Farm Manager Agriculture and Seed

Here at Kraft Heinz, we grow our people to grow our business, because we believe that great people make great companies. When you join our table, you can expect access to an array of holistic wellness benefits* and perks, including medical, dental and vision coverage, 7% 401(k) matching, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) to help foster diversity, inclusion, and belonging for all employees, an industry-leading total rewards package that emphasizes a high discretionary bonus.

Farm Manager Agriculture and Seed at a glance

As the Farm Manager Agriculture and Seed, you will oversee all aspects of the HeinzSeed Ag Research Farm in Stockton, California, including personnel management, agriculture systems, and budget oversight. You will ensure legal compliance, manage daily research farming activities, and coordinate fieldwork and crop establishment while maintaining high standards in irrigation, pest control, and seed-saving operations.
The Farm Manager Agriculture and Seed is responsible for coordinating lab work, tracking expenditures, scheduling labor, and ensuring the maintenance of farm equipment for efficient operations and successful tomato seed production. This role will be tasked with optimizing operations to support the growth of the HeinzSeed breeding program. This will involve navigating infrastructure and capacity challenges while implementing scalable processes that enhance efficiency, maintain quality, and ensure the farm continues to meet increasing demands. By leveraging data-driven insights and fostering continuous improvement, you will lead efforts to improve performance and enable operational success as the program expands.

What's on the menu? Primary Responsibilities:

• Manage and supervise employees, farm systems, and budget, including oversight of greenhouse, open-field farming, and the on-site microwave lab operations. Includes developing scalable processes that address capacity challenges, to support the HeinzSeed breeding program.
• Ensure compliance with local and federal laws and adherence to company safety policies, including obtaining the necessary pesticide application, hazardous materials, water coalition, and phytosanitary permits.
• Coordinate all fieldwork, starting in the fall after the previous crop, including disking, ripping, land planning, making beds, cultivation, and irrigation setup. Optimize fieldwork schedules and processes to address capacity limitations while ensuring high-quality crop establishment and research plot accuracy.
• Oversee the accurate transplanting and establishment of the research farm's tomato crop across 6,000 plots.
• Manage the growth of research plots to ensure proper evaluation and seed selection, including overseeing irrigation (sprinkler and drip), fertility programs, herbicide application, mechanical/hand weed control, and integrated pest management (IPM) to monitor pests and schedule treatments based on thresholds.
• Coordinate irrigation, fertigation, and all pest control of the farm with farm leads.
• Oversee all seed-saving operations, including managing harvest codes, single plant selections, and the processes of pulp washing, drying, and acid-treating seeds. Improve seed-saving workflows to accommodate increased breeding throughput without compromising on seed quality.
• Coordinate collecting and delivering tomato samples to labs, including SPK and MW harvests at the farm and mini-trials, and farm PPP harvests.
• Manage seed production coding by assigning plant codes based on seed requests while ensuring plant health and maintaining disease-free conditions. Coordinate the hand-harvest labor crews and evaluate off-type plants to maintain seed purity. Ensure all seed production is accurately accounted for and safely delivered to the seed department.
• Coordinate all greenhouse operations and seed production, including managing the transplanting of male and female plants. Oversee the scheduling of temperature, light, and irrigation settings, as well as planning and executing the plant fertigation schedule, to ensure optimal growing conditions.
• Ensure all farm and greenhouse supplies are available in a timely manner to support farming operations.
• Track and monitor all research farm expenditures to ensure adherence to the annual operating plan, including applying cost-effective strategies to enhance operational efficiency while managing capacity challenges.
• Plan and schedule temporary labor based on seasonal demands and specific tasks, including assessing workload requirements and aligning labor resources in adherence to the annual operating plan.
• Coordinate all farm equipment maintenance and service with the farm team, ensuring that lab, greenhouse, tractor equipment, and small shop tools such as air compressors and pressure washers are properly maintained. Additionally, oversee the scheduling of farm vehicle services and seed-saving equipment (e.g., pulpers), and pump and well servicing to keep all machinery in optimal working condition.

Recipe for Success: Apply now if this sounds like you!

• Bachelor's in agriculture, crop science, horticulture, soil science, or related field.
• Experience growing processing tomatoes in a professional setting (greenhouse and open field).
• At least 7 years of experience in the vegetable seed industry (greenhouse and open field), with a background in processing tomatoes and experience setting up trials, planting, and evaluations highly desirable.
• Prior experience supervising and managing hourly agriculture employees, ensuring efficient task completion and adherence to safety standards. Ability to address personnel issues and maintain a productive and supportive work environment.
• Experience hands-on farm experience and certified to apply crop protection.
• Ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and ensure timely completion of deadlines.
• Ability to build relationships, possess a strong work ethic, high sense of urgency, resilience, and collaboration.
• An appetite for learning, openness to new ideas, and alternative approaches to achieving the best outcomes.
• Professional fluency in English and Spanish with strong verbal and listening skills is required.
• Ability to work outdoors for extended periods and not averse to rugged conditions.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook)
• Must have a valid driver's license and meet MVR requirements.

Work Environment & Schedule:
This position primarily works outdoors, requiring regular exposure to varying weather conditions, including heat, cold, and rain. The role involves hands-on oversight of farm activities, including managing equipment, crops, and personnel. It is a physically demanding environment, with responsibilities that may require lifting, standing, and walking for extended periods. Additionally, the Farm Manager Agriculture and Seed must balance fieldwork with office tasks such as scheduling, reporting, and coordinating logistics, creating a dynamic mix of outdoor and administrative work including varying hours of daily work (as expected on a farm).

Physical Requirements / Physical demands include but not limited to:
Ability to lift and carry up to 50 pounds regularly. Prolonged periods of standing, walking, and working on uneven terrain. Regular exposure to outdoor weather conditions, including extreme heat, cold, and rain. Frequent bending, kneeling, and crouching to perform tasks Ability to operate and maneuver farm equipment and machinery safely. Extended hours during peak seasons, including weekends and holidays. Capacity to work in a fast-paced and physically demanding environment.

Kraft Heinz is an Equal Opportunity Employer that prohibits discrimination or harassment of any type. All qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Applicants who require an accommodation to participate in the job application or hiring process should contact NAZTAOps@kraftheinz.com.