About the Opportunity

To ensure the optimal and consistent development of crops at the research center through the comprehensive and efficient management of agricultural operations. In the irrigation and fertilization area, the objective is to plan, execute, and monitor the timely application of water and nutrients based on the crop’s phenological requirements and soil analysis. This includes ensuring the proper operation and maintenance of irrigation systems, optimizing the use of water resources and fertilizers, supervising the assigned team, and maintaining complete traceability of activities to generate efficiency indicators related to water and nutrient use.

In the plant health area, the objective is to prevent, monitor, and control pests and diseases that may affect crop quality and productivity. This is achieved through the implementation and follow-up of the annual phytosanitary management and responsible pesticide use program, the evaluation of damage thresholds, and the generation of indicators that measure the effectiveness of the strategies applied, supporting the continuous improvement of the center’s plant health management practices.

 

Responsibilities

tbd

• Oversee the agronomy of all crops in substrate, working with the existing research farm teams to grow the crops to best commercial practice.
• Review recipes and implement proper fertility program for blackberries, raspberries and blueberries.
• Gather vendor information and lead the decision-making process of selecting a provider of a new technology purchase.
• Manage a team of technicians by giving guidance on irrigation a fertility decision, daily/weekly tasks and long-term planning. Experience on technical training. 
• Ensure correct EC, pH and fertility are maintained in correct ranges through analysis of daily data collection and oversight of irrigation system maintenance.
• Support pest and disease control program, including scouting and coordination of chemical applications and working directly with pesticide application supervisor. 
• Oversee tractor operations and proper maintenance of tractors and forklifts with the help of the tractor equipment assistant supervisor. 
• Follow operating budgets by purchasing, tracking, and coding farming expenses.
• Communicate weekly with internal customers (breeders, entomologists, plant pathologists, and applied researchers) on fertilization, pest/disease management, and other farming duties.
• Gather monthly water samples and tissue samples to guarantee proper nutrient targets are met. 
• Comply with company policies and practices while representing Driscoll’s in an ethical and business-like manner in all interactions with employees, governmental agencies, growers, customers, etc. 
• Ability to work well with all supervisors and employees at a ranch level. 

   

Candidate Profile

• A Bachelor’s degree or a Master’s degree in Horticulture, Biology, Biochemistry or Agriculture, with comprehensive understanding of horticulture crops and agronomy, plant physiology and plant genetics.
• Experience in similar positions: 5 years
• Advanced English
• Driver’s License

Knowledge:

• Pest & Disease Control.
• Fertility/Plant Health
• Integrated Pest Management Program
• Technical knowledge of growing berries/Agronomy.
• Ag Technology savvy.
• Planning & Logistics.

Experience:

• Experience with automated irrigation platforms (SENMATIC, PRIVA, KNITINK, etc.)
• Experience growing crops in substrate.
• Follow pesticide and fertility budgets.
• Generate and manage farming protocols.

• Measure of KPI’s according to business goals
• Experience Managing People: 3-5 years