Job Opportunities in Canada

Reports directly to: General Manager
Job Purpose: The Farm Manager position is responsible for ensuring lease terms and best practices are being followed, collecting, and evaluating annual agronomy and yield data from the lands and optimizing the overall farming practices to enable maximum quality and quantity of exportable forage yields. The Farm Manager will build positive relationships with farming partners and other third parties. The Farm Manager is responsible for the issuance of new leases, the planning and recommendation of crop rotations to maximize the organization's business model, developing processes and procedures to ensure all product grown on the land is accounted for at harvest, overseeing crop scouting and CFIA compliance at the field level and enforcing all lease provisions to ensure proper land and water management.
Duties and Responsibilities:
· Works with the General Manager and other team members to administer and manage all subleased land. Review and understand lease model and objectives contained in the End-Users’ Subleases, familiarize with lessee obligations and ensure compliance.
· Works closely with the General Manager and other team members to create and manage annual crop plans including forecasting annual production volumes to ensure these align with future export sales and marketing initiatives.
· Lead the Agronomy team to develop best agronomy practices by evaluating each pivot for necessary improvements to implement.
· Oversight of farming practices, agronomy, optimal crop rotation and data reporting from farmers.
· Manages relationships to ensure adherence to policies and procedures that preserve and protect land and water resources as well as ensuring livestock issues are dealt with in a timely manner.
· Manage Field Scouting and Quality Control, which includes hiring and training of new employees. Communicating and leading through maintaining a high standard of excellence that promotes safety, quality, and teamwork.
· Ensure semi-annual performance and development reviews of all staff.
· Completes Field Scouting and Quality Control performance reviews in a timely and consistent manner. Ensures disciplinary reviews and actions are administered, documented, and appropriately managed in compliance with HR policies.
· Familiarity and adherence to regulatory compliance related to forage products. Work with both internal and external stakeholders to implement policies and procedures to ensure CFIA compliance is maintained. Recommend areas for process improvements.
· Lead and manage forage sampling to selected testing facilities. This includes managing, documenting, and communicating results to Sales and Marketing.
· Ensure annual soil sampling is done by farmers, in compliance with best practices of the organization and review to provide recommendations for soil additives/fertilizer levels.
· Collaborate closely with Inventory Management and Quality Control to ensure incoming and outgoing product is tracked efficiently and effectively through assisting with the management of accurate and auditable documentation.
· Work with General Manager, Logistics and Production to manage an efficient seasonal harvest operation, which includes staffing, creating and following best practices and procedures that optimizes a cost-effective operation designed to maximize exportable yields through efficient harvest and storage of product.
· Collaborate and stay current on relevant research projects and studies related to improving yields, quality, and cost reduction. Provide seminars for farming partners on best practices.
· Provides training to Farm Management team members to develop their skills and provides training on farm management.
Qualifications:
· +5 years of experience in managing a large farming operation and/or agribusiness
· Diploma in Agri-Business or Agronomy, Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Management, or a related field.
· Proven analytical ability to capture, analyze, draw conclusions from and present large amounts of farming data.
· Ability to read and understand legal documents and contracts such as detailed farming leases and to make modifications where needed to detailed land schedules and terms for issuance of leases.
· Ability to analyze lease terms and detail how changes will affect the organization's profitability.
· Knowledge or experience in certified export quality hay production (i.e., Timothy, Alfalfa and Oat Hay)
· Safety track record. Demonstrate leadership and ability to lead and motivate individuals.
· Class Five Driver's License, and a Clean Driver's Abstract
· Ability to facilitate complex problem solving through good organization, management skills, written and verbal communication.
· Optimist, self-starter, eager to learn new things and continuously improve.
· Knowledge of and s skill using Microsoft Office products (i.e., Excel, Office, and Power Point) and computers.
· Ability to use other farming and production software such as Shipper XL.
· Strong negotiation, contract management and people skills.
· Ability to positively engage other departments and external stakeholders in the greater farming community.
Working conditions:

• This is a 24/7 operation therefore shift work including some weekends and evenings will be required due to the operational nature of the business.
• Exposure to noise, dust, hay dust, fumes, and adverse weather conditions.
• Base schedule of 8 hours per day five days/week with requirement for weekend and other overtime at busy times, particularly during harvest operations when shifts are up to 12 hours/day.
• The role is onsite and located in a rural area, personal transportation is required to and from the plant.
• Exposure to hay dust environment may aggravate allergies and asthma.

Physical Requirements:

• Able to work during seasonal weather conditions.
• Ability to stand for extended amounts of time.
• Required to wear appropriate PPE in plant.
• Good vision, hearing and smell needed to evaluate forage quality.

Job Types: Permanent, Full-time
Pay: $75,000.00-$90,000.00 per year
Benefits:

• Dental care
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off

Flexible language requirement:

• French not required

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday
• Overtime

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Lethbridge, AB: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)

Work Location: In person