Production Manager

Company Overview 

Farmers Business Network (FBN) is on a mission to power the prosperity of family farmers and rural communities around the world, transforming how the world farms with an integrated, technology-enabled agricultural platform.

We offer high ROI farm inputs, fintech and sustainability products and services powered by network data, and farm-tested insights from our global farmer community.  Our platform helps FBN members make confident decisions to ensure the economic viability of their farms, while also empowering them to be a part of the solution as the global community confronts its most pressing issues: providing food security for a growing population, transitioning to more sustainable agriculture, and responding to climate change.

We are a dynamic, innovative, and mission-driven AgTech company that offers competitive compensation and benefits as well as boundless career mobility. We are backed by top investors, including Fidelity, ADM, Google Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, DBL Partners, T Rowe Price and Temasek. We have been featured in these articles by the Wall Street Journal and Forbes, and were also named "One of the 50 Most Innovative Companies in the World" by Fast Company Magazine.

Position Summary 

The Production Manager is a crucial member of the US Supply Chain team who is responsible for the execution of all processes involved in the manufacture of agrochemical products.  This role will ensure production output meets or exceeds the requirements of the demand and supply plans while adhering to safety and quality standards and continuously balancing and rebalancing resources (such as equipment, materials, and staffing).

Responsibilities 

• Lead the onboarding and relationship management of toll manufacturers, 3PL’s for materials storage, and raw materials suppliers, including contract negotiation, price negotiations, scheduling, and performance tracking
• Assist in the development and management of the production budget as well as provide support for make vs. buy cost analyses
• Facilitate timely and accurate scheduling of assigned tollers to ensure reliability of supply and minimize added operating costs such as downtime, system clean-outs, and excess waste disposal fees
• Monitor toller performance on meeting production timelines and material usages   
• Plan, negotiate, procure, and schedule the delivery of raw materials needed for production including technical, inerts, and packaging materials
• Make adjustments to the production plan or communicate constraints in response to changes in the S&OP plan
• Utilize the ERP (NetSuite), Google Workspace, Tableau and other tools to perform accurate, detailed, and timely record keeping of production related activities including but not limited to raw material supply plans, work orders, purchase orders, production reports, and end of campaign reconciliations
• Prepare and record inventory transfers and work with 3PL’s and tollers to ensure inventory is accurately maintained and reported
• Complete physical inventory counts and reconciliations at tollers and 3PL’s on an annual basis or as requested by management
• Prepare and present reports and metrics for senior management, highlighting achievements and areas for improvement
• Collaborate with quality, regulatory, and EH&S teams to ensure compliance with all laws, regulations, and company protocols
• Assist the Quality Manager with root-cause analyses and implementing corrective action for quality issues that may arise during production, storage of inventory, or post sale
• Support accounts payable in the resolution of vendor invoice discrepancies 
• Contribute to and support ongoing process improvement initiatives

 Minimum Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s Degree in supply chain, manufacturing, operations, or equivalent required
• 5+ years of experience in chemical toll manufacturing, preferably in the agrochemical industry
• 5+ years of experience with procurement and supply planning
• Experience working with an ERP like NetSuite similar
• Experience using Google Workspace (GMail, Sheets, Docs, etc.)
• Experience using any reporting and analytics tools such as Tableau
• Ability to travel as requested (estimated up to 15% of time)

 Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience with S&OP process
• Experience with cost of goods accounting
• Advanced Google Sheets (Excel) skills
• International procurement of technical and other raw materials

Characteristics 

The successful applicant will be: 

• Able to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Able to analyze and synthesize critical information
• Flexible to accommodate changing priorities
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills