Saqr Farms, located in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, is looking for an experienced, energetic and self driven greenhouse manager to run our indoor food crop production- using some of the newest and most advanced hydroponics available.
Senior Greenhouse / Horticulture Manager
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Production Management:
- Lead and monitor all facets of greenhouse food crop production: germination, seedling propagation, growth, harvest, packing and labeling, cold-storage
- You will help create and enforce the operational SOP’s for crop production
Engineering guidance:
- Work with engineering to be the "voice of the plant"
- Help review and create engineering guidelines for new crops including plant morphology, root zone considerations, temperature, wind, lighting schedule and nutrient delivery/makeup
- Work with the engineering team to quickly triage design issues vs plant pathology, entomology
Operations guidance:
- Establish best practices for all phases of the plant cycle, such as seed and grow medium ordering, receiving, inspection, surface sterilization, seed starting and growth, seedling transfer, plant growth and harvesting/packing/shipping
- Establish best practices for operational cleanliness to minimize plant or human pathogen propagation- such as hand-washing and appropriate work clothing for growth operations employees
- Establish best practices for nutrient inspection and management
- Establish optimum plant protocol of temperature, Co2, photoperiod, wind level for each crop identified by management
- Work with facilities team to ensure best practices regarding pathogen and entomology issues are addressed in the building/facility construction or retrofit
- Work with facilities team to ensure the proper area and resources are allocated for harvest, packing, handling and cold storage
Business Development Guidance:
- Assist the management team and board of directors in evaluating the business case for new cultivars and crops in food production, nutraceutical and other business 'verticals'. Such guidance should enable the management team to quickly develop a quick 'yes or no' answer as to the value of the business case for a particular crop.
- Help translate business directives to the engineering team to facilitate creation of new hardware 'platforms' for new crops.
- Independently, research and identify crops with a good business case that should be brought to the attention of the management team for consideration.
- Employees receive great pay and full medical coverage, housing and car allowance, free travel back home and much more.