Northern Operations Mgr. (8179)

Northern Operations Mgr. (8179)

Northern Production Manager is responsible for directing the management of all crops grown by, or for, Duda Farm Fresh Foods (DFFF), in the Northern California District; including but not limited to the King City, Soledad, Gonzales, Salinas, Watsonville, Hollister and Gilroy production areas. Responsibilities include, the development of the overall production strategy for the region, ensuring that the strategy is executed for the best results, growing budgets, planting schedules, and growing agreements. This person will also responsible for building and maintaining grower partner relationships and being the DFFF Production expert in the Northern district. 

Essential Job Responsibilities;

• Manage all outside growers to include but not limited to Joint Venture and Custom for the Northern Region. Being DFFF's main contact for all growers in the Northern Region, and ensuring that those grower partners are performing at a level to meet, or exceed, the quality standards set by the company. This also includes being the lead for DFFF in building new, and maintaining long-term, grower partnerships. This person will also be the main contact for all grower partners, and responsible for communicating expectations with growers around areas of Grower Accounting, Harvesting, Dandy Cooling, Food Safety, Legal and all Duda support departments.
• Negotiate, draft and execute all grower/growing contracts for the Northern Region in collaboration with Duda Legal team. Responsible for establishing, communicating, and monitoring all grower production cost and providing the DFFF team with accurate standard cost information. 
• Executive and manage all planting schedules to effectively and accurately meet the annual plan for all crops in the Northern Region. This role is responsible for ensuring that weekly, monthly, and annual acre plans are being meet, and if they are not, developing a plan/strategy to correct them. Lead the effort to establish the most beneficial grower recommendations around variety sections, spacing, timing, and seed availability. Collaborate with harvest team members, and any other department affected by the production plan, to ensure that the production plan works with their needs. Participates as active member in industry groups in order to stay abreast of agriculture industry; Monterey County Farm Bureau Board and the Leafy Greens Research Board.  
• Conduct and present oneself and all activities in a manner which represents DFFF and Duda in a professional, and positive light.  Communicate and collaborate with all Duda employees in all departments as required to allow for the transparent flow of information to meet the needs of all departments to include, but not limited to, legal, accounting, harvesting, food safety, safety, HR, IT, sales and marketing. 
• Develop and manage the, daily, weekly, monthly, Celery transplant plan. Lead and monitor the daily transplanting operations for the northern celery production program through supervision of DFFF's internal Celery Transplant Supervisor, as well any and all labor providers. Will coordinate all nurseries producing plants for DFFF's Northern Production areas, to ensure the best possible quality plants for all plantings.  Plan, order and monitor all transplant nursery production for varieties, timing and quality of planned transplant deliveries.
• In collaboration with DFFF Food Safety team, insure that all growers of all commodities are in compliance with all food safety requirements of the LGMA (The California Leafy Greens Marketing Agreement) as applicable and GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative) through all audits required both internally and externally.

• Monitor and report, both verbally and as required in Monthly Status Reports to Vice President, on all aspects of responsibilities listed above and additionally on any regulatory, political and industry related concerns.

• Other duties as assigned.

Skills and Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural Science, Business Administration/Management required.
• 10+ years in agriculture or produce industry.
• 5+ years in a supervisory or managerial role, including managing teams and coordinating operations.
• 3+ years in crop production management.

Location, Work Hours and Physical Requirements:

• This is an on-site position at our Salinas, CA office.

• Work long hours as needed during busy season, including some weekends.

• Work in both an office and field/farming environment.

• Lift up to 30 pounds.

Duda Farm Fresh Foods provides a fair and equal employment opportunity for all employees and job applicants regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status or disability. We expect and require the cooperation of all employees in maintaining a discrimination and harassment-free work environment.

We offer an excellent benefit package as part of our total compensation including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401K, flexible spending accounts, tuition reimbursement program, paid time off and much more.

Due to the high volume of applications received, only those candidates who are selected for interviews will be contacted.