Position: Production Team Lead

Department/Location: Houston Production Facility

Reports To: Houston Production Manager

FLSA Status: Exempt

COMPANY:

Headquartered in Orlando, FL, Kalera is a science and technology-driven company dedicated to growing the very best possible produce; it is smart horticulture at its best. As the technology leaders in urban vertical farming, Kalera focuses on clean, safe, healthy, tasty greens and on the efficiencies of growing locally in controlled environments.

Founded in 2010, Kalera has, over several years, perfected unique hydroponic growing methods combining optimized nutrients and light recipes, precise environmental controls, and clean room standards to produce safe, highly nutritious, pesticide-free, non-GMO vegetables with consistent high quality and longer shelf life year-round. With indoor facilities situated right where the demand is, Kalera is able to supply an abundance of produce locally, eliminating the need for long distance shipping. This means Kalera can ensure the highest quality and freshness by delivering product to customers within hours of harvest year-round. Kalera's plants grow while consuming 95% less water compared to field farming.

Kalera has recently opened a new state-of-the-art growing facility in Orlando, FL. With an annual output of over five million heads of lettuce per year, this new facility is the highest production volume vertical farm in the Southeast US. The rapidly constructed facility also demonstrates Kalera’s ability to quickly build and open farms around the US and internationally. Having recently announced new facilities in Atlanta and Houston to open in early 2021, Kalera has aggressive near-term expansion plans both domestically and internationally.

For more information, please visit www.kalera.com, along with supplemental media coverage:

·Kalera film

·Global Newswire article - Kalera opens new vertical farming facility in Orlando

·Forbes article - farm of the future

·Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue Visits Kalera

·Orlando Sentinel Article

Consider applying here if you want to:

• Work in an entrepreneurial and dynamic environment with a chance to make an impact.
• Develop lasting relationships with great people.
• Have the opportunity to build a satisfying career.

Reports/Relationships:

The Production Team Lead Reports to the Production Manager, under the Warehouse/Production Department.

Summary:

The Production Team Lead will oversee the Warehouse and Production Operations team. This position will manage tasks in a proactive manner, ensuring that in-house team members are always kept informed of projects regarding the progress, challenges, impacts, changes to schedule, and scope. This position maintains responsibility for improving the production and warehouse integrity as well as ensure compliance of key safety processes within the Kalera, Inc. facility. The Production Team Lead is also responsible for providing direction to on-site Production and Warehouse Team Members to maintain Kalera’s facilities and critical production processes.

Job Descriptions and Responsibilities:

• Must constantly focus on improving line performance, limiting downtime, improving changeover time on all lines. Must correct issues permanently, and not just until they occur again
• Manage people to ensure all are performing to expectations and optimizing their contributions.
• Plan and execute effective line startups, ensure cleaning on all equipment is maintained, plan new product runs effectively.
• Encourage an environment of idea generation, not complaints. Handle complaints as they arise and develop solutions quickly.
• Must communicate clearly with team what is expected.
•  Monitor people performance and address inefficiencies thru coaching and positive motivation and/or formal disciplinary action if required.
• Follow up and develop improvement plans when required.
• Develop employees to the "expert level" of their area of responsibility. Cross training of hourly team members to allow more flexibility in scheduling.
• Certify each employee has completed training and are fully qualified and periodically validate.
• Demonstrate leadership and strong people interactions skills and practices. Address difficult issues with employees, push back on people issues when needed, listen to people and react to their concerns, be objective and listen to all sides of an issue, reward people for job well done, has the ability to positively say no when needed. Focus on training and developing people including cross training. Delegate work to develop employees who show potential to progress.
• Ensure plant safety rules are followed including safe lifting practices and safe machine operation. Personal Protective Equipment is to be used where required.
• Ensure food safety policies and procedures are followed. Personal Protective Equipment is to be used where required.
• Maintain quality requirements in accordance with company standards; accurately filling out inspection logs based on overall production quality. Responsible for reporting all quality defects.
• Ability to work in all assigned areas of production; perform relief duties when required.
• Troubleshoot minor production line issues; perform relief duties.
• Regular and predictable attendance is an essential function of the job.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and routinely lift up to 25 lbs.
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications:

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent required
• 5 years production, assembly line or warehouse experience preferred
• Experience leading and supervising a team in a fast pace environment
• Ability to lead team in multi-tasking, prioritization, and meeting timelines on deliverable
• Ability to mentor, coach and provide direction to a team of employees
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule

Equal Opportunity Employer

At Kalera, Inc. all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other basis protected by applicable law.