Assistant Farm Manager
- Employer
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Location
- Sewanee, TN
View more
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
01/29/2021
Classification Title:Assistant Farm Manager
Division:Provost's Office
Department:Environmental Stewardship & Sustainability
FLSA Status:Exempt (Overtime exemption status is determined at the time of hire based on the rate of pay)
Career/Pay Band:2A
Work Schedule:Full Year
Full Time vs Part Time:Full Time
Appointment:Regular
Primary Function:The University Farm Assistant Manager supports a co-curricular farm program that enhances academic learning, conducts applied research, provides career experience and training, fosters wellness, and directs outreach into the surrounding community. We farm as though the future matters. This position impacts Sewanee students, faculty, staff, alumni, as well as the university community through the Office of Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability’s five focal paths:
- Collaborative Stewardship,
- Practical Training,
- Outreach and Education,
- Inspiration and Immersion,
- Evaluation and Reporting.
This position mentors students and volunteers in the production of crops, livestock and specialty products in consultation with the farm manager and then executes and tracks progress on these areas. It includes reviewing the schedule and leading crews of students and visitors while ensuring their safety and training in daily farm tasks; it assigns overflow work-study or volunteers for unexpected events. This position identifies needed repairs to infrastructure and equipment and performs these projects.This position is responsible for composting operations. This position includes public contact several times a week and represents the University during visitor events at the farm.
Typical Duties & Responsibilities:1. Mentors student and visitor crews, giving feedback to achieve learning objectives, productivity and safety.
2. Responsible for organization of equipment and buildings.
3. Assist with scheduling and supervision of farm projects and coordinates the activities of employees and volunteers.
4. Leads and maintains all aspects of composting.
5. Assists with crop planning and production.
6. Assist with animal rearing, including ruminants, poultry and fish.
7. Operate tractors and implements, vehicles, mowers, tillers and chainsaws and initiates routine maintenance on equipment and infrastructure.
8. Uses cloud-based programs for communication and record keeping.
9. Other duties as assigned.
Judgment and discretion as to the use of established policies are required to perform the essential duties of this position.
Budgetary Responsibility:Monitors expenditures against budget; prepares budget data for review/approval by supervisor/department head.
Machines & Equipment Used:Tractor and 3-point hitch implements, Truck and trailer, tiller, mower, chain saw, string trimmer, garden hand tools and carpentry power tools
Education:High School Diploma or GRE.
Preferred: B.S. or Associate degree in biology, horticulture, or a related field
Experience:3 years of full time grower experience; 2 years of animal husbandry or pet care. Has often built or repaired objects in the landscape using power tools.
Prefer experience in a startup environment
Job Related Skills:Demonstrated oral and written communications skills to deal effectively with a diverse clientele. Can identify with crop plants and list their needs. Familiar with smartphone technology and google docs, sheets, calendar and drive. Familiar with powered hand tools, their uses and safety.
Preferred: Demonstrated interest in applied biology, especially insect and disease scouting and identification, or the rearing of beneficial insects and edible mushrooms. Food safety certificate. Can operate a manual transmission tractor, attach 3-point implements and can back a trailer.
Licenses/Certification:Valid Driver’s license
Student Contact:Daily
Internal:Once a month
External:Visitors and suppliers: Once a week
Supervision Received:This position works with considerable independence and self-direction. Only general direction and scope of the work to be accomplished are discussed with supervisor.
Positions Directly Supervised:Work Study students and volunteers
Positions Indirectly Supervised:none
Confidential Information:This position signs community service forms.
Working Environment:Must be able to wear an approved mask for prolonged periods while performing job duties and responsibilities.
The farm is a startup operation with fast paced changes in work routines and infrastructure. A high level of flexibility, curiosity and drive are needed. The assistant farm manager will work a flexible schedule in response to the needs of animals and crops and work schedules are often driven by weather events. Occasional evening and weekend hours are required and there will also be on-call during some off hours. A typical workweek is 40 hours.
