Assistant Grower

Native Green Grow (NG2) is a Tribally owned Hydroponic Greenhouse located in Parshall, North Dakota. This facility is an ecologically sensitive project that grows vegetables utilizing state of the art hydroponic methods.

Supervision

This position will be supervised by the Head Grower of the facility. This position is not a supervisory position.

Position Description

The assistant grower is responsible for plant production and maintenance of their assigned greenhouse zone(s) and reports to the head grower or crop consultant. This position requires an understanding of crop production cycles and industry-standard techniques. The assistant grower must have horticultural knowledge of the crops in production, experience with crop fertilization scheduling, and experience optimizing a greenhouse environmental control system. The assistant grower must be an efficient communicator and is responsible for working and directing the greenhouse workers in their zone(s). 

Responsibilities

• The assistant grower is responsible for the crop being grown in their assigned zone(s)

• Hands on working with the crop in their zone(s) with the assistance of the floating greenhouse workers.

• Working with the head grower to select crops and varieties to be grown, and plant position assignments.

• Work with the other assistant growers in a collegial manner and provide assistance as needed with their crops  

• Working with the head grower to determine the crop cycles, including the seed dates,projected first harvest dates, and crop removal dates. 

• Working with the head grower and general manager to schedule the greenhouse employees, and managing the horticultural labor demands of the crop being grown. 

• Overseeing the execution of seeding, seedling management, then transplanting.

• Preparing the greenhouse space for transplants, including adding growbags, irrigation, and fertilizer preparation. 

• Managing the irrigation system, including scheduling of fertilization. 

• Execution of the IPM (Integrated Pest Management) plan.

• Performing crop walks to spot pest and disease issues. Understand the most common pest and disease cycles for each crop to anticipate problems and aid with early treatment.

• Daily review of the development and growing of the plants in the greenhouses and identify plant needs and indications of disease.

• Daily review and adjustments of the strategies for climate (Ventilation, Temperature, CO2, HR, VPD and Curtains) and irrigation management according to the specific crops needs using the automated systems available at the facility.

• Weekly review of water analysis results for Feed, Drain and Slab, to establish adequate level of elements in the fertilizer mix.

• Daily review of pH, EC and drainage percentage to make effective adjustments in fertilization according to the crops needs.

• Review the Pests and Diseases Monitoring data and establish the strategies for Pests and Diseases Management.

• Calculate the proper doses and spray volumes for pesticides applications.

• Monitor the effectiveness of the strategies used for the pests and diseases management.

• Operate and maintain all the operational equipment used in a greenhouse environment including irrigation, fertilization, weed and pest monitoring and control, etc.

• Conduct a weekly Crop Registration to generate growing trends and accurate production projections.

• Determine the appropriate time for each Crop Maintenance activity, and ensure that the jobs are correctly done properly and timely.

• Requisition in a timely manner all the supplies needed for the greenhouse operation such as Seeds, Plants, Slabs, Fertilizer, Pesticides, Bio-controls, and any other supply used in the Growing Process.

• Record, analyze and present the data resulting for trials or research taking place in the Greenhouses.

• Respond and resolve Systems Alarms on a timely manner.

• Be an active professional seeking for information and advice that could lead to improve processes, increase yields and obtain better product quality year after year, keeping a cost effectiveness approach.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Must have a strong understanding of plant growth and interaction with varying environmental conditions and requirements.

• Must be familiar with horticultural nomenclature.

• Ability to communicate effectively (written, oral and spoken) in English; additional languages (i.e. Spanish, will be considered an asset).

• Must work closely with the head grower in order to keep them apprised of any problems or issues needing their attention.

• Familiarity with Priva computer software or other greenhouse control systems.

• Basic computer skills and entry of greenhouse production data.

• Must be committed to be an active member of the work team and expect to work across the facility.

• Maintain high standards of conduct and professionalism and lead team to success

• Must be able to lift at least 50 lbs and work on a crop lift.

• Must be willing and able to work in the greenhouse on the crops throughout the year, this is not an office position.

Qualifications/ Experience/Education:

• Experience (at least one of the following):

  • Minimum 2 years of experience as an assistant grower in a greenhouse environment preferably with a food crop.

  • A two year greenhouse technology college program

  • A 4 year horticulture degree with greenhouse coursework

  • Minimum of 4 years experience in a hydroponic greenhouse with hands on crop experience showing progressive levels of responsibility.

• Ability to attain and maintain a current North Dakota Pesticide Applicators License.

Schedule:

8 hour shift, full-time.

Floating weekend coverage with the other assistant growers

Head Grower

Native Green Grow (NG2) is a Tribally owned Hydroponic Greenhouse located in Parshall, North Dakota. This facility is an ecologically sensitive project that grows vegetables utilizing state of the art hydroponic methods.

Supervision

This position will be supervised by the General Manager of the facility. This position will supervise and direct assistant grower positions and the general greenhouse labor pool.

