About Plenty

Plenty is on a mission to make fresh, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables more accessible to everyone. Our cutting-edge indoor, vertical farms produce extraordinary yields using a fraction of the land and water outdoor farms need. Nutrient-rich, mouth-watering and locally grown, our crops help people, communities and our planet to be healthier and more resilient.

The people and teams who make up Plenty are at the core of how we do this. We are a collaborative and innovative bunch. We are passionate about our contributions to Plenty, the communities around us and our planet, but never take ourselves too seriously. We’re down to Earth, we grow together, and we always find a way. Most importantly, we are growing for a better tomorrow, today.

About the role

Plenty is looking for a Supervisor, Science Operations to join the Plant Science team. The Plant Science team conducts research trials to develop new ways of growing plants in our unique indoor vertical systems and to optimize yield for a better food future. In this role, you will be responsible for scheduling Operations Technicians and completing daily trial tasks and events in Laramie’s R&D Facility. You will assign Operations Technicians to daily tasks, schedule upcoming events based on the approved research plans, ensure data integrity, and forecast labor and other resources needed as part of the R&D projects team. You will maintain standard operating and research procedures and identify areas for future science operations improvement. The Supervisor, Science Operations is integral to the development of sequential research schedules which support successful production and market launch activities. They must understand what is vital to business outcome, on what timescale, and ensure that resource utilization (personnel, research space) is distributed across research programs.

What you'll do

Leadership:

• Supervise Crop/Product Support teams of 5-15 people to execute daily trial and operations tasks
• Manage the performance of Operations Technician team members against standard operating procedures. Schedule team members to shifts as required to meet the research plan. Coordinate with Scientists, Systems, Maintenance, and other resources
• Forecast labor needs to meet research plans in conjunction with Scientists. Ensure the completion of trial events to the Scientists’ specifications and the established research program timeline
• Balance critical short-term outcomes and long-term research objectives in a manner that allows Plenty to move quickly and sustain continuous crop improvement over time

Project Management:

• Understand research space functionality and work with Scientists to plan research accordingly
• Direct Crop/Product teams to execute research plans
• Estimate the resources and participants needed to achieve project goals and track resource hours expended on the projects
• Own one or more operational programs, which may include reporting on metrics, creating dashboards, maintaining the plan of record, creating or updating training programs, or creating other central services to support R&D

Data:

• Understand how, when, where, and why all data from an experiment is generated, entered and stored, and how data filters through Plenty’s data pipeline to preserve and communicate results
• Ensure data integrity and accuracy

Checklists, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), and Daily Operations:

• Ensure the completion of daily checklists, safety, operations, and sanitation logs
• Ensure best horticultural practices are being adhered to
• Contribute to the drafting of SOPs and work with other Managers and Leads to train your team
• Comply with all Plant, State and Federal safety and food safety rules, including OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations
• Assist trial events (seeding, transplanting, harvesting, quality assurance, and other events as dictated by the trial plan), systems setup, and sanitation events alongside the team
• Operate equipment including automated seeders, transplanters, and harvesters. Ensure enough operators are trained on equipment to ensure uninterrupted operations

Process Improvement:

• Conduct root cause analyses on successes and failures
• Identify areas for process improvement, using a variety of metrics and data points to demonstrate sustained improvement. Implement necessary changes to drive continuous improvements that promote efficiency, safety, and plant health

Work Hours and Physical Requirements:

• Ability to lift up to 40 pounds
• Ability to stand for extended periods
• Operations Technician shifts start as early as 6 AM, 7 days per week. The Supervisor, Science Operations will be expected to work Monday through Friday, but weekend work may be necessary
• Travel up to 10% of the time
• Others duties as assigned

What you'll bring to the table

• 1-2+ years related work experience in farming, greenhouse, or research operations
• Past experience leading a team
• Experience scheduling and creating a work or project plan in a CEA, biological, or similar industry
• Experience training colleagues or employees
• Demonstrated ability to identify basic plant health, pest management, and quality problems in fresh produce
• Experience working in a food safe environment (greenhouse, farm, packing plant, grocery store, restaurant, kitchen, etc.)
• Experience with CEA operating systems such as sensors and control

Type of role

Full-Time; Onsite

What we can offer

• Compensation; we’ll pay you a competitive salary on a biweekly basis, give you a stake in the company via equity and contribute toward your 401K
• Health & well-being; we’ll invest in your physical and mental well-being with comprehensive medical, dental, & vision benefits, in-office gyms, and an Employee Assistance Program to help with mental health, financial & legal matters
• Food; in-office lunches, snacks and access to our leafy greens & new produce in development -- are you up for a side gig as a taste tester?
• Grow together; learning & development opportunities including unlimited access to our Upstart University platform, LinkedIn Learning, lunch & learns, training certifications, and more
• Equipment; we’ll provide you with the equipment you need to be successful, including $75/month toward your phone bill and $250 every 2 years to upgrade your phone
• Paid time off; we know you’ll do your best if you’re taking time to recharge, so we don’t cap the amount of days you can take off per year in addition to the paid holidays we observe
• Parental leave; 12 weeks off for all new parents - fully paid so you can focus your energy on your newest addition

Food & Safety Requirements

• Comply with all Plant, State and Federal OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations
• All applicants must be 18 years or older to apply