General Manager, Southern California
Los Angeles, CA, United States
**General Manager, Southern California**
at Smallhold Los Angeles, California ****The Company****
At Smallhold, were building the resilient farming infrastructure of the future. From advanced distribution and farming hubs to modular, high-output technology-enabled Minifarms, were bringing the farm to the people, supplying the freshest organic produce to entire cities on a block-by-block basis.
Since 2017, Smallhold has established itself as the leader in US specialty mushroom production with our products found in top retailers like Whole Foods and Central Market and some of the nations most exciting restaurant kitchens, such as Maison Yaki, the Standard Hotels, and Bunker Vietnamese.
Our mushrooms, farms, and team (including an amazing cohort of farmers) have been featured in publications like The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Gizmodo, Bon Appetit, Martha Stewart -- to name a few.
**The Position**
As the Southern California (SoCal) General Manager at Smallhold, you will be responsible for ensuring the successful launch, ramp up and ongoing operation of our first California facility. This role will work closely with our Operations Team to build, staff and run our largest farm to date.
This is a high-pressure and fast-paced position that requires strong leadership capabilities in addition to a hands-on, execution-oriented approach. The SoCal General Manager will report directly to the COO
****The Challenge****
* Oversee day-to-day operations at Smallholds SoCal facility including supervision of all cultivation, production, shipping and receiving activities
* Be the boots on the ground throughout facility construction. Work closely with the Expansion Team from design to launch to identify, purchase and install capital equipment, set up initial supplier agreements, and assist with other project management tasks as needed
* Shape and execute on an adaptive hiring plan. Anticipate and head off labor shortages
* Propose and execute on strategies for growth and capacity expansion with support from HQ
* Develop, supervise and mentor a team of managers and employees
* Ensure worker safety and OSHA compliance. Foster an employee- and safety- first environment
* Work closely with the Operations and Sales Teams to plan production and delivery schedules
* Project-manage and coordinate ongoing facility maintenance, improvements and repairs
* Champion and ensure compliance with Smallholds food safety and quality assurance programs
* Manage, maintain and take direct responsibility for facility budget and P&L
* Guarantee accurate and consistent inventory tracking, data tracking and record keeping
* Report on production KPIs on a weekly basis and work with HQ to set and meet targets
* Roll out process improvements in coordination with the Operations Team
* Foster a positive and collaborative environment. The ideal candidate is ready and willing to jump in on the line and troubleshoot alongside their employees when needed
* Build rapport and trust with landlords, fellow tenants and neighbors
* Be Smallholds primary brand evangelizer in SoCal. Integrate with the local community and bring our mushrooms to absolutely everyone
**Qualifications**
* 5+ years of management experience in facility operations or manufacturing, ideally in food
* Experience with previous buildouts and/or facility maintenance. Familiarity and comfort with complicated electrical and HVAC systems is a huge plus
* Knowledge and experience operating and maintaining production equipment
* Strong leadership and management skills with experience building teams from scratch. Experience managing and coaching a large team in a high-pressure environment
* Knowledge of and experience with worker safety and food safety regulations. History of prioritizing safety above all else
* Experience with creating, maintaining and holding people accountable to budgets
* Experience with complex supply chain and production planning in the midst of rapid growth
* Systems development and implementation experience. Experience with SOP creation and implementation, inventory management systems and ERP implementation and/or upkeep
* Passion for the environment to the point that youre willing to sometimes do things the hard way in order to keep a sustainable focus
* Produce, dairy or other highly perishable cold-chain experience highly desirable
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