Head Strawberry Grower (junior) @ Varmers Full Time

Varmers is a Bangkok based collaboration between different cultures where Dutch technology and Thai ingenuity are combined. Together, we are trying to change the Thai food landscape for the better.
Our goal is to replace most of the Thai grocery departments with affordable locally homegrown organic pesticide-free fresh leafy greens, soft fruits, herbs and micro greens of superior quality all year round.

To do this, we have created our own technological approach and our own modular construction system which allows us to build and maintain new vertical farms every few months. Every vertical farm will have multiple products based on the Thai population’s and the grocery store’s needs.

The Thai population is waiting for this shift. The population is growing, outdoor farming is stressed under rising temperatures and long droughts, the outdoor farmers are moving to big cities to earn more money and smaller cities are rapidly developing into mega cities. This combined gives us the opportunity to build indoor farms fast yet responsibly and to professionalize the farming landscape while maintaining a profitable business model.

As Varmers approaches its first phase of explosive growth, we seek out creative, motivated humans who will join us in disrupting industry standards and lead the way in vertical farming and plant biology breakthroughs to solve, and tackle global issues.

We are looking for people that want to be part of this journey and can contribute with knowledge, skills and solutions.

Work Schedule – 9am-4.30 pm, some weekends and OT may be required
Varmers is seeking an experienced Head Grower to focus on the crop health, yield and quality in our farms. The Head Grower will support the introduction & operationalization of new products, while serving as a critical partner in analyzing datasets, and guiding key business decisions around yield and quality performance.

The Head Grower will join a team of Varmers to provide input around crop variety trials and contribute to the overall direction of our new product development.

This job can be: full contract, part time or intern.

Responsibilities

• You will manage day to day growing operations in farm and help plan growing operations for future farms in conjunction with the systems engineering and agricultural Science.
• You will lead a team to ensure farm health is maintained across critical systems, disease and seed management and nutrient performance.
• You will diagnose infield crop performance and providing feedback to the rest of the Varmers members.
• You will be a critical partner in transitioning new products from R&D to an operational environment.
• You will influence daily activity and recommend new techniques and processes that will make our farm operators more efficient and effective.
• You will influence our crop development roadmap, and help us evaluate new varieties for quality, yield and taste.
• You will recommend new monitoring and control systems that give Varmers increasing levels of control on the most important variables for plant growth.
• You will be a critical partner in working with our Marketing team providing feedback on “in-farm” observations and sensory data.

Requirements/Skills

• You are passionate about our mission, excited to revolutionize agriculture.
• You have research, education, or experience in growing agriculture crops (primarily strawberries or berries in general) in the field and/or under controlled environment.
• You have relevant work experience in a management position in commercial greenhouse production, preferably in soft fruits.
• You can work independently in a small team environment.
• You have the versatility to collaborate with individuals at all levels and across various functions.
• You are an excellent oral and written communicator who is able to shift between technical discussions and layman’s terms with ease.
• You believe that teams succeed and fail together and take responsibility for ensuring the success and satisfaction of your teammates.
• You’re a poised multitasker who thrives in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities.

Benefits

• Great monthly pay
• Medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability
• Housing (if needed)
• Plane tickets to home country
• Vacation
• Potential career growth

Personal Attributes

• Collaboration – we know we cannot fix the world’s problems as an individual, we have to work together as a team to make that happen. Teamwork is how we get there!
• Communication – we are a very small company, we work well together because we communicate well with each other. This way, we involve everyone and everyone’s voice is heard.
• Agility – We want you to make mistakes. Well, not preferred obviously. But we want you to make mistakes, find the mistakes, discuss them and solve them. There is no right or wrong way to do things. There are only goals, the road to these goals can differ.
• Accountability – we don’t micromanage, we hire individuals who know what they need to do and can do so with minimal direction and take ownership of their projects and deadlines.
• Respect – We work with different cultures in and need to respect different people, different ideas, different cultures etc. We can learn so much from each other, but respect is key.
• Empowerment – we provide an environment for growth and development: we need your help to develop our business, we will help you develop in your career, and sky is the limit given our growth plans!