Operations Manager

Company Overview 

Who is Costa Farms? We’re one of the world’s largest horticultural growers—but without an ego to match our acreage. Our headquarters are in Miami, Florida, where we were founded in 1961. Costa Farms started on just 30 acres, and over the last 60 years, we’ve grown to more than 5,000 acres around the world. We have farms in North and South Carolina, Central and South Florida, and the Dominican Republic, plus an office in China. Costa Farms now employs nearly 6,000 people: engineers, marketers, accountants/analysts, human resources professionals, and of course, growers and plant scientists!   

Here at Costa Farms, we live by the values of H3: being Humble, staying Hungry, and always Hustling. The team rallies to the mission of being a lean, green, growing machine dedicated to enriching the world by bringing plants into everyone’s life.  

True to that mission, we grow more than 1,500 plant varieties. Driven by the spirit of innovation, the team is always testing new plants and developing new solutions to make it easier for retailers and plant parents to enjoy plants. We’re also continuously testing different ways of growing our plants to increase quality and improve their ecological footprint as one aspect of our many sustainability efforts.  

We cultivate plants, as well as a winning culture. Join the team, and you’ll find opportunities to learn and grow. You’ll collaborate with other driven, determined people who together keep Costa Farms an industry leader. You’ll support and be supported by a team that cares about each other, our customers, our consumers, and our community.   

You’ll also find right away that Costa Farms is committed to providing a diverse environment. We’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, disability, age, military status, marital status or veteran status, or any other group status protected by federal, state, or local law.  

Position Overview

Our Operations Manager role provides leadership, direction and coordination of the Potting department of the Costa Color operating unit in the Miami, Florida location of one of the largest agricultural companies in the US (over $500M in sales annually). As an Operations Manager, you will strive to make an impact on the business metrics, people, processes, and overall P&L. The role will require leadership and accountability for safety, quality, cost in your respective areas while meeting corporate and departmental goals and initiatives. Support, implement and use the Costa Production System (CPS) as the primary tool for operational excellence and continuous improvement. Must be an active participant in continuous improvement, employee development and strategic decision making.

Operations Manager activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Leadership of the workforce within the processing area including selection and recruitment, onboarding, employee development, recognition and retention.
• Accomplishes departmental objectives by establishing plans, allocating resources to ensure compliance with developed budget, and results measurements; reviewing progress; making mid-course corrections.
• Participation in the organization and execution of all systems and processes required to maintain a safe working environment, reduce cost, improve quality, and deliver throughout company.
• Drive accountability via the development of KPI’s (Safety, Quality and Productivity). Ensure success via monitoring and providing feedback via daily meetings.
• Analyze performance deviances and recommend process improvements related to manpower, machinery, tooling, equipment and floor space enabling working capital and bottom line improvements.
• Investigates and implements new methods, processes product or systems technologies to meet the organization's objectives.
• Maintaining a smooth flow of work between departments and for resolving interdepartmental conflicts.
• Assist in the development and implementation of appropriate training for all employees with emphasis on quality, safety, and cross functional team training.
• Use of financial and non-financial data to measure performance. Deliver product based on organizational timelines to internal as well as external customers.
• Manage daily staffing levels to minimize overtime and non-productive work practices.

We are seeking candidates that meet the following qualifications:

• Engineer with 3-5 years of operational management experience, agricultural experience a plus
• Possess skills to support organizational activities and have strong skills in the management of conflicts, and communication.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to motivate and lead teams to success. This position is defined by ability to coordinate, coach, develop standards, manage performance, process improvement, strategic planning, and full knowledge of management principles
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel, with experience in creating complex reports, dashboards, and data models.
• Complex problem solving and decision making with multi-functional stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal, and communication skills.
• High level of organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data-driven decision-making.
• Innovative
• Ability to work independently
• Results-oriented
• Teamwork & Collaboration
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) Required

Salary : $500