Square Mile Farms
Farm Manager
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Farm Manager
Square Mile Farms is on a mission to integrate farms into everyday city life to create inspiring places and experiences that bring people & organizations together and reconnect them with food. We put vertical growing systems in urban areas, such as corporate offices, co-working spaces, restaurants and apartment buildings, so people can grow and consume their own zero miles, ultra fresh produce where they live and work, while enjoying plants on display.
Job Summary
The Farm Manager is responsible for the management of day-to-day farm operations at our largest site, including the operational oversight of a Farm Operator, crop production, nursery operations, plant health, equipment maintenance, system cleanliness, data collection, and quality control. The Farm Manager upholds an exceptional standard of product output and ensures the farm successfully functions as a food production facility, educational and wellness space for client employees, an aesthetic feature of the restaurant, as well as a key proof point for future SMF masterplans.
Key Responsibilities and Duties
Nursery & Crop Production Management
- Coordinate sowing schedule for production farm, farm walls and a reception planter.
- Maintain and adapt irrigation cycles of racks, according to Nursery and Open Farm needs.
- Maintain/enhance irrigation nutrient mixes.
- Monitor plant health, i.e. manage germination, fertigation and other nutrition issues.
- Hit monthly, quarterly and yearly yield targets.
- Create weekly and monthly yield projections.
- Coordinate implementation of IPM (Integrated Pest Management) protocols.
- Manage lighting, HVAC and other growing variables of the vertical farm, SMF Farm Walls and Reception Planter.
System & Site Management
- Take full ownership of the day-to-day running of the farm's growing systems, including nutrient dosing, EC/pH monitoring, lighting, irrigation, and climate conditions, keeping them within set parameters.
- Carry out scheduled maintenance and cleaning routines, identify faults early, and resolve or escalate issues quickly to The Site Operations Lead, minimise downtime and crop loss.
- Keep the site immaculately presented at all times: healthy, full, and well-arranged crops; clean equipment and surfaces; tidy storage; and no visible waste, spillages, or clutter.
- Uphold SMF's site standards through regular walk-rounds and checklists and take pride in the farm as a front-of-house space seen daily by client staff, visitors, senior stakeholders and the public.
- Ensure all signage, labelling, and branding are current, accurate, and in good condition.
- Maintain accurate logs of system readings, maintenance, cleaning, and incidents to support compliance, reporting, and continuous improvement.
- Proactively suggest improvements to layout, efficiency, and presentation that raise the standard of the site over time.
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Resource Management
- Work closely with the Site Lead to make sure daily, weekly, monthly and annual tasks are planned, prioritised, and completed on time and to standard.
- Monitor operational performance across the site, spotting where tasks are slipping, workloads are uneven, or processes could run more efficiently, and agree fixes with the Site Lead.
- Set and maintain task schedules for growing, maintenance, cleaning, and harvest, making sure they match crop plans and site priorities.
- Monitor stock levels of seeds, growing media, nutrients, packaging, cleaning products, and PPE, making sure orders are placed in good time to avoid shortages or overstocking.
- Monitor energy and water use and look for practical ways to run the farm more efficiently and sustainably.
- Make sure waste is managed responsibly, including composting, recycling, and correct disposal of chemicals and equipment in line with H&S requirements.
- Keep an accurate inventory of tools and equipment and make sure damaged or missing items are reported and replaced.
Data collection
- Using our management system, Airtable, ensure all required data points are updated on a daily/weekly basis such as harvest weights, sowing information, consumables inventory.
- Reporting of Health & Safety data – report into the Site Lead.
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Client engagement
- Leading weekly community harvests, engaging the attendees, and providing exceptional SMF experience.
- Supporting client pop up events and with school visits.
- Support with providing farm tours/talks to client stakeholders.
- Send out weekly produce updates to on-site chefs.
- Hold and lead bi-weekly meetings with on-site chefs.
Requirements
- At least 2–3 years' experience managing commercial growing operations, ideally in controlled-environment agriculture (vertical farming, hydroponics, aquaponics, or glasshouse production).
- Strong technical understanding of hydroponic systems, including nutrient management, EC/pH, lighting, irrigation, and troubleshooting system faults.
- Experienced knowledge of pest and disease management, with a preventative, proactive approach.
- Proven ability to plan and prioritize work, set schedules, and follow through without needing direction.
- Experience working alongside or leading others, with the confidence to hold standards and address issues directly.
- Excellent communication skills, comfortable dealing with clients, senior stakeholders, and members of the public in a professional setting.
- Solid understanding of H&S and food safety, including risk assessments, COSHH, and safe working practices.
- Good organizational and admin skills, including accurate record-keeping, reporting, and use of digital tools and spreadsheets.
- High personal standards and attention to detail, with pride in how a site looks and runs.
- Passionate about agriculture, horticulture and/or nature and sustainability.
Personal Attributes
- Self-starter who takes ownership: spots problems and fixes them before being asked.
- Makes sound decisions independently and knows when to escalate.
- Calm and solutions-focused under pressure, whether it's a system failure or a client walk-through.
- Continuously looks for ways to improve processes, efficiency, and standards.
- Reliable, accountable, and honest when things go wrong.
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