Black Forest Ranger - Mycologist | CEA Mushroom Farmer

Job Description

Black Forest Mushrooms is seeking an entry-level mycologist with a background in mycology and mushroom production, and/or experience in growing mushrooms at home. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing startup and play a critical role in establishing operational procedures and laying the foundation for future growth. The successful candidate will have some hands-on experience in mushroom cultivation and lab work, and the ability to grow with our team long term as the company expands.

This role is ideal for an individual ready to take on a challenging yet rewarding role that will have positive impacts in our local community. We are primarily looking for someone with a positive attitude, a growth mindset, strong work ethic, and who is genuinely excited about mushrooms. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a startup with ambitious goals for both employee growth and community impact. If you are passionate about establishing a career in an industry you can grow and learn in, we encourage you to apply for this unique opportunity.

Please note: This role involves extensive manual labor, repetitive tasks, cleaning duties, standing for long periods, and requires lifting 10 lbs frequently and 40-60 lbs occasionally.

Job Requirements

• Experience in cultivating mushrooms and/or lab work
• Have the ability to plan and project mushroom production
• Experience in production management in any industry. Bonus for production management experience in mycology or agriculture
• Ensure all staff are practicing safe workplace practices at all times
• Ability to meet or exceed production goals
• Manage daily tasks
• Maintain inventory and place orders for operational materials
• Have the ability to determine and improve problematic production issues
• Have the ability to set and achieve measurable goals for the shift, week, month, and year.
• Report feedback and operational insights to the Production Manager
• Oversee equipment and report on any operational needs
• Identify and recommend new equipment and processes that will improve employee safety and/or production efficiency
• Strong drive to continue learning and grow with the company
• This role is ideal for an individual looking for a career with the same company and ample room for aggressive career growth.
• Exceptional communication skills both verbal and written
• Extremely clean and well organized
• Ability to closely follow directions and procedures
• Must be comfortable with repetitive tasks
• Ability to work both as a team and alone with little to no supervision
• Able to stay on task and complete production goals
• Ability to follow safety procedures
• Ability to safely work with precision tools and industrial equipment (sharps, high-pressure systems, high heat systems, etc.)
• Desire to grow with the company
• Willing and able to interact with the general public in an effort to educate them about mushrooms
• Able to work flexible hours and types of work to support the company's needs such as farmers markets, lab work, manual labor, special events, etc.
• Ability to work in person in Everett, WA

Physical Requirements

• Ability to lift 40-60 lbs
• Lift 10 lbs. repeatedly
• Stand for long periods of time

Bonus (Not Required)

• Growing mushrooms of any kind at home
• Farmers markets
• Event planning/management
• Grant writing
• Chef/cook/food processing
• Working for a startup
• Delivery driver

Shift/Compensation

• Full-time
• Schedule TBD
• $42k annual salary
• Paid time off, a minimum of 2 weeks annually
• Flexible sick day policy
• Strong focus on healthy employees - at work and home - and a positive work environment
• Effective Jan 1st, 2024, Black Forest Mushrooms is proud to offer full company-paid medical, dental, vision, life insurance, LTD, and EAP.

Message from the Founder

Hello,

Thank you for your consideration to work with Black Forest Mushrooms. Our grand opening was in June 2022, we are growing quickly and are only just getting started. As the founder of Black Forest Mushrooms, I am excited to have the opportunity to grow our team. We are a small but ambitious company and are looking for hardworking and dedicated individuals to join our team.

All members of our team will be expected to take on a wide variety of tasks and responsibilities. In the beginning, as we are establishing the team and new company procedures, these tasks may be beyond the normal job role. However, this will only be temporary as we lay the groundwork for our ongoing daily operations. This may require patience and adaptability at the beginning of our startup. I promise we will learn, grow, and succeed together as a team.

At Black Forest Mushrooms, our employees are our top priority. We believe that taking care of our employees is essential to providing excellent service to our customers and the overall long-term success of the company. We are committed to providing a positive and supportive work environment that fosters new ideas and career growth.

We have plans for aggressive growth and positive community impact. As such we are looking for employees who are excited about the potential of our company and are eager to grow with us. If you are looking for a long-term opportunity with ample room for growth in a company that values its employees, I encourage you to apply to join our team.

Sincerely,
Nathanael Engen
Founder | Black Forest Mushrooms
_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Mission

Cultivate gourmet mushrooms and healthy communities in the legendary Pacific Northwest.

Our Goals

Black Forest Mushrooms was launched with three primary goals in mind:

1) Provide high quality and more mushroom diversity in the local community

2) Address the rising concerns for the security of our local food supply chain

3) Help fight climate change with more sustainable farming practices than traditional farming

Vision

We believe every community deserves access to sustainable, healthy, and nutritious locally-grown quality mushrooms.

_____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $42,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Employee discount
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Weekends as needed

Application Question(s):

• Why would you like to work with Black Forest Mushrooms?
• Considering your work experiences, what do you feel normally sets you apart from other employees?
• After reading the company's mission, goals, and vision, do you connect with any part of them? If so, what parts and why?
• What is your biggest goal in life? This does not need to be mushroom related.
• This role involves extensive manual labor, repetitive tasks, cleaning duties, standing for long periods, and requires lifting 10 lbs frequently and 40-60 lbs occasionally. Are you willing and able to complete the task considering these working conditions and expectations?

Experience:

• lab work: 1 year (Preferred)
• mushroom cultivation / mycology: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $42,000