Job Description

ABOUT OISHII:

At Oishii, we grow the best fruit in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. We’re the first in the world to grow fruit in an indoor vertical farm at commercial scale. Our proprietary technology, developed through years of intensive research in Japan and the US, enables us to grow the very best produce year-round, at the same high level of quality, all without using any pesticides. We believe in a future where agriculture is resource efficient, climate resilient and globally accessible. Since raising our $50mm series A funding from leading investors, we have rapidly expanded our farm facilities and assembled a world-class team with backgrounds spanning vertical farming, industrial automation, farm operations, and data analysis. Oishii has been profiled in Eater, NPR, Time, and Fortune. If you're interested in building the farm of the future with us, we look forward to hearing from you!  

ABOUT THE PROGRAM:

If you are seeking to accelerate your career in indoor agriculture at the most innovative vertical farming company, the Oishii indoor Ag Leaders Program is for you. This program seeks to train leaders who are passionate about building a food secure and sustainable future through indoor agriculture. It is a 24 months, paid, full time training program where trainees will master essential indoor agriculture operations, learn critical communications and management skills, and further develop into owners of farm planning and operations management. Upon graduation, leaders may choose to pursue critical farm leadership roles or compete for a position in operations, distribution, or research and development. This selective and demanding program will equip trainees with essential indoor agriculture knowledge, leadership experiences, and people and project management skills. You’ll work closely with and learn from an A-plus team of colleagues and mentors who’ve graduated from top schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Yale, MIT and more!

LOCATION:

The training program will be held in Jersey City, New Jersey (1-2 years). Upon graduation, you’ll take on a farm unit leader role in Pennsylvania. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

PHASE I: FARM OPERATIONS TRAINEE (4-6 MONTHS) During your first phase, you will learn and master all aspects of indoor vertical strawberry farming operations. It is crucial to lay the foundations to farm operations as a deep understanding of how vertical farming works will provide the context to allow you to play a pivotal role in the future.  

• Learn about all stages of the strawberry plant life cycle - propagation, cultivation, pruning, and harvesting.

• Master and execute the basics to indoor agriculture 

• Engage in data collection and analysis so that we can continually improve our strawberries.

PHASE 2: OPERATIONS TRAINER (8-10 MONTHS)

During your second phase, you’ll spend 1-2 months training to become a trainer. You’ll be coached on communication skills necessary as a leader. You’ll also exercise your problem solving and critical thinking skills, and utilize your farm operations experience, to optimize features of the operations (e.g. Ergonomics of harvesting/pruning, streamline pest management operations, etc).  

• Take on a project that flexes your project solving muscles (e.g. operations improvement)

• Manage small teams and/or operations.

• Review and refine operating and training SOPs 

• Conduct training sessions and impart farm operations knowledge to new operations trainees and operators. 

• Maintain responsibility for farm related Key Performance Indicators.

FARM UNIT LEADER TRAINEE (6-8 MONTHS)

In your final phase, you’ll take ownership of farm planning and operations management for an entire farm unit or ancillary/support facility, such as the packaging room. 

• Lead and manage a team of farm operators and trainees. 

• Coordinate cross-functionally with operations, engineering, and sales/distribution departments, as required to fulfill your duties. 

• Own key farm outcomes that contribute to high yield and quality.

INDOOR AG LEADER GRADUATE

As a successful graduate of the program, you’ll continue to pursue key leadership roles within the farm team such as inventory management, resource planning, human resource allocation, etc. Subject to the business needs at that time, you may also compete to take on critical roles in sales and distribution planning, marketing activations, and general project management. The possibilities are endless.

WHO YOU ARE:

• You really, really love plants and want to work within a farm environment. 

• You’re a passionate and motivated individual that wants to make a difference in food security and sustainability.

• You’re a meticulous, self-motivated team player with a positive attitude - everyone at Oishii is a joy to work with!

• You’re a great communicator and display strong leadership potential. 

• You are an active and dynamic person; a desk job isn’t your thing. 

• You are determined to overcome obstacles and don’t choose the easy path. 

• You’re authorized to work in the US.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS:

• Start date: March / April 2022

• Location: On-site at our company’s headquarters in Jersey City, New Jersey (20 minutes drive from Manhattan).

• Compensation: Paid, to be discussed