Founded in 1922 and third generation owned, Wish Farms is a year-round supplier of all berries with growing operations throughout the USA, Canada, and South America. Nationally recognized for quality and innovation, Wish Farms is an industry leader marketing and shipping produce for independent growers for 100 years.
We have a career opportunity available for a talented and motivated individual to join our team as a Grower Relations Manager in Santa Maria, CA. This role is responsible for leading and managing the supply side of the berry program. This position is imperative to the overall success of the berry program.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
- Provide leadership and organization for the berry supply team.
- Maintain sound grower relationships with berry producers throughout San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties of California.
- Maintain a strong network of contacts within the berry producer communities throughout California and a record of these contacts and information about their operations.
- Represent the organization at trade association meetings and conferences.
- Recruit high quality producers/suppliers that fit within our marketing strategy in target regions.
- Manage grower deals as needed during the berry harvest season, including daily communication of market conditions, volume estimates, packing plan, and quality.
- Ensure all relevant field information is communicated accurately and timely to the sales team and the Director of Sourcing and Product Management.
- Work closely with the sales team and the Director of Sourcing and Product Management to gather and communicate information about historical and projected harvest volumes, economic trends and quality as related to customer expectations.
- Gather volume estimates for growers prior to and during harvest and report using the appropriate documents within the scope of the supply forecast utilized by the Wish Farms supply team.
- Update daily and weekly volume estimates, which may include entry into Famous software. Update Famous with harvest pack plan per guidance from sales/commodity manager.
- Ensure suppliers are set up to operate the Berry Track data collection/trace system as needed.
- Ensure growers/suppliers remain compliant with company standards (i.e. quality, food safety, traceability, etc.).
- Maintain awareness of the competitive landscape, opportunities for growth, market, new industry standards, and so forth.
Work Requirements:
- Travel is required to generate new supplier relationships as needed, maintain existing supplier relationships, assess crop stages, and attend industry conferences.
- Standard work week of 40 to 50 hours, with some weeks requiring in excess of 50 hours depending on the season and workload.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Strong ability to problem solve and visualize improvement for various issues.
- Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment.
- Positive attitude aligned with the Wish Farms culture.
- Ability to prioritize, multi-task, and meet deadlines.
- Flexible work schedule including some nights and weekends.
- Ability to travel between counties of responsibility in California.
Qualifications and Skills:
- Five (5) years agricultural work experience in a supervisory position. Berry experience is highly desirable.
- Bachelor's Degree in Agricultural or related field, highly desirable.
- Ability to work a flexible schedule as determined by crop conditions and client requirements.
- Ability to read and understand written instructions from suppliers, regulators, or management.
- Ability to use a computer, tablet, and smartphone for multiple purposes including record keeping, reporting, and communications.
- Must be able to communicate fluently (verbal, written and presentation) in English and Spanish preferable.
- Must have valid driver's license and ability to be insured under Company Insurance Program.
- Position requires ability to spend varied lengths of time: standing, bending, reaching, and lifting up to 50lbs.