Horticulture Technician - AB

About Growcer

Growcer is an innovative agri-tech startup launched in Ottawa in 2015, specializing in the manufacturing and design of modular hydroponic systems that enable commercial food production in plug-and-play 40 ft. modules. Its vertical farming technology enables customers to grow fresh vegetables in virtually any climate, having been deployed within the Arctic Circle below -50°C. Growcer has empowered conventional farmers, entrepreneurs, Indigenous, First Nations and remote communities and institutions to grow food locally all year round. Growcer's work has been recognized with awards including Fast Company's World Changing Ideas and the Entrepreneurs' Organization and was featured on Season 13 of CBC's hit show, Dragons' Den.

Growcer is looking for a driven individual with a self-starter attitude as the company enters the next phase of rapid growth and scales across North America. Effective Growcer employees are tenacious, enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, and are comfortable working on big-picture challenges with lots of autonomy. All positions and work responsibilities tie back to our mission of empowering people to feed the world more sustainably, and applicants who are laser-focused on contributing to the creation of a better food system will find a workplace and team that shares their vision for sustainable agriculture.

Science Horizons Internship Funding:

The Growcer is receiving funding to support a year long contract through the Science Horizons Program. The Science Horizons funding must be used to hire a recent graduate or youth and provide work experience in an environment-related STEM field.

Science Horizons Internship Funding Requirements:

The Growcer administers this funding in accordance with the Science Horizons Internship program requirements. In accordance with the funding terms, all applicants must be:

• Between the ages of 15-30 (inclusive) at the start of the internship;

• Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a protected person as defined by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;

• Legally allowed to work according to the relevant provincial and Canadian legislation and regulations; and

• be a graduate from a post-secondary institution (does not have to be a STEM grad) – Canadian or International; and

• not be in receipt of Employment Insurance (EI) benefits during the internship.

Reconciliation

The Growcer team acknowledges that we work with many Territories and Treaty areas and we are grateful for the traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are with us today, those who have gone before us and the youth that inspire us.

We recognize the land and the benefits it provides all of us, as an act of Reconciliation, as recommended by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) 94 Calls to Action and gratitude to those whose territory we reside on, work on or are visiting.

Growcer is committed to progressing the path of Reconciliation in a deeply meaningful way, in partnership with Indigenous and First Nations Peoples and is dedicated to fulfilling our role and responsibilities in this regard.

About the Role

As a Horticultural Technician, you are a vital piece to the Growcer organization leading the hands-on installation and on-going technical support for new and current farms. You’ll help train customers in how to best run their farms and support them in trouble shooting, work to create training and other internal materials as well as contribute with ideas to improve the overall quality of the farms. This position can be based anywhere across Canada that's in close proximity to an airport. Being remote-based, this position involves a significant amount of autonomy, a self-starter attitude and excitement to “grow” with the company would be ideal. As part of the first line of service that interacts with customers on a daily basis, you have one of the most important customer-facing roles in the organization – you must exemplify Growcer’s values in every customer interaction.

As an ideal candidate you’ll bring solid technical abilities combined with experience in a greenhouse or other Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) production setting and have excellent communication & customer service skills. You have a passion for seeing happy & healthy plants, a coaching mentality to help new growers become acquainted with the field of horticulture, and a passion for providing exceptional service to help farmers and growers succeed. In addition to a solid growing and technical skillset, knowledge and respect for learning and working with our Indigenous and First Nations partners is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Install new Growcer farms as well as liaising with and training new customers on how to effectively operate their farm(s)
• Comply with, and train customers on the safe operation of: tools and equipment; cleaning techniques; and appropriate personal protective equipment used to maintain personal safety and integrity of the facilities
• Be involved in troubleshooting of equipment malfunctions, general system maintenance, and installation of new equipment
• Travel nationally and potentially internationally to assist with the installation of company equipment and training of new customers
• Visit existing customer farms across Canada to complete project audits, re-train customers on Best Management Practices (BMPs), and sharing these findings to the Growcer team at Ottawa HQ
• Maintain knowledge of tasks and procedures associated with multiple types of hydroponic growing techniques (e.g. liquid, soilless, or aeroponic culture) and related technologies (e.g. water quality sensor calibration and troubleshooting)
• Data collection work (e.g. seeding, transplanting, pruning, harvesting etc.) for experiments
• When not on-site with customers role includes: providing virtual support, liaising with 3rd party contractors, updating/creating process documents and other related administrative work

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong technical & trouble shooting ability combined with good organizational and time management skills.
• Proven ability to manage several tasks and projects at once in a fast-pace, deadline-driven environment
• Excellent communication skills, written and interpersonal
• Enjoys teaching and learning from our customers
• Exceptional attention to detail with a strong focus on quality control
• Ability to work independently and manage own priorities; self-starter attitude
• Familiarity with troubleshooting the operation of small equipment, controlled environment agriculture control systems (e.g. Argus, Priva, Growlink, etc), and installation of irrigation and lighting systems
• Comfortable working with common software such as google docs, spreadsheets and Dropbox and Gmail
• Safe use and care of common power tools, hardware and related equipment
• Indigenous and First Nations and those with experience working with Indigenous and First Nations are highly valued for this position.
• Must be able to legally work in Canada and able to travel nationally and internationally

Education Requirements: College or University degree in horticulture or similar field

Experience Requirements: 3-5+ years’ experience, or the equivalent time in related work experience

Training/Certification Requirements: Growing experience as a head grower or assistant and experience with integrated pest management programs is an asset in addition to a solid technical understanding of basic tools as well as climate control and monitoring systems

Travel Requirements: 40-50% travel, expect to be on customer sites for on average 1-2 times per month for 5-7 days, especially in peak summer season.

Physical Requirements: Physically able to lift 50 pounds and occasionally lift items weighing more than 50 pounds with assistance

Languages: English required. An Indigenous or First Nations language and/or French is considered an asset.

Driver’s License Required: Yes, role includes driving to sites, some of which are remote.

After Hours Requirements: Infrequently, after-hours support may be required by customers for emergency issues

Assets

Experience in construction, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, food safety and or project management

Experience in using instant messaging such as Slack or Microsoft Teams for internal communication.

Experience working in a startup environment.

Interested candidates should submit a concise cover letter and résumé to: careers@thegrowcer.ca. We look forward to meeting you!

Keywords

Horticulture TechnicianGrowceragri-techhydroponic systemsfood productioninstallationtechnical supporttrainingtroubleshootingdata collectioncustomer service