Physical Requirements:Must be able to stand for extended periods of time, Must be able to walk for extended periods of time, Must be able to climb (many stairs, ladders), Must be able to crawl and or kneel, Must be able to push and/or pull objects, Must be able to navigate steep and rough terrain, Must be able to use feet for repetitive tasks, Must be able to use hands for repetitive tasks, Must be able to lift between 51-100 pounds (Heavy work), Must be able to carry between 51-100 pounds (Heavy work)
University Information:The University of the South, commonly known as Sewanee, comprises a nationally ranked residential College of Arts and Sciences and a School of Theology. The University is strongly committed to the values of intellectual inquiry, diversity, equity, and inclusion, and living and serving in community. Situated on 13,000 acres atop Tennessee’s Cumberland Plateau, Sewanee is known for its stunning natural beauty while providing easy access to Chattanooga, Nashville, and Huntsville. The University is affiliated with the Episcopal Church and seeks to help employees of all backgrounds and identities flourish.
EEO Statement:The University of the South is an equal opportunity educational institution that is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive campus environment.
Employment Prescreening:Eligibility for employment is contingent upon successful prescreening
Non-Discrimination Statement:The University of the South stands firmly for the principle that its employees, students, and participants of university-sponsored programs and activities have a right to be free from discrimination based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, pregnancy and childbirth, and genetic information. As required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the University does not discriminate on the basis of sex or other protected categories in the educational programs or activities which it operates. This requirement of non-discrimination extends to admission to and employment in those programs or activities. The University is committed to sustaining a community in which the dignity of every individual is respected. Key to this value are efforts to nurture an environment of civility and mutual respect and to foster a culture of reporting concerns so that the University can respond promptly and equitably whenever an incident occurs. All employees, students, and participants of university-sponsored programs and activities have the right to be free from harassment and retaliation.
Inquiries regarding the application of Title IX may be addressed to:
The University’s Title IX Coordinator, Dr. Sylvia Gray, at:
Woods Lab, 138
(931) 598-1420
Email: smgray@sewanee.edu or titleix@sewanee.edu
Organization
Working at Sewanee: The University of the South
Known familiarly as “Sewanee” by its students, faculty, staff and friends, The University of the South offers an unmatched educational experience. The university remains purposefully small and dedicated to building a sense of community. All classes are taught by professors, not graduate teaching assistants, and close faculty-student interaction ensures that each student enjoys a rich and personal educational experience. It is not unusual for students and faculty members to work shoulder to shoulder on research projects and journal articles, to meet for coffee at a local eatery, or to serve together as members of the university orchestra, volunteer fire department, and other civic groups.
The result of such individualized education is clear in the academic success of Sewanee students and alumni. The university has had 26 Rhodes Scholars—a number that puts Sewanee in the top four nationally among American liberal arts colleges—as well as 27 NCAA Postgraduate Fellows, 43 Watson Fellows, and dozens of Fulbright Scholars, and has an acceptance rate to graduate and professional schools that far outpaces its peers. The School of Theology has added to its alumni ranks countless bishops, including three of the last four presiding bishops of the Episcopal Church.
Sewanee offers 36 majors, 32 minors, and 15 special programs, along with pre-medicine, pre-nursing, pre-law, and pre-business. More than 40 percent of students participate in study-abroad programs, and a comprehensive endowed program that provides financial support for summer internships has greatly strengthened career development for undergraduates. See more about Sewanee in the "Sewanee Snapshot" here.
In an era of specialization, Sewanee upholds the broad-based ideals of liberal education as a surer means to success. At the University of the South, the adherence to outstanding liberal arts education and enduring traditions of honor, community, and respect have transformed many generations of students, and have earned the abiding loyalty and support of alumni who are enjoying lives of integrity, leadership, and service.
The University is located atop the Cumberland Plateau between Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee. Sewanee’s physical environment, which includes the 13,000–acre Domain (as the campus and surrounding area is known), provides a remarkable academic and recreational resource, and an unparalleled place in which to study and reflect. It invites students to engage in both a multitude of outdoor activities and careful study of the natural environment.
As the University celebrated the 150th anniversary of its founding in 2007–2008, it looked back on a rich history and forward to new opportunities for the next generations. “The essence of Sewanee is consistent from generation to generation,” said Vice Chancellor emeritus Joel Cunningham. “We are a university dedicated to liberal education, to time-honored traditions, and to our commitment to serve our students and this nation. We have been successful in advancing our mission, and I believe we have the resources and the will to ensure that Sewanee’s best years are still to come.”
Get job alerts
Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.
Create alert