Interim Director - Greenhouse Operations

Interim Director - Greenhouse Operations

IMMEDIATE INTERIM OPPORTUNITY

Interim Director, Greenhouse Operations

Reports To: VP Global Operations & Innovation

Duration: 6 months (approximately)

Location: Comox, BC

Our client is a Canadian agricultural and consumer goods company and a leader in its field. They are seeking an Interim Head of Operations for one of its greenhouse production facilities due to a leave of absence. During this period, the interim leader will oversee the organization’s cultivation efforts and facility operations to deliver healthy plants that meet specific breeding and R&D parameters. You will make strategic operational decisions, define priorities and manage multiple projects to drive innovation. To be considered for the role, you must have a background in either greenhouse operations or food/pharma manufacturing.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage a coastal greenhouse facility to enable smooth and consistent delivery of new product varieties and to deliver a globally competitive pipeline of genetics for the market.
• Ensuring a stable and reliable production environment to enable breeding pipeline and other R&D activities.
• Continuously improve the facility’s cultivation and operational systems to maintain important genetic resources.
• Provide leadership to the team, ensuring proper training, development, and performance management with respect to efficiency and compliance.
• Oversee cultivation schedules, including planting and harvesting.

Science And Innovation Agenda

• Implement best practices for plant nutrition, pest management, and disease prevention.
• Monitor and maintain optimal environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, lighting, etc.) in cultivation areas.
• Oversee nutrient, water and propagation management and the distribution of products while facilitating production scale trials, initiating new mother stock and ensuring redundancy of key genetics assets.
• Recommend, perform, and coordinate corrective actions such as the removal, isolation, or destruction of plants.

Facility Operations

• Manage day-to-day operations including the maintenance and operations of control systems for cultivation and the facility including electrical, mechanical, and site management systems.
• Supervise and lead the operations and maintenance team, ensuring proper training, development, and performance management.
• Work with engineering, IT and security teams to manage maintenance activities using DIMO and other systems.

Process Improvement

• Evaluate cultivation processes and identify areas for improvement to optimize productivity and product quality based on data and KPIs.

Reporting And Administration

• Maintain accurate records of cultivation activities, production metrics, and inventory levels and generate reports for leadership to track KPIs.
• Collaborate with the Operational Finance team and broader Operations team to manage and adhere to budgets.
• Monitor and control expenses related to cultivation and operations, optimizing resources without compromising quality of the work.
• Ensure compliance with federal, provincial, and local regulations for production and storage including Health Canada license conditions.
• Oversee the facility’s inventory control and record-keeping and collaborate with the Regulatory Affairs team, as well as regulatory agencies during inspections.

Health And Safety

• Work with the Director, HSE to align health and safety programs with existing programs, policies and required legislations.
• Champion health and safety practices in the facility, ensuring compliance with safety standards and protocols and implementation of SOPs.

Sustainability Initiatives

• Identify and implement sustainable cultivation practices to minimize environmental impact and introduce energy-efficient measures and waste reduction strategies, that align with ESG goals.

Competencies And Requirements

• Proven experience in a greenhouse cultivation or food production environment, with a minimum of 5-years in a people management role.
• Prior agriculture, food, beverage/alcohol or cannabis production experience—or other regulated product experience preferred.
• Excellent communication skills (oral, written and presentation).
• Proven ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and collaborate on projects.
• Ability to think strategically, problem solve and make quick decisions.
• Strong interpersonal and organizational and leadership skills.
• Accountable for results, strives to meet and exceed expectations.
• Advanced knowledge of computer software applications, with proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Outlook, Word & PowerPoint).

PLEASE SEND YOUR CV (AS A WORD DOC) TO: Interim.Applications@LHHknightsbridge.com (Subject: Job Title)

LHH Knightsbridge Interim Management is a service to help our clients address a wide range of scenarios including leadership support due to sudden departures, driving key change initiatives or leading transformation projects.

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Lee Hecht Harrison Knightsbridge Corp. is committed to providing equitable treatment and accommodation to ensure a barrier-free recruitment process. In accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and our AODA policy, a request for accommodation will be accepted as part of the hiring process. We thank all interested candidates in advance; however, only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.