Director, Growing & Harvesting Operations

Bonduelle Group Americas; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Bonduelle Americas is seeking a Director of Growing & Harvesting Operations to oversee end-to-end cropping, harvesting, and inbound logistics across regions, with a focus on cost management, quality, and food safety. You will negotiate grower contracts, manage field execution, and lead cross-functional teams to meet production goals.

The role requires extensive experience in fresh produce operations, strong leadership, and the ability to travel across growing regions.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in growing operations, harvesting management, agricultural supply chain, or fresh produce leadership.
• Deep knowledge of crop cycles, yield forecasting, field operations, and quality management.
• Proven experience negotiating agricultural contracts with growers and vendors.
• Strong understanding of perishable supply chains and inbound raw-material logistics.
• Demonstrated success managing large field teams across multiple regions.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets and cost-control initiatives.
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Science, Ag Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience; Master’s preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee end-to-end production and harvesting across multi-region locations (e.g., Santa Maria, Salinas, Yuma).
• Provide accurate and timely supply estimates and field availability updates for major crop types (iceberg, romaine, brassica, mixed-leaf).
• Ensure raw product meets quality, food safety, and customer specifications.
• Lead contract negotiations with grower partners and vendors across production regions; monitor performance.
• Own harvesting cost performance, including labor, equipment, and logistics; manage budgets.
• Mitigate field-level quality challenges (weather, pests, yield variability) and ensure food-safety compliance.
• Collaborate with sourcing, planning, and supply teams to align supply with demand; communicate field updates to stakeholders.
• Lead, coach, and develop production and harvesting teams; drive continuous improvement.

Skills

Leadership / team leadership

Contract negotiation

Budget management

Supply chain knowledge

Food safety knowledge

Travel

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agriculture / Agronomy / Plant Science / Ag Business / Supply Chain

Master's degree preferred

Job description

• Department: AgOps
• Reports to: VP of AgOps
• Location: Salinas

Make a greater impact at Bonduelle Americas!

Bonduelle Americas is a certified B Corp inviting people to embrace a flexitarian lifestyle with an expanding portfolio of plant-rich products available in and beyond the produce aisle. We operate four facilities and employ nearly 3,000 Associates in the US.

Bonduelle Americas is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Groupe Bonduelle (BON.PA), an established global brand with more than 170 years of family heritage bringing the joy of plants to tables around the world. Globally, our ready-to-eat plant-rich food products are grown on 173,000 acres by our grower partners and marketed in nearly 100 countries. Our mission is to inspire the transition toward a plant-rich diet to contribute to people's well-being and planet health.

Join us at Bonduelle Americas for an opportunity to advance your career in a culture that places people first. As a valued member of our company, you will work in a mission-driven environment aimed at preserving the planet’s resources while providing healthy plant-based products to millions of consumers around the world.

Position Summary

The Director of Growing & Harvesting Operations oversees all end-to-end activities crop production, harvesting, and inbound raw-material logistics across all regions. This role leads raw product supply contract negotiations, ensuring full adherence to pound and acre supply agreements with a focus on cost management and ensuring product quality. The Director of Growing & Harvesting Operations is responsible for driving field execution across iceberg, romaine, brassica and mixed-leaf crops—providing accurate supply estimates, mitigating quality and food-safety risks, and ensuring operational readiness across Santa Maria, Salinas, Yuma, and other regions. The role partners closely with sourcing and operations teams to identify solutions for supply gaps and maintain disciplined budget performance.

Key Responsibilities

• Growing & Harvesting Oversight
  • Direct production and harvesting operations across multi-region locations (e.g., Santa Maria, Salinas, Yuma).
  • Provide accurate and timely supply estimates and field availability updates for all major crop types (iceberg, romaine, brassica and mixed-leaf).
  • Ensure raw product meets quality, food safety, and customer specifications.
• Contract Negotiation & Compliance
  • Lead contract negotiations with grower partners and vendors across all production regions.
  • Ensure adherence to pound and acre agreements for internal production and outside purchases.
  • Monitor contract performance, escalates compliance gaps, and resolve contractual issues as needed.
• Cost & Budget Management
  • Own harvesting cost performance, including labor, equipment, and logistics.
  • Maintain strict budget discipline and identify opportunities for cost efficiencies.
  • Partner with finance to create accurate seasonal and annual harvest budgets.
• Field Quality, Risk Mitigation & Food Safety
  • Proactively mitigate field-level quality challenges (weather impacts, pest pressure, yield variability).
  • Ensure harvesting operations meet all company and regulatory food-safety requirements.
  • Implement corrective actions when field deviations or quality risks occur.
• Cross-Functional & Supply Alignment
  • Partner with sourcing, raw-material planning, and supply planning teams to ensure supply meets demand.
  • Coordinate sourcing solutions when supply gaps occur, including outside purchases.
  • Communicate real-time field updates to internal stakeholders for planning and ensuring customer service.
• Leadership & Team Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop production and harvesting teams.
  • Promote continuous improvement across field operations, logistics, and quality management.

Minimum Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in growing operations, harvesting management, agricultural supply chain, or fresh produce leadership.
• Deep knowledge of crop cycles, yield forecasting, field operations, and quality management.
• Proven experience negotiating agricultural contracts and managing vendor/grower relationships.
• Strong understanding of perishable supply chains and inbound raw-material logistics.
• Demonstrated success managing large field teams across multiple regions.
• Strong financial acumen and experience managing budgets and cost-control initiatives.
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Plant Science, Ag Business, Supply Chain, or equivalent experience; Master’s preferred.
• Ability to travel frequently across growing regions.