Plant Health Manager - Midwest Groundcovers - Virgil, IL
Full Time Year Around
Manage the Plant Health functions of Midwest Groundcovers by implementing Integrated Pest Management Program (IPM), including pests and diseases, fertility, soils, cultural, mechanical, biological, chemical practices and research & development in order to produce quality nursery plants.
Essential Responsibilities:
| • | Personnel management: |
| • | Recruiting, selecting, hiring and terminating |
| • | Training |
| • | Goal setting, performance evaluations and reviews |
| • | Team Management: |
| • | Development and managing processes, systems and functions for plant health and cultural practices |
| • | Communicating and meeting regularly with the team |
| • | Developing and supporting team goals |
| • | Actively supporting production team |
| • | Preparing and managing pesticide, fertilizer and labor budget |
| • | Preparing and managing operations and capital plant health departmental budgets |
| • | Leading or assisting on special projects |
| • | Ensuring safe working environment including safety training |
| • | Communicating and coordinating tasks with internal customers |
| • | Collaborating with sales team on customer plant health issues |
| • | Reporting plans, activities and progress |
| • | Pest Management: |
| • | Maintaining license as Pesticide Applicator in IL and MI |
| • | Managing all Pesticide Operators |
| • | Overseeing pesticide application processes and procedures for Midwest Groundcovers |
| • | Preparing and updating Pest Management schedules for MG |
| • | Training Pesticide Operators in safety, application procedures, techniques, documentation to ensure safety and competence in all applications |
| • | Conducting respiratory training for all pesticide license holders, operators, and early entry workers |
| • | Consulting with all nursery managers on scheduling and standardization |
| • | Ensuring documentation of pesticide applications |
| • | Researching new chemicals, biological controls and methods |
| • | Weed Management: |
| • | Overseeing weed management for all production turf and landscape areas in MG |
| • | Training Plant Health crew on weed knowledge, seed timing and weeding techniques |
| • | Ensuring the Plant Health crew is trained on preparing and applying herbicides as well as their mode of action and how they affect the weed |
| • | Directing weeding crews in pre-emergent herbicide applications in container plant production |
| • | Manage and oversee IPM for the company: |
| • | Training production staff on plant health, scouting, cultural practices, insect and disease identification |
| • | Ensuring compliance with state and federal laws |
| • | Coordinating with outside consultants of extension services, soil and fertilization programs and following up with written summaries |
| • | Regularly inspecting crops in all production areas and providing feedback to Managers |
| • | Legal Oversight and Compliance for the company: |
| • | Nursery licenses |
| • | Import/Export and shipping certificates |
| • | Worker Protection Standard annual training |
| • | Nursery quarantine procedures |
| • | Nursery inspections |
| • | Keeping abreast of EPA and OSHA compliances |
| • | Annually updating and providing Emergency Response Program for the company Providing and maintaining pesticide spill kits for each nursery |
| • | Managing and overseeing soil and fertilizer programs: |
| • | Working with nursery managers to determine soil mixes to be used in all areas of production |
| • | Testing fresh soil mixes |
| • | Consulting with Midwest Trading on soil issues |
| • | Coordinating and monitoring waste material composting process |
| • | Working with Nursery Managers to establish fertility program (crop recipes) for all production |
| • | Monitoring internal weekly soil EC/PH tests |
| • | Giving input on soil testing process and test results |
| • | Coordinating fertilizer and chemical injector maintenance with MGro |
| • | Organizing MGro injector training |
| • | Waste Management: |
| • | Managing composting of plant waste in Virgil Nursery. |
| • | Coordinating transportation of plant waste from St Charles Nursery to compost pile in Virgil Nursery. |
| • | Coordinating spreading compost on agricultural fields on company property |
| • | Production Trials, Research & Development: |
| • | Standardizing procedures for production trials |
| • | Training growers on trial procedures and documentation |
| • | Monitoring trials with area supervisors |
| • | Assisting with tax credit forms for trial reimbursement |
| • | Implementing Plant Growth Regulator program to control plant size and quality |
| • | Equipment, Facility and supply: |
| • | Ensuring all Pest management facilities are safe, clean and organized |
| • | Ensuring all equipment is calibrated, operated, cleaned and stored properly |
| • | Checking and maintaining protective and emergency equipment |
| • | Coordinating all maintenance with Maintenance depart |
| • | Ordering and record keeping of chemicals, fertilizer and Plant Health supplies |
Preferred Experience:
| • | 5+ years of experience managing and implementing Plant Health for a production crop of similar size. |
| • | Management of crew doing plant health. |
Knowledge & Skills Required:
| • | The ability to multitask and work under pressure |
| • | Working knowledge of Microsoft systems |
| • | Good written and verbal communication skills |
| • | The ability to keep accurate records |
Education:
| • | 4-year degree in Agronomy, Botany, Biology, Entomology, Horticulture or related area |
Travel: Travel 30%.
About Midwest Groundcovers:
Join the Midwest team! We strive to attract and retain the best talent in our industry and consider our employees to be our most valuable asset. We offer full-time, full-time seasonal and part-time employment across many different types of positions and experience levels. Midwest has grown through dedication to customer service and we are continually seeking those who share that desire to join our team. Our past accomplishments and success in the Green Industry are a direct reflection of the quality of our employees – join us and help us to build the future!
Contact Us
Street Address:
(For Internet & Navigation Devices)
6N800 IL-25
St. Charles, IL 60174
(847) 742-1790
(847) 742-2655
mginfo@midwestgroundcovers.com
Current Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7:30am - 4:00pm