Farm General Manager at Hog Island Oyster Co. in Marshall, CA

Job Title: Marshall Farm General Manager

Division: Production – Marshall

Reports to: Director of Farm Operations

Direct Reports: Grow Manager, Harvest Manager, and all Marshall Farm crew

FLSA Status: Exempt

Summary of Position:

The Marshall Farm General Manager oversees shellfish growing, harvesting, processing, and daily farm operations at Marshall. This role leads the farm team, manages production plans and budgets, and ensures safe, efficient operations that meet HIOC’s quality standards and regulatory requirements.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Production Planning & Reporting

· Works with the sales and senior management teams to develop annual, quarterly, and weekly production goals and projections.

· Creates quarterly and weekly plans for harvesting, growing, processing, personnel, and equipment to meet those goals, and ensures execution of weekly harvest and grow out plans.

· Tracks actual production against goals and projections. Communicates gaps early and adjusts plans as needed.

· Develops and implements key performance indicators for the team. Ensures deviations from desired performance targets are understood, communicated, and corrected.

· Ensures daily updates are communicated to the sales and planning team, including updating inventories and storage logs.

· Plans staffing and farm activities around tidal conditions, weather, and safe operating windows to meet production goals.

Processing & Food Safety

· Oversees processing operations at Marshall, including shellfish received from the Marshall and Humboldt locations.

· Coordinates with the Humboldt Farm team on product transfers, receiving, and processing schedules.

· Ensures product is handled in a safe manner, ensuring both employee safety and food safety procedures are executed.

· Implements and monitors food safety and regulatory requirements in partnership with QA and the Director of Farm Operations, including HACCP, the Vibrio Control Plan, shellfish tagging and traceability, and wet storage requirements.

Inventory, Records & Tracking

· Owns the Marshall Farm BlueTrace inventory and ensures it is accurate and up to date at all times.

· Ensures all farm activity is recorded in the Farm Management Software.

· Performs regular audits of the software and tracking sheets to ensure data is accurate and complete.

Growing Methods, Research & Continuous Improvement

· Implements approved improvements to growing methods under the direction of the Director of Farm Operations.

· Supports the science and operations teams in conducting approved studies and trials, strategic research direction remains with the science team and Director of Farm Operations.

· Leads continued process improvement across growing, harvest, and processing operations.

Equipment, Infrastructure & Capital Investments

· Coordinates implementation of approved capital investments and infrastructure projects at Marshall Farm, including projects related to oyster leases and land-based operations. Strategic direction and investment approval remain with the Director of Farm Operations and appropriate company leadership.

· Works with the maintenance team to ensure all equipment needs are met and equipment is in good working order.

· Ensures team has equipment, tools, training, and all other resources needed to perform their jobs.

Safety

· Responsible for the safety of all Marshall Farm crew. Ensures safety training, PPE, and safe work practices are in place and followed on the water, on boats, and in processing and land-based operations.

· Holds regular safety meetings and inspections. Ensures all incidents and near misses are reported, investigated, and corrected promptly.

· Ensures operations protect wildlife, prevent debris and pollution, and respect other bay users.

Budget

· Develops the annual Marshall Farm budget with the Director of Farm Operations and manages operations to meet budget targets.

· Reviews monthly results against budget, explains variances, and takes corrective action.

· Fills out expense reports promptly and accurately.

People & Leadership

· Provides a safe and respectful work environment by addressing production and employee issues promptly. Demonstrates and reinforces compliance, best practices, SOPs, and company policies.

· Directly supervises and develops the Grow Manager and Harvest Manager, who supervise their respective crews. Provides overall leadership of the farm team and oversees scheduling, onboarding, training, and performance reviews through these managers. Addresses performance and conduct concerns in coordination with the Director of Farm Operations and DOP.

· Participates in hiring and makes recommendations regarding hiring, promotion, discipline, and termination in coordination with the Director of Farm Operations and DOP.

· Promotes a positive, collaborative work environment consistent with HIOC’s values.

General

· Provides occasional backup coverage as boat captain or truck driver, within the scope of required training, company authorization, and applicable licenses or certifications.

· Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. In addition, the individual must be punctual, have a good attendance record, and have reliable means of transportation to work.

• Working knowledge of Tomales Bay, boat operations, navigation, and tide information
• Proficient in shellfish growing techniques, sizing and quality standards
• Ability to safely operate sorting equipment, forklift, and skid steer
• Experience managing shellfish processing operations, including throughput, inventory, and cold chain
• Experience with farm management software and inventory systems (BlueTrace)
• Ability to develop and manage budgets and production plans
• Working knowledge of desktop applications, including Microsoft Word and Excel
• Communication skills in Spanish preferred
• Deep understanding of HACCP and farm regulatory compliance, including Vibrio Control Plan, rainfall closures, time temperature matrices, and shellfish tagging and traceability.
• Must be available to work a variable schedule based on tides, weather, seasonal production needs, and operational demands, including early mornings, evenings, weekends, and holidays as needed.

Education and Experience:

Demonstrated experience supervising teams and managing shellfish farming, processing, or comparable production operations.

• Experience with a variety of equipment including boats, trucks, skid steer and forklift
• Swim Certification
• CPR/First Aid Certification

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is required to:

• Regularly stand, walk, use hands to finger, handle or feel, and reach with hands and arms up to 10 hours per day;

· Regularly talk and hear up to 10 hours per day;

· Regularly get in and out of a variety of equipment including forklifts, boats, trucks, and skid steer;

· Regularly wade to shore or out to a boat; Occasionally swim to shore or boat;

· Operate boats and vehicles in varying weather conditions within established safety limits; and

• Repeatedly and safely lift and/or move up to fifty (50) pounds.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

· High noise level;

· Fast paced, frequently changing environment in which interruptions are considered normal;

· Regular exposure to marine environment;

· Exposure to physical risks associated with powered equipment, machinery, and chemicals;

· Regular exposure to varying temperatures, wind, rain, wet and slippery surfaces, dirt, dust, fumes, smoke, unpleasant odors, and loud noises; and

· Chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or birth defects or other reproductive harm may be present in the work site environment.

PLEASE NOTE: This job description is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the Marshall Farm General Manager position and it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities or working conditions associated with the position.