R&D Farm Manager

At Unfold, we are focused on developing new crops for the controlled environment agriculture (CEA) or vertical farming industry and its unique growing requirements. Putting taste, color, texture, flavor, nutrition (and more) is at the center of our seed development. Together, we are seekers and explorers on the roads of reimagination. Unfold welcomes others who love feeding their own curiosity as much as they thrive on feeding the world. Join us in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible tomorrow by working hard on what can be done today. 

Unfold is looking for a creative, experienced leader to serve as the Research & Development Farm Manager to run the growing operations and Unfold’s new state-of-the-art indoor vertical farm research and development (R&D) facility. This position is full-time exempt, based in Davis, CA, and will report to the Director of Farm Operations. The individual will support all growing aspects of the R&D farm including, crop planting and management, environmental controls, chamber operation, and production plans. This will be a hands-on role where you will manage grow processes, monitor, and control plant nutrition & health, and operate and manage high-intensity plant production equipment. This individual will play an important role in the Farm Operations team and will contribute directly to Unfold’s market strategy for crop and digital service products and innovation.

Major Responsibilities

• Support the operationalization of Unfolds new growing chambers to identify the optimal environment for a wide range of crops including, but not limited to Lettuce, Spinach, Tomato, Cucumber, and Pepper
• Manage climate control software and improve set points for effective screening of a wide variety of germplasm
• Lead the team that executes daily farm operations including space allocation, sowing, transplanting, pruning, environmental control, fertigation, and irrigation
• Oversee and lead a team that executes daily farming and facility operations including:
• Germination, propagation, and growing processes to generate reliable data and experimental insight(s)
• Coordinate equipment, raw materials, processing tools, training, and resource balancing to meet daily seeding, transplanting, and harvesting schedules
• Monitor and adjust irrigation, nutrient, lighting, and climate to improve experimental results
• Establish and maintain a food-safe environment including daily cleaning with staff and production staff
• Coordinate facility maintenance and repairs to ensure continuous operations and a safe work environment

• Support implementation of a food safety program and EHS compliance (Program: Primus and or SQF) as it pertains to all growing operations and facility staff
• Oversee the development and implementation of Standard Operating Procedures that are consistent, detailed, and rigorous
• Identify operational strategies to improve experimental design and scheduling, production methods, and best practices when working in cross-functional research-based teams 
• Support workflow optimization by measuring and tracking Key Performance Indicators (KPI) to drive decisions that remove bottlenecks and increase efficiencies
• Establish good relationships with colleagues across the teams at Unfold
• Create and maintain a culture of innovation, learning, and accountability, and foster the development of a team of capable operators.

Required Qualifications

• 3 years of Controlled Environment Agriculture experience and intimate knowledge of hydroponics and modern growing techniques and systems
• Experience with growing leafy greens and herbs in a high-tech greenhouse or indoor farming setup
• This role is highly collaborative and works closely with the Genetics and Digital teams at Unfold, thus, requires a demonstrated ability to coordinate projects with cross-functional teams
• Self-motivated and curious to identify creative ideas; out-of-the-box thinking is critical as the process is evolving
• Pesticide Applicator's license or willingness to become licensed
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Data-driven decision-maker
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills
• Detail-oriented
• Proficient with computers, sensors, data collection, and modern BI tools
• Ability and willingness to travel (international and domestic) as necessary to support Unfold
• Dedicated leader with a passion for team success
• Able to work across multiple locations in Davis, Woodland, and West Sacramento
• Unfold prohibits any smoking and tobacco use while both offsite and at company-owned or leased properties (therefore candidates must not smoke or use tobacco products of any kind)

Physical Requirements

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to perform grasping, talking, hearing, seeing, and repetitive motions and may be required to stand or walk for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to lift, carry and balance up to 40 pounds

The pay range for this position allows for a salary range of $100,000 - $120,000/yr; however, the base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

We are committed to keeping employees healthy, motivated, focused, and creative both in and outside of the office. We recognize the value of comprehensive benefits to employees and their families - Therefore we offer a competitive compensation and benefits program including 100% covered employee medical, dental, and vision insurance (75% for dependents), 100% covered life insurance policy, unlimited PTO policy, a $50 monthly commuter benefit, a $100 monthly wellness benefit, 14 company paid holidays plus an end of year shutdown, paid pregnancy and parental leave, and the option to enroll in FSA & DCFSA accounts, as well as individual training and development opportunities. The list above details our current available benefits - However, we are continuously working to improve our offerings by listening to our team as we design and update them.

Unfold values the health and welfare of our employees therefore, any newly hired candidate must provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to the start of their employment. If you wish to request an accommodation due to a disability or a qualifying medical condition that contraindicates the vaccination, or you object to being vaccinated on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, Unfold will engage in a process to determine if a reasonable accommodation can be provided.

Unfold is committed to making the job application process accessible to everyone - If you are living with a disability (visible or not visible) and need to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please let us know so we can accommodate you. 

Unfold is committed to promoting a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that all Unfold employees share the responsibility of upholding our commitment to these values and encourage candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences to join us in our mission of reimagining the nature of how we sow, grow, and know plants so that we can all work together to create a world in which the freshest, most nutritious, most delicious produce is available to every person on our planet. Unfold does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.