Position Description

The head grower is responsible for all aspects of plant production and maintenance of the greenhouse environment. This position requires an understanding of crop production cycles and industry-standard techniques. The head grower must have horticultural knowledge of the crops in production, experience with crop fertilization scheduling, and experience optimizing a greenhouse environmental control system. The head grower must be an efficient communicator, and is responsible for training greenhouse workers. 

Responsibilities

• Selecting the crops and varieties to be grown, and plant position assignments. 

• Determining the crop cycles, including the seed dates, projected first harvest dates, and crop removal dates. 

• Creating a schedule for greenhouse employees, and managing the horticultural labor demands. 

• Overseeing the execution of seeding, seedling management, then transplanting.

• Preparing the greenhouse space for transplants, including adding growbags, irrigation, and fertilizer preparation. 

• Managing the irrigation system, including scheduling of fertilization. 

• Creating an IPM (Integrated Pest Management) plan pre-production.

• Setup and maintenance of computerized crop monitoring systems and data storage.

• Performing crop walks to spot pest and disease issues. Understand the most common pest and disease cycles for each crop to anticipate problems and aid with early treatment.

• Daily review of the development and growing of the plants in the greenhouses and identify plant needs and indications of disease.

• Daily review and adjustments of the strategies for climate (Ventilation, Temperature, CO2, HR, VPD and Curtains) and irrigation management according to the specific crops needs using the automated systems available at the facility.

• Weekly review of water analysis results for Feed, Drain and Slab, to establish adequate level of elements in the fertilizer mix.

• Daily review of pH, EC and drainage percentage to make effective adjustments in fertilization according to the crops needs.

• Review the Pests and Diseases Monitoring data and establish the strategies for Pests and Diseases Management.

• Calculate the proper doses and spray volumes for pesticides applications.

• Monitor the effectiveness of the strategies used for the pests and diseases management.

• Operate and maintain all the operational equipment used in a greenhouse environment including irrigation, fertilization, weed and pest monitoring and control, etc.

• Conduct a weekly Crop Registration to generate growing trends and accurate production projections.

• Determine the appropriate time for each Crop Maintenance activity, and ensure that the jobs are correctly done properly and timely.

• Calculate and purchase in a timely manner all the supplies needed for the greenhouse operation such as Seeds, Plants, Slabs, Fertilizer, Pesticides, Bio-controls, and any other supply used in the Growing Process.

• Record, analyze and present the data resulting for trials or research taking place in the Greenhouses.

• Respond and resolve Systems Alarms on a timely manner.

• Be an active professional seeking for information and advice that could lead to improve processes, increase yields and obtain better product quality year after year, keeping a cost effectiveness approach.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum 5-years of experience as a Grower in a high-tech glass greenhouse environment.

• Familiarity with Priva greenhouse control computer software.

• Familiarity with computer software including Microsoft Word and Excel

• Must have a strong understanding of plant growth and interaction with varying environmental conditions and requirements.

• Must be familiar with horticultural nomenclature.

• Ability to communicate effectively (written, oral and spoken) in English; additional languages (i.e. Spanish, will be considered an asset).

• Must understand the processes and the objectives pursued by the Performance Programs to be an active trainer for the Labor Supervisors and the general workers.

• Must work closely with the Priva Clerk in order to keep the system updated.

• Must be committed to be an active leader of the work team, planning and directing all the activities in the Greenhouses in an organized and efficient manner, establishing schedules and personnel needs, communicating the work plan daily to Labor Supervisors and ensuring that they carry out the work plan with success, efficiently and timely.

• Must manage the offshore workers schedule to ensure the crop is supplied with the proper amount of personnel through the year.

• Must conduct several meetings through the year to explain performance trends, motivate employees and address company’s expectations about performance and quality.

• Maintain high standards of conduct and professionalism and lead the team to success.

Qualifications/ Experience/Education:

• Must have Post-secondary education, ideally in the Horticulture, Plant Science, Greenhouse Engineering or related life science fields.

• A Pesticide Applicators License (any state) with the ability to maintain a current North Dakota Pesticide Applicators License.

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift, full-time.

• Weekend availability

Greenhouse Maintenance Technician/ CHP Operator

Native Green Grow (NG2) is a Tribally owned Hydroponic Greenhouse located in Parshall, North Dakota. This facility is an ecologically sensitive project that grows vegetables utilizing state of the art hydroponic methods.

Supervision

This position will be supervised by the General Manager of the facility. This position is not a supervisory position.

Position Description

The primary responsibility for the greenhouse maintenance technician will be to operate the CHP and boiler plant. The main areas of responsibility include operations, maintenance, administration and coordination. They will assist in the repair, planning, and troubleshooting of maintenance of all plant equipment and machinery. Additionally, they will perform inspections and respond to emergency calls. The position will also coordinate startups, shut downs and the operations of plant equipment.

