Department: Mechanical, Industrial, and Mechatronics Engineering
Position supervisor: Dr. Habiba Bougherara
Contract length: One-year contract inclusive of probation, with the possibility of renewal for up to 1.5 additional years upon annual performance review.
Hours of work per week: 36.25
Position type: Full-time
Rate of pay: $80,000/year + benefits
About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)
At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.
Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
About the program/department/team
Our team is a dynamic, cross-disciplinary group based at Toronto Metropolitan University, dedicated to advancing the future of agriculture through innovation in controlled environment systems. Supported by the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge, we are developing scalable, autonomous technologies to support resilient year-round fruit and vegetable production in Canada.
We bring together leading researchers in engineering, manufacturing, and plant science working closely with industry partners, growers, and government collaborators. Our work integrates cutting-edge research with practical, real-world applications, tackling critical challenges in food security, climate resilience, and sustainable technology development.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative and fast-paced research environment that values creativity, inclusivity, and impact. Together, we are building systems that can shape the future of agriculture, efficient, sustainable, and homegrown.
The opportunity
We are seeking a Master Grower to lead the development and operation of a next-generation indoor raspberry production system as part of the Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Innovation Challenge. This role sits at the intersection of commercial horticulture and applied research. The successful candidate will play a central role in scaling-controlled environment raspberry production in a vertical farming platform.
Key responsibilities include:
- Finalizing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs)
- Managing full crop production cycles (thousands of plants)
- Leading iterative trials to optimize yield, fruit quality, and system performance
Key Responsibilities:
1. Crop Production Leadership
- Oversee all aspects of raspberry production in a controlled environment system
- Manage full crop cycles from propagation through to harvest
- Maintain high performance across key production metrics, including:
- Fruit quality (e.g., °Brix, uniformity)
- Diagnose and resolve plant health, nutrition, and environmental issues in real time
2. SOP Development & Optimization
Development, refinement, and documentation of SOPs for:
- Planting, pruning, training, and harvesting
- Irrigation and fertigation strategies
- Environmental control (lighting, airflow, humidity, CO₂)
- Continuously improve SOPs based on observed performance and trial outcomes
3. Experimental Design & Trial Execution
Design and execute structured crop trials to optimize:
- Pollination performance
- Plant density and canopy architecture
- Environmental “recipes” and system parameters
- Collaborate with engineers and researchers on system validation
4. Data Collection, KPIs & Decision-Making
- Define and track key biological and operational performance indicators:
- Yield, fruit quality, labour efficiency, system uptime
- Use data to guide production decisions and continuous improvement
- Contribute to performance and cost analyses (e.g., cost per kg, energy efficiency)
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration
Work closely with:
- Engineers (airflow systems, pollination technology, infrastructure)
- Researchers (experimental design, analytics)
- Industry partners (Montel, commercial growers)
- Provide horticultural expertise to support system design and scaling decisions
6. Scaling & Commercial Readiness
- Support transition from pilot trials to commercial-scale production
- Ensure SOPs and production systems are robust, repeatable, and scalable
- Contribute to achieving performance targets across multiple trial phases
Qualifications:
Required:
- Strong background in horticulture, crop production, or plant systems
- Experience managing crops in greenhouse production or CEA
- Demonstrated ability to:
- Diagnose plant health and production issues
- Optimize yield and crop performance
- Manage production workflows
Preferred:
- Experience with experimental design or applied research
- Familiarity with data-driven decision-making
- Experience with specialty crops (berries strongly preferred)
- Comfort working in a fast-paced, R&D-oriented environment
What We’re Looking For
Someone who:
- Has strong horticultural knowledge and practical growing expertise
- Is comfortable working in a system that is still being developed and optimized
- Can take ownership of both production outcomes and process development
- Is motivated by solving complex problems and building something new
- Scientific experience is an asset, but deep horticultural expertise is the priority.
Additional Information
- Primary work location is Montmagny, Québec
- Occasional travel to Demers or Toronto Metropolitan University (Toronto, ON) may be required for coordination, training, and project meetings
- This position is part of a national-scale innovation initiative focused on advancing indoor fruit production technologies
How to Apply:
Please send the following materials to Habiba Bougherara ([email protected]) and Lesley Campbell ([email protected]).
- Expression of interest outlining your fit for the position
- CV and résume
Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion
- We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at [email protected].
- Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
- We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process, please reach out to to Human Resources:
- Current employees can contact HR by logging into AskHR to submit a request.
- External candidates who do not have TMU login credentials can contact HR by visiting torontomu.ca/human-resources/askhr/.
- All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.
