Director of Farm Management #8003

NPAworldwide; Boise (ID); On-site; USD 150,000 - 225,000; Full time

Job summary

NPAworldwide is seeking a Director of Farm Management for an Idaho client farm operation. You will lead approximately five Farm Managers across about 17,000 acres, directing crop production, irrigation, crop protection, and harvest planning to meet yield, quality, and cost targets.

The role requires a strong background in production agriculture, leadership, and the ability to translate strategy into actionable plans across multiple crops and locations.

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years of senior farm-management experience.
• Strong irrigation, fertility, crop protection knowledge.
• Willingness to travel and work long hours in the field.

Responsibilities

• Lead five Farm Managers across roughly 17,000 acres, setting expectations and accountability.
• Develop production programs and oversee irrigation, fertility, and crop protection.
• Coordinate harvest plans and align with Sales and Warehouse.
• Develop preseason and in-season production plans with standardized practices.
• Build tools and dashboards to improve planning and accountability.

Skills

Leadership

Problem solving

Learning ability

Systems thinking

Communication

Accountability

Education

Bachelor's degree in Agronomy or related field

Tools

Excel

Job description

Position Summary

Job Description:

Director of Farm Management #8003

Position Summary

Idaho client farms is seeking an experienced Director of Farm Managementto lead crop production across approximately 17,000 acres of diverse specialty and rotation crops in Southern Idaho. The Director will lead approximately five Farm Managers and hold overall responsibility for crop performance across all operations managing through others, solving complex problems, and driving consistent execution across multiple farms and departments. The ideal candidate has a strong foundation in production agriculture and can quickly learn new crops, systems, and technologies; prior experience with every crop grown is not required. What matters most is a demonstrated track record of leading people, managing complexity, and taking ownership of results. The Director Farm Management and Director of Field Operations departments are separate: Operations supplies the labor and equipment for fieldwork, while Farm Management owns the crop. The Director ensures production plans are sound, fieldwork meets standard, and crops achieve company targets for yield, quality, and cost.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Farm Management

Lead approximately five Farm Managers across roughly 17,000 acres, setting clear expectations and holding them accountable for planning, execution, and crop performance. Visit each farming unit at least weekly during the growing season, working alongside Farm Managers to spot developing problems and make high-level production decisions. Serve as the senior resource on difficult agronomic and operational issues irrigation, fertility, crop protection, and field execution while developing Farm Managers' technical and management capabilities. Conduct performance reviews, make recommendations on compensation, staffing, and employment decisions, and resolve cross-department issues with Field Operations, Sales, and Warehouse as needed.

Crop Production & Agronomy

Develop annual production programs for farm's primary fresh crops (watermelon, sweet corn, onions, pumpkins), rotation crops (field corn, hay), and oversee the execution of a sister companys programs for potatoes and sugar beets. Provide technical leadership in irrigation, fertility, and crop protection including fertilizer programs based on soil and tissue data, and chemistry selection with FRAC resistance-management practices. Oversee irrigation management across both center-pivot and drip-irrigated production systems. Diagnose crop and production problems, identify root causes, and implement timely corrective action, weighing the economic return of production decisions.

Harvest & Commercial Coordination

Evaluate crop maturity and harvest readiness, and develop harvest plans and priorities based on crop condition, customer needs, and available capacity. Coordinate harvest activity and communicate volume projections across Farm Management, Field Operations, Sales, and Warehouse. Serve as a secondary contact for fresh-market sales relationships and as primary farm-management contact for processing customers. Monitor harvest crews for quality and efficiency, and adjust harvest plans as crop conditions, weather, labor, or customer needs change.

Planning, Systems & Communication

Develop comprehensive preseason and in-season production plans, translating strategy into clear schedules, priorities, and responsibilities for Farm Managers and Operations. Maintain effective systems for communicating plans and changes, and ensure standardized production practices are consistently applied across farming units. Build management tools spreadsheets, dashboards, schedules using technology and automation to improve planning, visibility, and accountability. Maintain strong follow-through to ensure plans and decisions are carried through to completion.

Budgeting & Performance

Develop annual crop and production budgets with Farm Managers and company leadership, and monitor performance and costs throughout the season. Hold Farm Managers accountable to production and financial targets, evaluating decisions by their impact on yield, quality, and economic return. Lead postseason reviews comparing results to plans, budgets, and targets, and incorporate findings practices, varieties, fields into future production plans.

Research & Continuous Improvement

Develop and oversee variety and production trials aimed at improving yield, quality, harvest timing, efficiency, or market opportunities, and determine whether successful results should move into commercial production. Continually identify opportunities to improve agronomic practices, management systems, technology, and overall farm performance.

Candidate Profile

Farm Is Looking For An Individual With The Capacity To Lead a Complex Agricultural Operation And Develop The People Responsible For Managing It. The Strongest Candidates Will Demonstrate:

Leadership: a track record of managing managers, setting expectations, and creating accountability. Problem Solving & Judgment: the ability to diagnose complex problems, evaluate alternatives, and make sound, timely decisions amid changing or incomplete information. Learning Ability & Technical Credibility: a strong practical foundation in commercial crop production and the ability to quickly grasp unfamiliar crops, systems, and technologies. Initiative: a proactive approach to identifying and addressing problems before they materially affect results. Systems Thinking & Planning: the ability to build scalable processes and management tools, anticipate needs, and coordinate across multiple people, departments, and locations. Communication: the ability to clearly convey expectations, plans, and priorities across all levels of the organization. Accountability: willingness to take ownership of results and directly address performance issues.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum 5 years of relevant commercial farm-management or crop-production management experience, including demonstrated leadership of managers or senior production personnel.
• Strong practical foundation in commercial crop production irrigation, fertility, crop protection, and field operations with experience managing significant acreage or comparable operational complexity.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, planning, and organizational abilities, with strong computer aptitude and willingness to use technology extensively.
• Ability to spend significant time in the field, travel regularly among other locations, and work extended hours during planting and harvest.

Preferred

• Production experience with at least two of the following crops: onions, potatoes, sugar beets, watermelon, sweet corn, or pumpkins.
• Experience with both center-pivot and drip irrigation.
• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Agricultural Business, or a related field; significant relevant experience may substitute for formal education.
• Advanced Excel skills, particularly experience creating automated and scalable planning or management tools.
• Spanish-language skills.

Why Is This a Great Opportunity

Well known, respected, successful, 2nd generation family farm enterprises growing and expanding. Client welcomes strong history with candidate's previous farm senior management and open to new position, new opportunities. This is a new position and represents growth, success, and strong, positive national reputation.

Salary Type

Salary Type : Annual Salary

Salary Min

Salary Min : $ 150000

Salary Max

Salary Max : $ 225000

Currency Type

Currency Type : USD