Horticulture Support Manager

Job description

Horticulture Support Manager Full Time, Salaried Remote, United States of America About Growcer Growcer builds the infrastructure for food sovereignty. We provide communities, Indigenous nations, schools, hospitals, and institutions across North America with the tools, training, and support to grow food locally, 365 days a year. We don't just sell container farms; we help communities go from dependence to self-reliance, one harvest at a time. Growcer is looking for a driven individual with a self-starter attitude as the company enters the next phase of rapid growth and scales across North America. Effective Growcer employees are tenacious, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and are comfortable working on big-picture challenges with lots of autonomy. If you want your work to be visible, your impact to be direct, and your mission to be one you'd be proud to explain at a dinner party, you'll feel right at home. About the Role As a Horticulture Support Manager, you are a vital piece to the Growcer organization leading the hands-on installation and on-going technical support for new and current farms. You'll help train customers in how to best run their farms and support them in trouble shooting, work to create training and other internal materials as well as contribute with ideas to improve the overall quality of the farms. This is a remote position based in the United States. East Coast candidates are strongly preferred, ideally based in Massachusetts; at minimum, candidates must be able to work Eastern Time hours. Proximity to a major airport is required. This position involves a significant amount of autonomy, a self-starter attitude and excitement to "grow" with the company would be ideal. As part of the first line of service that interacts with customers on a daily basis, you have one of the most important customer-facing roles in the organization – you must exemplify Growcer's values in every customer interaction. As an ideal candidate you'll bring strong mechanical aptitude and hands-on problem-solving ability. This role is more engineering than horticulture: someone who understands how systems work, can diagnose why something broke, and knows how to fix it will thrive here. Tinkerers who understand the "how" and "why" behind equipment do especially well. Experience in a greenhouse or other Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) setting is an asset, but most of the horticulture side can be learned on the job by following established SOPs. What matters most is a mechanical brain, excellent communication and customer service skills, a coaching mentality, and a passion for providing exceptional service to help farmers and growers succeed. Knowledge and respect for learning and working with our Indigenous and Native partners is highly valued. Responsibilities Install new Growcer farms as well as liaising with and training new customers on how to effectively operate their farm(s) Comply with, and train customers on the safe operation of: tools and equipment; cleaning techniques; and appropriate personal protective equipment used to maintain personal safety and integrity of the facilities Be involved in troubleshooting of equipment malfunctions, general system maintenance, and installation of new equipment Travel nationally and potentially internationally to assist with the installation of company equipment and training of new customers Visit existing customer farms across North America to complete project audits, re-train customers on Best Management Practices (BMPs), and sharing these findings to the Growcer team at Ottawa HQ Maintain knowledge of tasks and procedures associated with multiple types of hydroponic growing techniques (e.g. liquid, soilless, or aeroponic culture) and related technologies (e.g. water quality sensor calibration and troubleshooting) Data collection work (e.g. seeding, transplanting, pruning, harvesting etc.) for experiments When not on-site with customers role includes: providing virtual support, liaising with 3rd party contractors, updating/creating process documents and other related administrative work Monitor the processes that triage our incoming customer requests, including for both common and unique technical challenges, ensuring appropriate escalation paths are followed and that the system is working efficiently and effectively Accountable for establishing and implementing unique troubleshooting solutions, both internally and as advised from the Product and R&D departments Responsible for maintaining high customer farm uptime and minimizing the instances of recurring customer technical challenges, flagging any issues of concern to the Product / Engineering team Responsible for developing systems, processes and tools to help structure the department and its interaction with other departments including providing feedback loops of customer issues and successes to the R&D and Product teams Required Skills & Competencies Strong mechanical aptitude with a hands-on, problem-solving mindset. You're the kind of person who takes things apart to understand how they work and puts them back together better Able to perform basic plumbing, electrical, and cosmetic repairs on farm units in the field Strong troubleshooting ability: can systematically diagnose equipment issues, identify root causes, and implement lasting fixes Familiarity with troubleshooting the operation of small equipment, controlled environment agriculture control systems (e.g. Argus, Priva, Growlink, etc), and installation of irrigation and lighting systems Safe use and care of common power tools, hardware and related equipment Excellent communication skills, written and interpersonal Enjoys teaching and learning from our customers Proven ability to manage several tasks and projects at once in a fast-pace, deadline-driven environment Exceptional attention to detail with a strong focus on quality control Ability to work independently and manage own priorities; self-starter attitude Comfortable working with common software such as google docs, spreadsheets and Dropbox and Gmail Indigenous and Native candidates and those with experience working with Indigenous and Native communities are highly valued for this position Must be able to legally work in the United States and able to travel nationally and internationally Education Requirements: College or University degree in a mechanical, engineering, technical trades, or related field. A horticulture background is an asset but not required. Experience Requirements: 5+ years' hands-on experience in a technical, mechanical, or field service role, or the equivalent time in related work experience. Candidates with a blend of mechanical skills and growing experience are ideal, but strong technical and troubleshooting ability takes priority. Training/Certification Requirements: Solid technical understanding of basic tools, climate control systems, and monitoring equipment. Experience with HVAC, plumbing, electrical, or similar trades is highly valued. Growing experience as a head grower or assistant and familiarity with integrated pest management programs is an asset. Travel Requirements: 40-50% travel, expect to be on customer sites for on average 1-2 times per month for 5-7 days, especially in peak summer season. Physical Requirements: Physically able to lift 50 pounds and occasionally lift items weighing more than 50 pounds with assistance Languages: English required. Driver's License Required: Yes, role includes driving to sites, some of which are remote. After Hours Requirements: Infrequently, after-hours support may be required by customers for emergency issues Compensation & Benefits Pay Range: $65,000-$75,000 annually, depending on location, qualifications, and experience. Application Deadline: This posting will remain open on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Equal Employment Opportunity Growcer is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law. Growcer will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities throughout the recruitment and employment process.