About Plenty
Plenty is on a mission to make fresh, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables more accessible to everyone. Our cutting-edge indoor, vertical farms produce extraordinary yields using a fraction of the land and water outdoor farms need. Nutrient-rich, mouth-watering and locally grown, our crops help people, communities and our planet to be healthier and more resilient.
The people and teams who make up Plenty are at the core of how we do this. We are a collaborative and innovative bunch. We are passionate about our contributions to Plenty, the communities around us and our planet, but never take ourselves too seriously. We’re down to Earth, we grow together, and we always find a way. Most importantly, we’re here to improve the lives of plants, people and our planet.
Plenty is looking for a Senior Manager to lead our Automation Mechanical Design team. The Automation Mechanical Design team is responsible for implementing industrial automation technology to reduce cost and increase efficiency on our process lines. In this role, you will use your experience in equipment design to lead and mentor a group of exceptional engineers and engineering vendors, help create positive design outcomes, and work to establish standards that meet functional and cost needs. You will collaborate heavily with Controls Engineering, and partner with other engineers and scientists throughout the company. You will develop and implement a strategy for delivering machines at scale across multiple farms per year.
- Develop and maintain an understanding of the automation needs of the upcoming farms, which will drive priorities of your team
- Plan for and prioritize activities of the Automation Mechanical Design team and allocate responsibilities to Engineers according to project needs and skills
- Understand team processes and drive continuous improvement
- Mentor and develop Engineers on the Mechanical Design team and provide frequent technical input for multiple projects
- Learn about each person’s career goals and work with them to create development plans
- Collaborate with senior members of the team to develop design standardization/templates/libraries for both internal and external use
- Apply a unified technical vision where appropriate
- Ensure design quality and completeness through frequent reviews and feedback
- Facilitate effective collaboration with partners in Systems Engineering and Controls Engineering
- Ensure all team members have what they need to work effectively
- Develop working relationships with outside firms who are used to supplement the efforts of your team, and guide team members to manage said outside vendors
- Travel ~30% to support installation and commissioning
- Others duties as assigned
- 7+ years of combined Mechanical Design, Project Management and people Leadership experience
- Experience setting goals and helping team members achieve them
- Experience mentoring engineers and facilitating the delivery of projects
- Experience owning production equipment through all product cycles (concept through production release)
- Experience designing for several manufacturing processes, i.e. machining, sheet metal processing, welding; strong knowledge of materials and finishes
- Strong knowledge of pneumatic and electric actuators, sensors, and other components typically used in industrial equipment
- Extensive experience creating 3D CAD and 2D drawings, including familiarity with using and creating templates
- Excellent internal and external communication skills
- Ability to understand and adapt to flexible and evolving design requirements, as well as tight time constraints
- You thrive at leading large engineering teams to deliver on multiple complex work streams simultaneously
What we can offer
- Compensation; we’ll pay you a competitive salary, give you a stake in the company via equity and contribute toward your 401K
- Health & well-being; we’ll invest in your physical and mental well-being with comprehensive medical, dental, & vision benefits, in-office gyms, and an Employee Assistance Program to help with mental health, financial & legal matters
- Food; in-office lunches, snacks and access to our leafy greens & new produce in development -- are you up for a side gig as a taste tester?
- Grow together; learning & development opportunities including unlimited access to our Upstart University platform, LinkedIn Learning, lunch & learns, training certifications, and more
- Equipment; we’ll provide you with the equipment you need to be successful, including $75/month toward your phone bill and $250 every 2 years to upgrade your phone
- Paid time off; we know you’ll do your best if you’re taking time to recharge, so we don’t cap the amount of days you can take off per year in addition to the paid holidays we observe
- Parental leave; 12 weeks off for all new parents - fully paid so you can focus your energy on your newest addition
Food & Safety Requirements
- Comply with all Plant, State and Federal OSHA, EPA, FDA, HACCP, and SQF regulations
- Ensure equipment design is of a material suitable for food safety and designed in a way that is smooth and easily cleanable
- All applicants must be 18 years or older to apply
