Operations Specialist

BrightFarms is The Place to Grow! 

At BrightFarms, we’re on a mission to revolutionize the way leafy greens are grown. But we don’t just want to grow great-tasting greens, we want them to do good as well: for the planet, for the health of people, and for the well-being of our employees.  We give BrightFarmers the tools, training, support, and opportunities they need to do better for themselves and the world every day. Because when you do good for your people, they do good for the world. 

BrightFarms is a national leader in the booming indoor farming industry, transforming how produce is grown and delivered with its expanding network of high-tech, sustainable hydroponic farms.  We currently operate six high-tech greenhouse farms, with four new regional salad greenhouse hubs breaking ground to begin opening in 2024. BrightFarms' fresh lettuce options, from classic greens to crunchy mixes and salad kits, are available in more than 3,700 retail stores across the East Coast and Midwest. 

The Farm Operations team at BrightFarms is hiring an Operations Specialist for our Yorkville, IL Greenhouse facility.  This role will be a critical leader on site driving projects, continuous improvement, training employees, and enhancing performance across the facility. This role reports directly to the site General Manager and is a critical part of the leadership team. 

Specifically, you will:   

Monitoring operations: Keeping an eye on day-to-day operations and reporting on performance Drive improvements and projects across the growing and food manufacturing facility to increase efficiency and productivity Develop and train employees across a 24/7 operation on multiple shiftsDevelop and implement procedures as needed across growing, packaging, warehousing, maintenance, and food safetyPromote a food safety culture at the farmStandardize best practices and creates forms necessary to collect KPIsBe proficient in effectively communicating with employees throughout the organization from shop floor to leadershipWillingness and desire to assist in unrelated and/or unassigned tasks to ensure the effective operation of the GreenhouseProvide Production Supervisor coverage as required.

 

The ideal candidate:   

Have a 4-year degree in engineering, operations, supply chain, agriculture, or related area. Have 1-3 years of related work experience in agriculture and/or food manufacturing Experience with continuous improvement processes and/or manufacturing production systems Exhibit excellent critical thinking skills, leadership skills, lead by example – set the highest possible standards for food safety, quality, efficiency, productivity, and behaviorBe proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Power Point. PowerBI is a plus!Have the ability to meet the physical requirements of the job including lifting up to 50 poundsBe a self-starter and a problem solver with strong relationship building and communication skillsAbility to navigate a dynamic and quickly evolving environment

Come grow with us - the future is BRIGHT!  

BrightFarms is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer - All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law.