Director of Farm Operations

Driver’s License

Heavy lifting, bending; standing/sitting for long periods of time. Extreme weather conditions.

Mon
- Fri 8:00am – 5:00pm (may vary) Requires evenings/weekends/holiday as necessary for emergencies, research and events.

The Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment’s Department of Horticulture (
http://www.uky.edu/hort/) seeks a Director of Farm Operations for the Horticulture Research Farm in Lexington, Kentucky. The expected start date, which is negotiable, is January 1, 2027.

Horticulture is a vibrant and growing sector of Kentucky agriculture, providing farmers with high-value crops and communities with nutritious fruits and vegetables and attractive landscapes. With an emphasis on sustainability and food as health, the Department of Horticulture seeks an individual with exceptional farming, leadership, and management skills to oversee its nationally recognized, 105-acre research farm. The farm supports research, extension, and education in sustainable horticulture and facilitates multidisciplinary collaboration to investigate, demonstrate, and communicate practices that strengthen community food systems and horticultural enterprises.

Its overarching goal is to provide an environment where faculty, staff, and students can make scientific breakthroughs that advance horticultural production systems.

The Director of Farm Operations will manage farm staff and facilities and oversee daily operations involving vegetables, fruits, floriculture, nursery crops, greenhouses and high tunnels, a 5-acre research vineyard and winery, a 30-acre certified Organic Farming Unit with a Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA ) program (
https://csa.mgcafe.uky.edu
) that provides experiential learning opportunities, and a 5-acre fruit orchard at another central KY UK research farm on the north side of Lexington. This position reports to the Chair of the Department of Horticulture.

At the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, you’ll find a community that values collaboration, growth, and recognition. Benefits of joining our team include:

• Access to a staff development fund for continued learning and skill building
• Dedicated staff recognition programs that celebrate your contributions
• A shared commitment to making the University of Kentucky the University of, for, and with Kentucky

Join us in shaping the future of teaching and learning—where innovation meets impact.

Candidates should possess interpersonal skills that facilitate working with a variety of audiences including faculty, staff, students, administrators, and public stakeholders. Excellent oral and written communication skills, organizational skills, and a commitment to high-quality research, extension and education are required. The individual should demonstrate the ability to function as a team leader as well as within a team and to communicate effectively.

Yes

MS Horticulture or closely related. Experience in an agriculture-related field, including documented leadership experience. The ideal candidate possesses outstanding farming, leadership and management skills, including a holistic knowledge of farm management, from conventional to organic systems, and demonstrated accomplishments in production agriculture.

Final date to receive applications 11/30/2026

We value the well-being of each of our employees and are dedicated to creating a healthy place for everyone to work, learn and live. In the interest of maintaining a safe and…