Passionate to eat better, Infarm was founded in Berlin in 2013 by Osnat Michaeli and the brothers Erez and Guy Galonska. With the aim to share the goodness of own-grown produce with everyone, they developed a smart modular farming system that allows distribution of farms throughout the urban environment, growing fresh produce in any available space and fulfilling any market demand.
Today, with cutting edge R&D, patented technologies, and a leading multi-disciplinary team, Infarm is growing a global farming network helping cities become self-sufficient in their food production while significantly improving the safety, quality, and environmental footprint of our food.
Be part of the Infarm (r)evolution and help people to take back ownership of their food.
Who You Are
The Lead Maintenance Technician is essential to the successful function of the Maintenance team, as well as the proper coordination between the Global Crop Operations Team, Inventory Coordinator and Production Manager.
As a Lead Maintenance Technician, you will be responsible for both the maintenance and care of our hydroponic farms at our Growing Center. You’ll follow clearly defined processes and quality standards to ensure both the physical farm itself and the software are working correctly.
Practical maintenance experience is required as you’ll be solving a variety of technical problems related to pipes, pumps, valves, radiators, irrigation systems, LED lamp units and fans. You’ll also need to combine this with great communication skills and the basic skills to maintain the smooth running of our software, ‘the brains’ of our urban farms. Previous software/coding skills are not required as training will be provided.
Responsibilities
Primary Team Lead Responsibilities
Maintenance:
- Monitor alerting system and ticketing system
- Plan & organize preventive maintenance actions as well as prioritize corrective maintenance actions
Coordination:
- Communicate with Regional Maintenance Specialist and Plant Expert
- Coordinate with the Inventory Coordinator for maintenance parts & tools availability
Reporting:
- Track team KPIs
- Provide daily/weekly feedback to the Production Manager
- Produce reports for the Central Maintenance team and Operations Manager (H&S, team issues and needs, different reports upon request)
Management:
- On-board new team members and set up the necessary tools
- Supervise & lead the Maintenance Technicians
- Plan and synchronize team's vacations
Perform the below Maintenance Technician duties
- Perform planned preventive maintenance, on all production operations systems and subsystems
- Perform corrective maintenance on different machinery and hub systems associated with mechanical and electrical equipment
- Lead upgrades/retrofits on all production and field operation equipment as needed
- Monitor the dashboards of the indoor farms and help identify, report on and solve basic software issues
- Liaise with machinery suppliers as required to rectify more serious issues and to arrange for maintenance and servicing. Act as the contact person for the supplier’s maintenance teams
- Ensure that all maintenance work done by Infarmers or external contractors is registered and properly documented
- Coordinate facility maintenance in and around the hubs as needs arise
- Maintain the supportive systems in the facility, such as washing machines, packing machines, seeding machines etc
- Plan, supervise and execute fertigation for the hydroponic system. Mixing fertilizers & pH regulators as needed to supply for the Hub’s plant production
- Ensure your safety and the safety of others by following Health and Safety legislation and guidelines
- Assist and complete farm installations and activation according to defined procedures and quality standards
- Lead and be part of on-call duty rotation to ensure 24/7 support of Infarm operations
- Provide departmental training and mentoring as needed to new Maintenance Technicians
Requirements
- Team supervision experience. Natural leader with strong verbal and written communication skills
- Organizational and planning abilities
- Proven mechanical maintenance experience in an industrial environment, preferably within a hydroponic, agricultural or food manufacturing context
- Comfortable reading and understanding mechanical/electrical blueprints, schematic drawings and service manuals
- Flexible with a proactive attitude and hands-on approach
- Strong attention to detail along with a good eye caring for cleanliness around our farms
- Able to identify and troubleshoot technical issues in a clear and concise manner
- Valid driver’s license
- Ability to travel for work for training purposes or to support other teams on occasion
- English and German language skills
Special things we would like to see
- Interest in hydroponics systems and software
- Facility management experience is a plus
- Forklift license is a plus
- Experience in working at heights is a plus
- Mechanical, electrical or plumbing certification, training records and/or references
What we offer
- The opportunity to join Infarm as we expand across the globe and help change the future of farming
- The ability to drive impact and be a true partner to the business, working closely with top-level managers
- A friendly work environment with a diverse group of motivated, talented, and visionary colleagues
What’s also in for you
- Stay up-to-date: Regular Global & Regional All-hands meetings and Lunch & Learn sessions
- Meet your colleagues: Join our employee resource groups or (virtual) company activities
- Take some time off: 30 days of annual paid time off, and an extra day off on your birthday
- Be well: 24/7 Professional Counselling and various internal Health & Wellness initiatives (Yoga, Diet & Nutrition, and many more)
- Travel to Work: Subsidized Public Transport Reimbursement and Subsidized Swapfiets Bike Program
- Enjoy your meal: Subsidized meal vouchers, snacks & drinks
- Save Up: Subscribe to your corporate pension scheme and look out for corporate discounts with more than 800 brands
Infarm is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to grow an inclusive environment, where everyone can thrive, regardless of your background and circumstances. We nurture diversity because we appreciate the uniqueness and differences between people. Each employee’s distinctive experiences, perspectives, and viewpoints helps us build a resilient environment, where we can all learn, grow, and create great things together. All applicants are given equal opportunity regardless of age, gender identity or expression, language, disability, ethnic origin, national origin, religion, belief, culture, socio-economic status, or sexual orientation.
