Competitive annual salary matching your level of experience and ability.
• A supportive team structured environment, a strong safety culture, and a commitment to the environment.
• Room to grow - Learning and growing is built into every role here. At PRT, you’ll get mentorship and acknowledgment for helping our business grow.
• Work-Life Balance – We’re proud to offer flexible paid time off for our employees.
• Bonus incentive program
• Comprehensive Coverage - Our benefits include comprehensive healthcare, matching RRSP, Employee and Family Assistance Plan, and education stipends.
• Collaboration and teamwork - Innovation doesn’t know hierarchy. We make sure everyone is heard, considered, and respected.
• Green Culture - Our PRT nurseries and seed orchards are vibrant and fun communities with employees who share a strong passion for the nature solutions we provide to our earth and doing their part in regenerating the forests of North America.

Next Steps:

We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion for innovation and growth. We promote equality of opportunity and seek different perspectives to challenge conventional approaches and continuously improve our company’s performance and progress. We believe that diversity and inclusion help us drive innovation, make better decisions, achieve effective stewardship of our business and enable our people to thrive. We encourage you to connect with us at humanresources@prt.com for more information about our accessible workplace, including disability accommodation for the recruitment process and beyond.

To apply please send your resume directly to us through our career portal at; Grow Your Career | PRT Growing Services Ltd.

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Thank you for applying; however only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.

To apply please send your resume directly to us through our career portal at; Grow Your Career | PRT Growing Services Ltd.

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