Assistant Farm Manager

Company Background/Culture

Gold Leaf is a farming company whose core focus is to build farms, family, and a future we’re proud of. We own and operate ~12,000 acres of almonds, pistachios, and dates in California and Arizona, making us a top ~15 grower of these crops globally. Our growth has been enabled by ~$300M of investment from our partners and our 60-person team that operates the farms every day.

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Our North Star is to leave the world better than we found it. We have a significant opportunity to do well by doing good - we invest in our team, so that we can invest in differentiated, sustainable farming, so that we can drive financial results. Our farm workers have a $23 starting wage in California, fully paid healthcare, retirement, and parental leave. Our farms use technology and incorporate research-based strategies to maximize production and profitability while minimizing the use of precious natural resources.

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Over time, we’ll continue to grow our farms under management, acreage, and team. We hold traditional farming values in high regard: taking pride in quality operations, buying and holding prime farms with a long-term view (everything we buy we’d be happy to own forever), and staying grounded in our values: being candid, putting family first, acting like owners and leading by example. Learn more about Gold Leaf Farming at https://www.goldleaf.ag/ 

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Role Overview:

The Assistant Farm Manager is a key leader on the Operations team who is responsible for supporting the Farm Manager on the day to day operations of the farms they manage including, but not limited to, executing the irrigation schedule, equipment operations, and repairs and maintenance. The Assistant Farm Manager is also a people leader who helps to give direction and oversee the activities of the Farm Teams. The Assistant Farm Manager is a development role designed to prepare employees for a potential, future Farm Manager role. This role will split time between ~2,000 acres of our Almond farms in Sacramento and Modesto. 

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Responsibilities:

As a high-growth company, roles will evolve, but initially the key responsibilities of this role will be:

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Day to Day Farm Management of Farm Portfolio (65% of time):

• Oversee the daily operations of all GLF properties in their assigned portfolio.
• Oversees the safe operation of the farms at all times, including verifying the proper chemical and equipment training has been completed and documented prior to task completion.
• Verifies compliance with all local, state and federal safety and operations requirements
• Walks farms regularly and intimately knows the current state and quality of all crops. Problem solves day to day issues and supports the Farm Manager in establishing the strategy for when budget deviation is necessary
• Supports Farm Manager in budget tracking, planning, and forecasting including labor procurement when necessary
• Executes irrigation schedules and agronomy playbook tasks
• Manages effective equipment operation including ensuring repairs, preventative maintenance and general upkeep  of all equipment and structures are satisfied in a timely manner to avoid equipment downtime.
• Stays attuned to risks (weather, pests, etc.) that could negatively impact the health of our crops and acts proactively to mitigate potential impact and quickly communicates issues impacting yield to leadership in a timely manner

Lead/Manage/Hold Accountable (LMA) Farm Teams (20% of time):

• Builds strong working relationships with all Foremen, and Field Operators and supports Farm Manager in holding the team accountable for the proper and timely execution of assigned tasks
• Participates in leading a monthly meeting with each farm team to share company and farm updates and receive feedback from the team. The Assistant Farm Manager is responsible for partnering with the Farm Manager to consider and act upon the feedback provided in a timely manner.
• Coaches, clears roadblocks, and otherwise assists the team in timely and accurate performance. 
• Helps to create a coaching culture by candidly providing both positive and developmental feedback to all employees on the farms. Contributes feedback to team performance evaluations quarterly
• Uphold and improve upon GLF’s culture and values at all farms
• As necessary, resolves personnel problems by investigating issues, identifying solutions, and recommending action while treating employees with respect through the process

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Support Farm-Level Agronomic Strategy (15% of Time):

• Partner with the Farm Manager to execute the agronomic strategy for each farm in a manner that optimizes the output of our field assets and course correcting when necessary
• Support experimentation planning and execution, as assigned, to solve for both profitability and strong yield output
• Supports the trial of new AgTechnology and future adoption
• Aids in the planning for long-term sustainability of each farm and optimizes where possible

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Suggested Skills & Experience:

An excellent candidate for this role will have the following skills & experience. If you have some but not all of the below, please apply anyway. We are willing to invest time in training the right candidate. We are an equal opportunity employer, prohibit discrimination of any kind, and value diversity and inclusion. We look forward to considering all strong candidates.

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• Experience in a related field, with permanent crops, or as a senior farm operator, preferred but not required
• Private applicatory license, preferred but not required
• Bilingual in Spanish, preferred but not required
• Strong passion for leading and developing teams with a genuine care of people
• Excited by technology and innovation with experience in basic usage of Microsoft Excel, Word and other professional software programs

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The Ideal Cultural Fit

Gold Leaf was founded with specific values in mind. We believe values should not just be written down, they should be lived every day. The ideal cultural fit is someone who: 

• Acts Like an Owner: Think and act as if you own the farms, because you do. We grant equity to every team member. We share responsibility when things go wrong and share credit when we get big wins.  
• Is Candid: Be real—open, honest and transparent. We build trust and push each other to be better through candid dialogue. We are 100% open with each other, our partners, our vendors, and our neighbors and community. We give candid feedback to drive constant improvement. 
• Puts Family First: Our team and their families are all part of the Gold Leaf family, and we value their commitment to Gold Leaf. We create a differentiated employment experience in Ag. We treat each other with compassion and respect, compensate fairly, and build an environment where great people want to work. 
• Leads by Example: We are the change we want to see in the world. We want to farm forever, so we take care of our people, the Earth, and the communities we live and work in—setting a positive example for our neighbors and the industry. 

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Compensation

The target annual salary range for this position is $70,000-$95,000 plus company equity, potential performance-related bonus compensation, and employer sponsored benefits package. Individual compensation may vary based on additional factors including job-related experience, skills, and/or relevant education or training. 

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