Seasonal Lab Technician (Entry Level)

Four Star Greenhouse is a founding member of Proven Winners® - a leading consumer garden brand in North America. Our lab strives to ensure that our customers receive only premium, pest-and-pathogen-free products. This guarantees an easy, successful, and inspiring gardening experience for the end-consumer.

Four Star Greenhouse is seeking a full-time seasonal lab technician to assist in performing daily testing activities for the onsite lab. These activities include:

• Pulling soil, water and tissue samples
• Performing in house testing for chlorine, PH, EC and viruses
• Pull samples for outsource testing
• Tracking and recording data regarding positive and negative outcomes
• Recording insect counts within crops
• Troubleshooting any issues that may arise, with the supervisor

The successful candidate will follow well-developed virus testing protocols to maintain optimum sanitary standards. If you possess a high attention to detail and take pride in producing high quality products in a clean environment, then this is the position for you! This will be a full-time seasonal position with a pay rate of $16.60 per hour, for the entry level candidate. The time frame for employment will be December to June.

PROGRESSION OF SUPERVISORS: Lab Supervisor, New Product Development Manager, Senior Manager of Offsites and Crop Supply Chain, Chief Executive Officer, Vice President, President

JOB SUMMARY: Ensure that crops grown at Four Star are free from potentially economically impactful viruses and disease. Collaborate with the growing team to accurately sample and test for pH & EC as well as for viruses to ensure a healthy growing environment for all crops. Support Four Star’s Mission statement and values in all job-related functions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

1. Test soil/media from all crops using a rotation schedule approved by Product Line Managers (PLM’s), or pull samples as needed and perform accurate testing for pH & EC levels.

2. Pull tissue samples from crops using a rotation schedule approved by PLM’s or as needed and do consistent and accurate in-house testing for virus & disease.

3. Take tissue samples that arrive from incoming shipments and create a list to send to outsource testing labs for virus testing. Perform in-house tests upon arrival as determined by PLM’s or Growing Department Leadership.

4. Periodically pull soil &/or tissue samples to be sent off-site for analysis as assigned by PLM’s.

5. Pull weekly water samples from our irrigation supply lines and perform accurate testing for free and total chlorine levels and communicate results to the growing team.

6. Assist IPM team with collecting insect cards and record accurate insect counts.

7. Work with the Lab Supervisor on tracking all positive virus results. Collaborate with the growing team in developing action steps for each virus discovered.

8. Make sure Agdia and in-house test results are shared in a timely fashion with the growing team.

9. Run labels for production, offsites, garden ready as well as retail labels for traffic.

10. Maintain accurate label inventory, purchasing as needed.

FOUR STAR VALUES:

Row Together

o Serve each other with dignity and professionalism, so everyone feels included, valued, and supported in an environment of mutual trust and respect.

o Build trust and loyalty through responsible actions and honest relationships with a strong commitment to teamwork and collaboration.

o Create and maintain an environment in which we all are empowered and enabled to achieve our high standards and expectations while having fun.

o Set aside egos and personal goals for the good of the team.

o Communicate with each other in the most personable and inclusive way possible

Do The Right Thing

o Make ethical, transparent, and well-intentioned decisions, even when no one is watching or the consequences are costly, focusing on what’s best for our company, customers, and each other.

o Fulfill the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations through sustainable actions and processes.

o Be fair, sincere, open, and tactfully honest.

o Make decisions that drive value so we will continue to financially thrive together.

Look Around Corners

o Take calculated risks, simplify processes, embrace, and approach new ideas with the question, “how can we?”.

o Work smarter not harder, constantly seeking improvements that keep Four Star at the forefront of the industry.

o Welcome change and adapt to achieve long term sustained success.

Embrace Challenges

o Anticipate and attack challenges to meet goals and to honor commitments which may include collaborating through healthy differences of opinion.

o Recognize mistakes as learning experiences. Openly discuss mistakes with a commitment to constant personal improvement and give positive encouragement to others to keep trying.

o Own your responsibilities and be genuinely accountable for your decisions, actions, and results.

Live Long & Prosper

o Create and maintain a safe and healthy facility.

o Identify, openly discuss, and fix issues that pose risks to the safety and health of all employees and visitors.

o Seek harmony between personal and professional time.

Reach For The Stars

o Take pride in producing the highest quality products and services that exceed our customers’ expectations.

o Meet the mission of being “Easy, Successful & Inspiring” for all interactions with customers and each other.

o Make decisions based on data driven insights blended with intuition, then openly share the reasons for those decisions.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS:

1. Demonstrate analytical skills by identifying areas in need of improvement along with innovative suggestions to address challenges.

2. Recognize discrepancies in testing results. Trouble shoot and suggest potential solutions to challenges.

3. Complete all testing and become an expert on all processes by following established protocols after training.

ESSENTIAL WORK HABITS:

1. Maintain a positive and cooperative attitude with all fellow employees and across all departments. Promote positive morale by working effectively as a team member. Act as an ambassador for our department whenever interacting with members of other departments and exemplify the values of cooperation, collaboration and teamwork.

2. Effectively communicate with all fellow employees. Communicate all relevant job-related information as needed. Report problems or challenges without delay.

3. Report to work as scheduled, maintaining a level of absences that results in minimal departmental disruption and minimal unfair burden on other employees.

4. Adjust schedule as needed. IE- demonstrate the flexibility to work more or less hours depending on the needs of the department.

5. Utilize equipment only after completing the required training. Including but not limited to Tow Carts, Hi-Los, Scissor Lifts, Ladders, etc.

6. Perform all work as quickly and efficiently as possible, without compromising quality.

7. Participate in education programs as they are offered and continue to self-educate as needed when new plants, equipment, processes or techniques are introduced.

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Strong verbal and written communication skills are preferred.

2. Basic computer skills are required, more than a basic knowledge of computers is preferred.

3. Prior experience with detail-oriented tasks that required high level of organization and creative problem solving.

PHYSICAL ASPECTS:

1. Bulk of the work is spent at a desk utilizing a computer and/or telephone and testing equipment.

2. Lifting a minimum of 35 pounds

3. Will be exposed to sun and/or high intensity lights when gathering samples or scouting in the greenhouses.

4. Will be exposed to prolonged standing and walking when gathering samples or scouting in the greenhouses.

Job Types: Full-time, Temporary

Pay: From $16.60 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift

Application Question(s):

• Why is this position a good fit for you?
• Do you understand this is a full-time seasonal position? (YES/NO)

Ability to Commute:

• Carleton, MI 48117 (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $17