Director of Farm Operations

University of Kentucky; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kentucky in Lexington invites applications for a 12-month staff position as Director of Farm Operations at the Horticulture Research Farm. The role leads farm staff and facilities, guiding operations across crops, greenhouses, a 5-acre vineyard and winery, a CSA program, and a 30-acre organic unit with community engagement.

Start date negotiable for January 1, 2027. Ideal candidates hold a bachelor’s degree (master’s preferred) with at least 6 years in agriculture, including

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with strong leadership and management background.
• Master's degree preferred in agriculture, horticulture, or related field.
• Minimum 6 years in an agriculture-related field with documented leadership.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily farming operations across vegetables, fruits, floriculture, nursery crops, greenhouses and high tunnels.
• Manage farm staff, facilities, and multiple components including vineyard, winery, CSA program and organic farming unit.
• Provide strategic leadership, coordinate with faculty, staff, students and stakeholders, and report to the Department Chair.

Skills

Leadership

Farm management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

The Department of Horticulture (http://www.uky.edu/hort/) seeks to fill a 12-month staff position as the Director of Farm Operations for the Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The expected start date, which is negotiable, is January 1, 2027.

Horticulture is a vibrant and growing sector of Kentucky agriculture, providing farmers with high-value crops and communities with nutritious fruits and vegetables and attractive landscapes. With an emphasis on sustainability and food as health, the Department of Horticulture seeks an individual with exceptional farming, leadership, and management skills to oversee its nationally recognized, 105-acre research farm. The farm supports research, extension, and education in sustainable horticulture and facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration to investigate, demonstrate, and communicate practices that strengthen community food systems and horticultural enterprises. Its overarching goal is to provide an environment where faculty, staff, and students can make scientific breakthroughs that advance horticultural production systems. The Director of Farm Operations will manage farm staff and facilities and oversee daily farming operations involving vegetables, fruits, floriculture, nursery crops, greenhouses and high tunnels, a 5-acre research vineyard and winery, a 30-acre certified Organic Farming Unit with a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program (https://csa.mgcafe.uky.edu) that provides experiential learning opportunities, and a 5-acre fruit orchard at another central KY UK research farm on the north side of Lexington. This position reports to the Chair of the Department of Horticulture.

November 30, 2026.

The selected candidate will be required to provide documentation verifying eligibility to work in the United States.

Suitable candidates should have a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree (Master’s degree is preferred) and at least 6 years of experience in an agriculture-related field, including documented leadership experience. The ideal candidate possesses outstanding farming, leadership and management skills, including a holistic knowledge of farm management, from conventional to organic systems, and demonstrated accomplishments in production agriculture. Candidates should possess interpersonal skills that facilitate working with a variety of audiences including faculty, staff, students, administrators, and public stakeholders. Excellent oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, and a commitment to high-quality research, extension and education are required. The individual should demonstrate the ability to function as a team leader as well as within a team and to communicate effectively.