Job description

President
Position Description

About Us:

Blue Bird, Inc. was founded in 1913 by a small group of local growers has been processing fruit at the same location in the Upper Wenatchee Valley for over 100 years. Blue Bird Inc., one the oldest grower-owned co-operatives in Central Washington has become a company of constant evolution and growth, while focused on packing and marketing a wide array of Organic and Conventional Pears, Apples, and Cherries to its many domestic and export customers. Along with our state-of-the-art cherry packing facility, Blue Bird operates multiple apple and pear packing lines at both our Peshastin and Wenatchee facilities, averaging over $110 million in annual sales. Blue Bird has expanded its production base to include 180 Member Growers, with over 3 million boxes packed each year. Blue Bird Orchard, LLC. is owned exclusively by Blue Bird Inc. and operates 1175 acres of Pear, Apple, and Cherry orchards in the Othello, Quincy, and Tonasket areas. Blue Bird is governed by a Board of Directors elected by its grower membership that sets policies and oversees the implementation of those policies.

Our Candidate:

As our diverse organization moves into the future, we need a Business Professional with senior management experience preferably in the Tree Fruit industry to join our executive team as President. This position will be an essential part of the leadership team and be responsible for overseeing and guiding all daily activities related to accounting, finance, and operations.

The President will report directly to the Board of Directors and will be responsible for managing an existing well-established team. This position will be located at the corporate offices in Peshastin, Washington.

We are looking for a forward-thinking and strategically minded individual who truly understands Tree Fruit agriculture and warehouse business. The ideal candidate will need to work well within all levels of the organization and always set an example with the highest level of professionalism, integrity, and work ethic.

Requirements and Education:

• An exceptional leader and team player with 10 plus years of experience in an Upper
• Management role for a produce base company with grower, packer, and marketing experiences preferred.
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance, or Agricultural Business degree along with Co-

Op management experience preferably in the Tree fruit warehousing industry.

• Strong leadership ability focused on mentorship, collaboration, and team development.
• Strategically minded with the ability to navigate through complex financial situations to maximize results.
• Strong analytical and business skills with hands-on production and operational experience.
• Ability to research, retrieve and organize data to prepare reports and financial documentation, set up and maintain databases, and accurately perform complex financial analysis.

Essential Job Function & Responsibilities:

• Plan, develop, direct and manage Blue Bird’s multilevel and diverse operations.
• Develop long-range strategies and establish working policies and procedures for future growth.
• Ensure financial functions and operational activities prioritizes Blue Bird’s business initiatives and strategic objectives.
• Establish corporate programs consistent with policies and objectives established by the Board of Directors.
• Provide periodic reports to the Board of Directors regarding the achievement of goals and the status of operational activities.
• Identify issues and provide recommendations on matters that have the potential for major financial or operational benefits and expansions.
• Provide support and guidance to the Board of Directors on legal matters specific to company policy and personnel issues.
• Ensure Board members have a comprehensive understanding of the essential issues and information necessary to facilitate Board action as needed.
• Manage Grower Member relationship with direct communication and interaction.
• Analyze the company performance including reporting variances, and highlighting trends deviating from strategic planning to maximize opportunities and minimize exposures in an appropriate manner and timeframe.
• Collaborate with and direct the leadership team in providing strategic planning based on financial analysis with a focus on revenue and expense efficiencies.
• Work directly with production supervisors to maximize daily throughput for all packing operations.
• Develop long-range strategies and formulate procedures involving short and long-term debt management, cash flow projections, general accounting oversite, annual auditing, warehouse, and orchard budgeting, and financial reporting.
• Oversee grower fruit pools and sales accounting functions for all commodities.
• Establish a strong working relationship with Domex Marketing to satisfy packing scheduling and inventory control for retail demand and monitor weekly, monthly, and seasonal pricing levels of all commodities to maximize grower returns.
• Supervise the oversight of all IT systems throughout the multi-locations within the company.
• Work directly with company Field Staff on grower retention and new grower recruitment.
• Provide oversight and support to company orchard managers to maximize production yields while controlling costs and ensuring a positive margin of returns.
• Deliver explanations and business solutions to help mitigate financial risks and provide the information needed for making important business decisions.
• Oversee company CFO and assist with managing the accounting and finance team in a manner consistent with the company’s core values and principles.
• Assist with the development and implementation of new employment policies and procedures and provide input to continuously improve payroll processes and procedures
• Provide all outside financial institutions with monthly reporting, line of credit needs, and quarterly covenant reporting.
• Supervise the preparation of information, reports, and working papers for all companywide capital projects with attention to budget forecast and outcome.
• Manage the presentation of commercial insurance packages for Board consideration and approval to ensure adequate property and stock coverage at a reasonable and competitive cost.
• Oversee a safe working environment as well as enforce all company employment policies, along with all state and federal regulations governing a safe workplace.
• Perform other duties and projects as requested specifically by the Board of Directors

Compensation:

The salary range for this position is between $250,000 and $300,000 per year. We offer Health, Dental, Vision, Life, and Long-Term Disability Insurance, including a 401K option and match.

The Board of Directors will negotiate the employment contract specifics following hiring as well as future salary increases.

Physical Requirements:

This position requires considerable communication skills, computer proficiency, analysis of information provided via a variety of sources, and the use of specialized equipment.
Accordingly, it is felt that the responsibilities of this position could not be met by persons with significant difficulties in the areas of vision, hearing, or speech.

This position requires Full-Time on-site management of warehouse operations and oversight of company orchards, specific to 8- hour shifts, Monday thru Friday, and seasonal weekend availability, and does not include a remote work option.

The statements contained herein reflect general details as necessary to describe the principal functions for this job, the level of knowledge and skill typically required, and the scope of responsibility, but should not be considered an all-inclusive listing of work requirements. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise to balance the workload.

Our company is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by local, state, or federal law. This policy applies with regard to aspects of one’s employment, including hiring, transfer, promotion, compensation, eligibility for benefits, and termination.

Contact:

Please submit a letter of interest and resume in Word or PDF format referencing BlueBirdPresident2023 by Janaury 27, 2023 to:
Rachel Mathena-Darlington
Human Resources Director

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $250,000.00 - $300,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Ability to commute/relocate:

• Peshastin, WA: Reliably commute or planning to relocate before starting work (Required)

Experience:

• Upper Management with produce base company: 10 years (Preferred)

Work Location: One location

colinoncars.com is the go-to platform for job seekers looking for the best job postings from around the web. With a focus on quality, the platform guarantees that all job postings are from reliable sources and are up-to-date. It also offers a variety of tools to help users find the perfect job for them, such as searching by location and filtering by industry. Furthermore, colinoncars.com provides helpful resources like resume tips and career advice to give job seekers an edge in their search. With its commitment to quality and user-friendliness, colinoncars.com is the ideal place to find your next job.