CAREER OPPORTUNITY: OPERATIONS MANAGER

Our Company
Oberland Agriscience is a Halifax-based agribusiness that is tackling the challenge of global food insecurity by transforming organic waste and by-products into innovative goods by rearing black soldier fly larvae. These goods include high quality protein (as an ingredient for commercial feed product), specialty pet foods, live feeder insects, and fertilizer. In its pilot farm on the outskirts of Halifax, pre-consumer organic waste is diverted to an indoor farm that is thousands of times more productive than a traditional land-based farm.

The Opportunity
The Operations Manager is a full-time position within the Oberland team to manage the
industrial scale protein production process at Oberland’s facility. This, which includes feed
handling, full lifecycle management, and wholesale product packaging.
Specific duties of the Operations Manager include:

• Primary contact for suppliers (waste supply, materials supply, consumables).
• Primary contact for third party testing and data collection.
• Oversight and management of rearing and protein technician personnel.
• Daily walk-through of facility for process check-ins.
• Budgeting and forecasting operational costs for waste processing and protein production.
• Expense tracking, bookkeeping and data entry of costs related to facility management.
• Maintenance and validation of all processing equipment.
• Responsible for electronic data collection and facility compliance within Oberland’s regulatory framework – heat, ventilation, odour control, water monitoring.
• Staff scheduling for 7/365 operations.
• Facility and equipment repairs, primary contact for all third-party contractors.
• Working with the QA/QC Manager to ensure daily compliance to SOPs, GMP and GMS.
• Collaborate with the CSO and technician team to develop process improvements and automation planning and implementation.

Specific qualifications required:

• Degree or diploma in biology or agricultural science
• Knowledge of and previous experience with Canadian GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) standards and compliance
• Practical experience with quality management systems
• Previous experience with CFIA compliance an asset
• Understanding of UN-SDGs and how they can be practically applied in an indoor farm setting
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills with high attention to detail
• Proficient computer skills (word processing and spreadsheets), database experience an asset
• Ability to work in a fast-paced start-up environment
• Understanding of and ability to adhere to Safety Policies including the use of proper PPE and other safety equipment

The Operations Manager role requires an ability to work independently as well as part of a cooperative team. As head of Operations, this role will be required to manage staff and be the champion of production efficiency within the Oberland facility.

The Operations Manager reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer, and will supervise the Process Technician(s) and Rearing Technician(s).

If you think you are Oberland’s next Operations Manager, please send a cover letter and resume to barbara@oberlandagriscience.com.