Terviva is a fast-growing food and agriculture company, headquartered in Alameda, California, with operations in Florida, Hawaii, India, and Australia. Terviva partners with farmers and communities around the world to harvest and grow pongamia, a regenerative, permanent tree crop historically used in Asia for landscape plantings, agroforestry and reforestation. As an indigenous crop, pongamia provides shade, medicinal remedies, vegetable oil, soil amendments and other products. Dubbed a “super tree,” pongamia requires minimal water input and naturally resists pests due to its innate bitter compounds. Terviva has planted proprietary varieties of pongamia trees on over 1,000 acres in Hawaii and Florida to validate agronomic performance and we are expanding operations in Australia and India. And after more than a decade of innovation, Terviva has discovered a way to remove pongamia's bitter compounds and transform pongamia beans into nutritious and sustainable food ingredients called Ponova®. With a diverse product portfolio including food and fuel, farmers can supply multiple market segments as opportunities develop.
We are looking for an experienced senior-level professional for our Senior Manager of Tree Operations, serving primarily Queensland, Australia. Your key responsibilities will include oversight of all technical and managerial aspects for nursery production of pongamia planting stock, coupled with logistical and technical support associated with establishing successful pongamia plantings. This role includes the daily oversight of all facets of pongamia tree production including motherstock development and care, vegetative multiplication of elite cultivars, pest and disease management, plant nutrition and irrigation, and management of facilities and staff. You will help grow our Australian sales and operations activities while also building a best-in-class team supporting expansion of pongamia tree plantings in Queensland and beyond. This role falls within Terviva's Trees and Impact Group, lead by the Chief Commercialization Officer, who oversees and facilitates global activities. This position reports to the Vice President of Tree R&D, with additional guidance from the CCO. These administrative relationships will facilitate strong technical and commercial ties to Terviva's Florida-based Tree Operations, as well as other global units.
Primary Responsibilities
• Manage all day-to-day operational activities associated with producing and delivering high quality pongamia planting stock, from seeds or budwood through to field-delivered trees.
• Oversee all aspects of planning and logistics to ensure ample supplies and timely production of required budwood and related tree production materials, e.g. motherstock plants and associated management, seeds and seedlings for rootstock, plant nutrition and care (including pest/disease management), variety integrity, etc.
• Manage and maintain nursery infrastructure, including irrigation, fertigation, and ventilation systems.
• Coordinate with the US-based Tree R&D team to design, implement, and oversee high priority research supporting tree health and productivity in Australia. Recent research projects have involved nursery propagation, biosecurity, tree establishment and aftercare, and remote monitoring of field environments and tree growth.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for coordinating communications and interactions with Australian-based partners involving commercial or research objectives.
• Provide growers with logistical and technical support to facilitate tree planting and establishment, including field preparation, infrastructure, and planting layout.
• As needed, manage and supervise facilities expansion, including site selection, facilities planning, contract administration etc.
• Lead annual planning for tree production goals and execution and associated fiscal management.
• Establish risk management protocols and monitoring: employee safety, hazardous materials, and disaster planning (e.g., cyclones, flooding, fires, etc).
• Develop an organizational structure of salaried and hourly employees, creating schedules and policies supporting team interactions, communications, and execution of responsibilities.
• Develop and track key performance indicators related to the holistic tree nursery operations: facilities (e.g., utilization factors), staff (e.g., turnover), and production (e.g., on-time, on-budget, tree specifications, quality metrics).
• Authorization to work in Australia without Visa support.
• Certificate III or IV, or Diploma in Horticulture (Nursery Production), coupled with appropriate professional experience. Comparable experience in a related field (e.g. forestry) will also be considered.
• Demonstrated hands-on management of operations of a large-scale, efficient fruit/nut/forestry tree nursery, ideally in a tropical/subtropical location.
• Establishment and management of P&L records and systems, including experience interacting with centralized corporate accounting teams and budgets using GAAP-compliant statements.
• Deep familiarity with software packages, tools, and equipment used in managing and operating a well-organized tree nursery facility and associated staff.
• Excellent communication and documentation skills: team meetings, remote communications, developing an open culture of team communications, and management reporting. Preparing materials supporting business presentations and decision-making.
• Develop strong working relationships with relevant trade associations, industry professionals, and technical experts to help refine nursery operations, productivity and efficiency
• Focus on leadership, hands-on initiative, and results: ability to understand desired end results, motivate employees, lead by example, and organize, adapt, and manage resources to achieve goals.
• The opportunity to make an impact in a fast-growing, mission-driven company
• Competitive annual salary commensurate with role and experience
• Potential annual bonus
• Stock options commensurate with role and experience
• Superannuation
• Generous leave package
• Cell phone stipend
Terviva is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based on race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status and sexual orientation or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy and all employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.
