IUNU is an agriculture technology company that leverages computer vision to make indoor farming / commercial greenhouses / controlled environment agriculture more efficient, autonomous, and scalable. Indoor farming has the potential to promote better nutrition in the population, increase biodiversity and food security, and slow climate change. By solving immediate problems for farmers and mitigating the industry’s labor shortage with our products, the IUNU team is reinventing the greenhouse industry and food supply chain from the ground up.
Overview:
Working closely with the IUNU team through a combination of remote connectivity (work from home) and travel (comprising 25-50%), the Horticulture Advisor plays an important role in ensuring the best possible actionable crop care advice and insights to North American controlled environment agriculture (CEA) growers. The advice serves as a road map for long term success aimed at the integration of Luna CMP and/or Luna AI to leverage our support for growers.
Deep understanding of vine crop cultivation in greenhouses is a must. This team member has experience with vine crops (tomatoes, cucurbits, peppers) and leafy greens in CEA cropping systems as well as other critical aspects of best practices for high-value crop operations, such as integrated pest management (IPM), food safety and risk management. Experience in nutrient or climate management is also beneficial.
The individual will work with a diverse team of experts in the fields of horticulture, mechanical engineering, robotics, computer vision, sales and marketing. The ideal candidate will work collaboratively to support projects during phases of development, deployment and through to market. Thereafter they will work to support growers in the integration of IUNU services and products to maximize ROI potential and help them realize the value of our collaboration.
Core Responsibilities & Duties:
- Consult with growers independently and as part of concerted team efforts, consistently delivering the best available technical advice through high-level written and spoken communication skills.
- Travel throughout North America, sometimes on short notice, remaining onsite with clients for up to 1 week at a time to carry out such tasks as conducting risk assessments, follow-up visits, onsite R&D support, training sessions, data collection, installation and presentation.
- Work in client greenhouses and learn to safely operate equipment necessary to execute the deployment of products and collection of data in a manner that protects the plants, products and people.
- Develop external reports to aid clients in improving crop production and internal After Action Reports (AARs) to identify opportunities for integration of Luna CMP and Luna AI and continuous improvement.
- Use remote monitoring software to observe clients' crops where available.
- Use remote connectivity platforms such as Slack and Asana to collaborate with the remote team at IUNU.
- Develop relevant educational or promotional content in the form of blogs, training materials, industry reports, ROI analysis, case studies as necessary to support product development and marketing.
- Participate in professional development opportunities to stay abreast of developments in the industry.
Qualifications:
- A bachelor's degree (BSc) in an appropriate field of study (ie, horticulture, botany, or crop science) and at least 7 years of relevant experience (some combination of operationally-focused employment and consulting is ideal) OR 12+ years of relevant experience.
- At least 3 verifiable relevant references who can attest that, a) you have personally helped them improve the conditions of their commercial operation and/or, b) you have otherwise demonstrated in a professional setting your superior understanding of the intricacies of CEA production.
- The ability to discuss the basic principles of plant physiology, food safety, risk management, labor and crop care needs.
- Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, including speaking in public.
- Project management experience and demonstrated success working with a team.
- Familiarity with and capacity to learn more about Google suite, Zoom, Slack, Asana and other online communication and teamwork tools, as part of an overall competency with understanding new technologies.
- A highly-organized, strategic thinker capable of working with a fast-paced team towards improving various CEA production processes across multiple jobs at once.
- Must be physically capable of standing for long hours and potentially having to lift up to 50lbs and using basic hand tools.
- Valid driver's license.
- Valid passport is ideal. But at least being eligible and prepared to apply for one is important.
- Primary residence is in North America and must be legally authorized to work in the United States and Canada.
- Personal characteristics valued by the IUNU team include grit, honesty, communication skills, active listening, empathy, gratitude, self-directed, passionate, teamwork, commitment, and genuine excitement for personal and professional growth.
Salary Range & Benefits:
Salary is based on experience
Competitive benefits for full-time employees include medical, dental and vision insurance.
At IUNU, we’re committed to providing a safe and inclusive environment. We are dedicated to the happiness and success of all of our employees, and strive to foster a workplace in which individual differences are recognized, appreciated, nurtured, and respected. Diversity is important, and we strongly encourage people of all identities and backgrounds to confidently apply for a job with us if this is a role that interests and excites you. We want you to feel comfortable bringing your whole self to work with you, with all of your talents and strengths.