Section Grower 2

At Smith Gardens, our business is growing: Growing annuals and perennials, growing our relationships with partners, growing our love of gardening, and growing our team's passion and expertise in horticulture-all for the benefit of the consumers who love to garden.

Whether we are out in the greenhouses or working in the office, our Smith Gardens team is dedicated to delivering the healthiest plants on the market for the biggest impact on our partners' shelves and in our customers' gardens.

One of our Core Values is People: "We value and respect all people. We are focused on developing teams and growing the potential of individuals." We encourage personal growth and continued education so that each member of our Smith Gardens family succeeds. We take as much care cultivating the ecosystem of our offices as we do our gardens. Achieving the quality we strive for in our products and culture is truly a team effort, and every role is vital.

Nurturing growth, collaboration and community is in our nature. Put down roots at any of our five locations and unearth your full potential.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Section Grower 2 to join our Production Department. Responsible for daily irrigation, fertilization, crop protectants, and overall crop care. Accountable for crop needs including environmental controls, support with IPM, and sanitation/ housekeeping with support from Growing Leadership.

Job Duties

• Lead a team of up to 8 people, managing human resource situations with foresight, as well as training and developing staff and ecting activities.

• Responsible for more technical crops or locations

• Use and teach the "Language of Watering" to communicate detailed instructions to staff. Explain how to water considering multiple factors such as genera, age, and location.

• Support staff with creating task lists for the next day in order of priority, walking crops and basing decisions on workload, other dept tasks, and weather.

• Follow Crop Library and/or rotations set in plan.

• Assist in building, using, and maintaining our Crop Library.

• Understand and teach volume/ sq ft targets as well as the importance of uniform application to achieve quality crops.

• Recognize and adjust manual vents and/or adjust environmental control programming (Argus) to achieve a target if necessary.

• Create graphs using Argus to ensure environments are correct.

• Understand technical greenhouse environment management such as DIF, DIP, and humidity management.

• Follow and create ections regarding activities such as watering decisions, feeding decisions, EC levels, and application rates.

• Measure EC, pH, and alkalinity of water and soil in field tests. Recognizing discrepancies, troubleshoot, and reporting results to management.

• Monitor EC over time and provide suggestions to boost or leach EC levels or applications for pH management.

• Manage and program automated watering systems (BaseManager, mist systems)

• Work with the team to manage fertilizer injector tanks, checking for air in lines, and other basic troubleshooting.

• Calibrate, maintain, and teach the use of portable injectors to avoid common issues.

• Scout, identify, and use cues to scout for major pests and diseases. Able to find and identify problems proactively and training staff to do the same.

• Perform and lead others with applications of pesticides, fungicides, growth regulators efficiently while following all safety regulations.

• Fill out WPS forms and has label knowledge for chemicals most used, provides WPS training for Spanish-speaking employees. Educates staff of WPS rules and active in policing them.

• Ability to maintain accurate inventory records of a type of equipment or resource.

• Support and enforce all company policies and rules.

• Willingness to work longer hours seasonally as crops require.

Skill Requirements:

• Able to follow the Crop Library in order to produce quality crops on time.

• Basic computer and Microsoft office skills.

• Recognize and adjust when environments are not correct. (Venting, fans, heating, lighting, black cloth, shade cloth, etc.)

• Understand the basics of plant care and bedding plant identification.

• Aware of fertilizer types, crop protectants, and the importance of rates. (Pesticides, fungicides, bactericides, etc.)

• Able to use spraying equipment.

• A valid pesticide applicator's license must be obtained within 90 days of starting this position and kept current.

• Mechanical aptitude preferred.

• Knowledge of growth regulators and crop protectants. Aware of application windows, rates, and effectiveness on certain genera.

• Recognize when a plant is in the incorrect environment and what to do to mitigate the problem until the crop can be moved.

• Familiarity of pH and EC ranges for all crops in area.

Qualification/Education:

• Respectful, timely, and direct communication.

• 3 year of leadership experience

• Positive customer service attitude and work ethic.

• Self-motivated with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced working environment.

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture or related field, three or more years work experience, or an equivalent combination.

• Three or more years supervisory or leadership experience preferred.

• Knowledge of assigned genera grown that are requiring lighting, shading, cold, or special irrigation or feeding in order to flower on time.

Physical Requirements:

• Work indoors and outdoors, in seasonal temperatures and conditions.

• Lift up to 50 pounds in an environment that is often hot.

• Continuously walk, stand, bend, kneel (and remain working below knee-level) as well as reaching overhead, and from side to side for long periods of time.

BENEFITS:

• Medical/Dental/Vision insurance and Health Savings Accounts (HSA's) with employer contributions
• 401K retirement plan options with employer match
• Paid holidays
• Paid Time Off- Full-time employees accrue immediately!
• Annual Profit share
• Generous Employee Flower/Plant Discount Program
• Development opportunities
• Paid Time off for volunteering and community service
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellness program
• Fun employee events throughout the year

PAY RANGE: $24.82 - $27.82 per hour

Pay rate is determined by various components including, but not limited to, experience, skills, qualifications, relevant education, certifications, seniority, and location. The pay rate is one component of the total compensation package. Other rewards vary by position and location.

To learn more about our company & view a more detailed job description, visit our website at smithgardens.com/careers.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Smith Gardens provides equal employment opportunity to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state law.

Salary : $25 - $28