Farm Manager

Company Background/Culture

Gold Leaf is a fast-growing farming company whose core focus is to build farms, family, and a future we’re proud of. We own and operate ~12,000 acres of almonds, pistachios, and dates in California and Arizona, making us a top ~15 grower of these crops globally. Our growth has been enabled by >$300M of investment from our partners and our >75-person team that operates the farms every day.

Our North Star is to leave the world better than we found it. We have a significant opportunity to do well by doing good - we invest in our team, so that we can invest in differentiated, sustainable farming, so that we can drive financial results. Our farm workers have a $23 starting wage in California, fully paid healthcare, retirement, and parental leave. Many of our farms are transitioning to organic and all use cutting edge farming tech. These strategies have enabled us to be profitable and continue our focus on growth.

Over time, we aim to continue to grow our farms under management, acreage, and team. Our two founders have a balance of investing and farming experience – Jack (CEO) is former TPG Capital, McKinsey, and Stanford GSB while Brandon (Head of Farming) is an accomplished agronomist having managed 10,000+ acres. We hold traditional farming values in high regard: taking pride in quality operations, buying and holding prime farms with a long-term view (everything we buy we’d be happy to own forever), and staying grounded in our values: being candid, putting family first, acting like owners and leading by example. Learn more about Gold Leaf Farming at https://www.goldleaf.ag/

Role Overview

The Farm Manager is a key leader on the Operations Team who is responsible for the overall operations of the farms. Strategic planning and managing annual farm budgets for each GLF farm is an important part of the Farm Manager’s responsibility and includes the development and execution of budgets for each crop grown and harvested - both organic and conventional. The work done by a Farm Manager should aim to optimize yields and foster the performance of our orchards in future years while prioritizing careful use of resources and a budget. All the above is translated into annual cash flow, which is the core metric in their performance. The Farm Manager is also a people leader who oversees and is responsible for the performance and development of a team of Foremen and Farm Operators as well as the overall culture of the farms. The Farm Manager generally splits their time evenly between working at the farms and working in the office, while allowing for flexibility for more time in either area based on the needs of the team they lead, activities happening at the farms, and work coming due in a given week. This person will be responsible for managing ~4,000 acres of pistachios in Kingman, Arizona.

Responsibilities:

As a high-growth company, roles will evolve, but initially the key responsibilities of this role are:

Day to Day Management of Farm Portfolio (30% of time):

• Manages the daily operations of the GLF properties in their assigned portfolio
• Accountable for the safe operation of the farms at all times, including validating the proper chemical and equipment training has been completed and documented prior to task completion
• Maintains compliance with all local, state and federal safety and operations requirements
• Walks farms regularly and intimately knows the current state and quality of all crops. Problem solves day-to-day issues and establishes the strategy for when budget deviation is necessary
• Establishes effective irrigation schedules and ensures the agronomy playbook is followed
• Stays attuned to risks (weather, pests, etc.) that could negatively impact the health of our crops and acts proactively to mitigate potential impact and quickly communicates issues impacting yield to leadership in a timely manner

Budget Management (25% of time)

• Establishes the annual budget and manages the P&L as well as the overall performance of each farm they manage
• Reviews and approve bills weekly
• Maintains rigorous control over farm financial forecast and updates a minimum of weekly
• Manages labor spend and hiring based on farm needs
• Partners with the Asset Manager to manage long-term investment performance such as capital expenditures, taking on debt, etc.

Lead/Manage/Hold Accountable (LMA) Farm Teams (20% of time):

• Builds strong working relationships with all Assistant Farm Managers, Foremen, and Field Operators and holds them accountable for the timely completion of assigned tasks
• Leads a monthly meeting with each farm team to share company and farm updates and receive feedback from the team
• Understands the career aspirations of all team members and provides the team development opportunities to improve readiness to take on future roles
• Helps to create a coaching culture by candidly providing both positive and developmental feedback to all employees on their farms. Evaluates team performance quarterly
• Uphold and improve upon GLF’s culture and values at all farms
• As necessary, resolves personnel problems by investigating issues, identifying solutions, and recommending action while treating employees with respect through the process

Lead Farm-Level Agronomic Strategy (15% of Time):

• Conducts experimentation planning and execution, as assigned, to determine new best practices to use on all GLF farms
• Partners with the Head of Farming and Director of Farming Operations to trial new AgTechnology and enables future adoption
• Plans for the long-term sustainability of each farm and optimizes where possible

Internal and External Stakeholder Management (10% of Time):

• Partners with Procurement Specialist and others on the Operations Support Team to ensure all farming supplies and equipment are procured and readily available to ensure the safety and sustainability of our employees and farms
• Manages relationships with local vendors and seeks support for when supplies, equipment, and services are necessary
• Maintains regular contact with GLF Management and cross-functional support partners to proactively share necessary information, share best practices, and work through farm-specific problems. Is a participant in all team meetings, including but not limited to, weekly farming team meetings, weekly check ins with Asset Managers, twice monthly All Hands, monthly forecast to budget reviews, and quarterly meetings with leadership
• Assists Leadership Team and Asset Managers in performing due diligence site visits on properties near the farms they manage

Suggested Skills & Experience:

An excellent candidate for this role will have the following skills & experience. If you have some but not all of the below, please apply anyway. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion. We look forward to considering all strong candidates.

• Experience in a related field or with permanent crops, preferred but not required
• Previous people management experience, preferred but not required
• Bilingual in Spanish, preferred but not required
• Strong passion for leading and developing teams with a genuine care of people
• Excited by technology and innovation with experience in basic usage of Microsoft Excel, Word and other professional software programs

The Ideal Cultural Fit

• Self-starter with ownership mindset
• Willingness to be candid, think critically/act differently, and embrace change
• Energetic, positive/can-do attitude, and fun person to have on a team!

Compensation

The target annual salary range for this position is $90,000 - $110,000 plus company equity, potential performance-related bonus compensation, and employer sponsored benefits package. Individual compensation may vary based on additional factors including job-related experience, skills, and/or relevant education or training. Relocation assistance to cover reasonable moving expenses may be available for applicable scenarios.