Senior Project Manager, Research & Development

Job Type: Location Type: On-site

 

We grow the world’s BEST Strawberries & that wouldn’t be possible without our Research & Development Team!

We are hiring a Senior Project Manager for our R&D team to support product or cultivar development. Our Research & Development team works on various projects from breeding to cultivar development to fundamental product research and is composed of varying team members such as expert growers, plant scientists, and project teams.

What you’ll be responsible for:

• Lead mid- to long-term, high-impact R&D and operational initiatives critical to advancing cultivation performance, large-scale production, and business scalability, operating effectively in environments with high ambiguity and evolving scope.
• Translate strategic intent into structured, executable plans by defining clear objectives, success metrics, priorities, and milestones, and continuously refining scope and approach based on data, field insights, and close partnership with your direct manager and senior leaders.
• Own a portfolio of strategic initiatives end to end, setting direction, sequencing work, balancing resources, and driving execution across R&D, cultivation, production, engineering, operations, and commercial teams.
• