Director, Growing & Harvesting Ops — Plant Produce

Bonduelle Group Americas; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Bonduelle Americas is seeking a Director of Growing & Harvesting Operations to oversee end-to-end crop production, harvesting, and inbound raw-material logistics across regions including Santa Maria, Salinas, and Yuma. This leadership role drives contracts with growers, adheres to pound/acre agreements, and emphasizes cost management and product quality.

You will steer field execution, provide accurate supply estimates, mitigate quality and food-safety risks, and collaborate with sourcing and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in growing operations, harvesting management, 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.

Responsibilities

• 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.
• Ensure raw product meets quality, food safety, and customer specifications.
• 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, escalated compliance gaps, and resolve contractual issues as needed.
• 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.
• Proactively mitigate field-level quality challenges and ensure compliance with food-safety requirements.
• Implement corrective actions when field deviations or quality risks occur.
• Partner with sourcing, raw-material planning, and supply planning teams to align supply with demand.
• Coordinate sourcing solutions when supply gaps occur, including outside purchases.
• Communicate real-time field updates to internal stakeholders for planning and customer service.
• Lead, coach, and develop production and harvesting teams; drive continuous improvement across field operations.

Skills

Leadership

Budget management

Negotiation

Forecasting

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s in Agriculture / related field

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Bonduelle Americas is seeking a Director of Growing & Harvesting Operations to oversee end-to-end crop production, harvesting, and inbound raw-material logistics across regions including Santa Maria, Salinas, and Yuma. This leadership role drives contracts with growers, adheres to pound/acre agreements, and emphasizes cost management and product quality.

You will steer field execution, provide accurate supply estimates, mitigate quality and food-safety risks, and collaborate with sourcing and