This position will be required to perform some preventive maintenance on greenhouse equipment. Experience performing preventive or corrective maintenance on plant equipment or industrial machinery such as boilers, chillers, pumps, compressors, stream traps and valves is valued. Fixing irrigation and PVC plumbing repair.

Position works as a member of a team while frequently performing tasks independently. The incumbent is responsible for maintaining a continuous flow of electricity, CHP, boiler plant and other utilities to the greenhouse facility in normal and emergency situations. Additional job- related decisions making includes: when to start or stop equipment, interpret equipment data and apply corrective actions.

Must be able to work nonstandard shifts and overtime. 

Essential Personnel:

This unit may provide essential services during times of emergencies and inclement weather.

This position may be required to fulfill essential services and functions during these times.

Professional Competencies

• Perform duties in a way that advances and supports the mission of the greenhouse facility.

• Work effectively in a diverse team environment and create effective relationships for problem solving and positive interactions.

• Take initiative, looking for what needs to be done and doing it.

• Pay close attention to detail.

• Maintain a safe and safety-conscious workplace.

• Maintain a respectful workplace and model a positive and proactive attitude.

• Model the highest ethical standards.

• Provide superior customer service.

Preferred Qualifications

• High school or equivalent (Required)

• Maintenance: 1 year (Required)

• Valid US Driver’s license (Required)

• Experience working with CHP systems

• Experience with the operation and maintenance of power generation equipment IE: Natural Gas and Diesel Generators.

• Experience with the operation and maintenance of boilers.

• Experience with the operation and maintenance of air handling equipment.

• Experience with Irrigation equipment and other greenhouse equipment

• Familiar with using Priva software or other control system software.

• Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Sales and Marketing Representative

Native Green Grow (NG2) is a Tribally owned Hydroponic Greenhouse located in Parshall, North Dakota. This facility is an ecologically sensitive project that grows vegetables utilizing state of the art hydroponic methods.

Supervision

This position will be supervised by the General Manager of the facility. This position is not a supervisory position.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Hands on sales of greenhouse produce to retail, wholesale, and institutional produce buyers.

• Researching and developing marketing and sales strategies.

• Implementing marketing campaigns, including creating advertisements, conducting market research, and creating sales presentations.

• Implementing sales plans, including identifying target clients and creating sales strategies based on their needs.

• Participating in trade shows, organizing promotional events, and creating and managing promotional materials.

• Providing customer intelligence and feedback, tracking sales data, and creating performance reports.

• Significant travel to vendors will be required of this position.

Sales And Marketing Qualifications and Skills:

• Direct Sales skills

• Prospecting skills

• Digital marketing skills

• Product knowledge

• Project management skills

• Communication skills

• Leadership skills

• Organization and time-management skills

• Problem-solving skills

• Interpersonal skills

Education and Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, business administration, or a related field is preferred.

• Specific knowledge of the food distribution network is preferred.

• Specific knowledge of greenhouse produce or selling of food products to professional buyers is preferred.

• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in sales or marketing is required.

• Valid US driver’s license is required.

Greenhouse/Facilities Manager/CEO

Position Description

The greenhouse/facilities manager is responsible for managing a high-tech greenhouse facility which produces both leafy green and vining produce. S/he will manage the business operations and carry out the business objectives established by the executive board. Operations include everything from crop production, through harvest and processing, as well as distribution. The GM will facilitate relationships with wholesale and retail buyers and evolve production and distribution strategies to optimize the profitability of the facility. The GM will set the sales strategy and pivot the strategy when needed to optimize the profitability of the facility. The GM will be well versed in the goals of the MHA greenhouse facility and will develop and execute strategic initiatives across multiple disciplines and layered stakeholders. The greenhouse manager will oversee the activity in the retail space, including weekly sales and events. 

Responsibilities

• Building local sales channels, and establishing wholesale contracts

• Managing cash flow and business projections

• Managing supply purchases

• Managing staff

• Keeping facility food safety compliant

• Overseeing crop quality control

• Adjusting sales and distribution with seasonal production fluctuations

• Managing the greenhouse equipment including electrical supply, boilers, pumps, etc.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Minimum 5-years of food systems management experience.

• Familiarity with accounting software, human resources requirements.

• Must be able to lead a team and keep workers on task.

• Open, transparent leader who role models servant leadership

• Multi-cultural leader who is comfortable and excels in diverse leadership/organizational environments

• Results driven and managed by metrics

• Appreciative of working in a team environment and skilled at developing peer relationships

• Decisive leadership who spends time explaining the “whys” of decisions and not only the “what”

Experience and Education

• Food systems or food manufacturing. 

• An undergraduate degree in business or other relevant discipline is required

• An MBA or advanced degree in Finance would be an asset

• Background in Greenhouse operations or food production facilities