Production Manager

We're seeking an enthusiastic Production Manager (PM) to help us realize our shared vision for Little Wild Things. The PM is a leadership role, responsible for overseeing production at both our indoor and outdoor farm locations. This position oversees team member management, training, and development, the planning and organization of daily production and packing schedules, inventory management, quality control, food safety, product traceability, and customer relationships. The PM reports directly to the Founder/CEO, and is reported to by the production team. 

The PM leads the team to achieve shared goals, performance expectations, and clear codes of conduct. In this capacity, the PM serves as a coach who is developing her/his staff to work at their full potential as contributing members of the team. Working closely with the CEO, the PM leads the planning and testing of, and the training and executing of production processes and procedures that ensure maximum efficiency and a consistent, food-safe, environmentally sustainable product. The PM functions as the expert in and lead strategist for our production team.

This individual’s chief role is to create a sustainable and scalable production operation to support the business’s fast growth. The PM’s time will be spent 50% on hands-on production management (microgreens and edible flowers) and staff training and development, and 50% on planning and executing production operations. Specifically, 5% on organizing the production schedule, 10% on quality control and product traceability, 10% on inventory management, 10% on process and ag technology development and implementation, and 15% on order management and customer communication.

Responsibilities 

• Team Management and Training: Develop production staff into a cohesive, high-performing team that can scale as our operation grows. Develop and execute training procedures and conduct staff check-ins and performance reviews to ensure feedback and continued growth for team members; manage staff scheduling and daily tasking using task management software (Wunderlist or similar); serve as the first line of defense in troubleshooting production issues and resolve staff conflicts.
• Organize Production Schedule: Organize and distribute daily (and longer term) production and packing schedules to ensure all client orders are fulfilled, using task and order management software and ecommerce software as necessary to fulfill orders.
• Utilize Quickbooks accounting software to create and send invoices. Process refunds and ensure total customer satisfaction.
• Oversee Quality Control & Product Traceability: Conduct in-process and final product quality tests to verify that SKUs are being built to specification and record data for recordkeeping. Update formulas in traceability software and conduct runs to ensure product traceability for all SKUs.
• Manage Inventory: Manage and maintain all produce and dry goods inventory using inventory management software.
• Develop, Improve and Implement Processes and Technologies: Evaluate and build processes (SOPs) and test new technologies for the production team that maximize efficiency, product quality, and simple/effective training. Verify that all procedures and policies are being complied with by team members.
• Represent the business in a professional manner, using outstanding written and oral communication skills for staff, client, and community interactions.  As second-in-command, act in a leadership capacity to run the farming operation when necessary.
• Collect data on harvest yield, labor, climate control, plant health, and other relevant metrics for improving efficiency and productivity.
• Ensure the environmental sustainability of farming practices (and striving to move beyond environmental sustainability to regenerative practices) and maintain certification records.

In one year, a exceptionally successful PM will have:

• Developed a team with common knowledge and shared goals who comply with and understood the code of conduct, and have a shared understanding of our extremely high product and food safety standards.
• Created, trained, and implemented clear production processes and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for farm tasks to maximize throughput and product quality.
• Created an audit checklist and schedule to verify the effectiveness of implemented processes as well as the team’s compliance with standards. Fostered a positive work atmosphere of high performance and teamwork.
• Increased yields across key plant varieties.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of farming experience (sustainable/organic preferred; flower farming, and/or market gardening/microgreen farming preferred).
• 2+ years of production management experience (in food, farming).
• Experience with Good Agricultural Practices and/or Food Safety and/or Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Demonstrated background in leadership and people development.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Comfortable leading a team, and leading in conflict resolution.
• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office, Google Docs, Quickbooks, and the ability and desire to learn to use new software and technologies.
• A personal vehicle is required for this position (mileage reimbursed at federal rates). 
• The position will initially be located in Washington, DC., however the right candidate must be willing to potentially commute to a new location in or around the Colombia, MD region to support our growing operation. 
• The right candidate will demonstrate an attention to detail, creativity, honesty, eagerness to learn, empathy towards co-workers, and will be enthusiastic about working in an entrepreneurial, fast-paced environment.
• Likewise, they will not be deterred by the responsibility of completing routine and very physical tasks such as cleaning, planting, and harvesting.

Compensation

• This position is salaried, commensurate with experience.

To Apply

• Please click "Apply" below to upload your cover letter, resume, and three references (including email and phone contact information, and the capacity in which they have worked with you) with "Production Manager" in the subject line.
• Please include a very brief description of your agricultural experience and leadership experience in the body of your email.  
• To learn more about Little Wild Things City Farm please visit our website or @littlewildthingsfarm on Instagram.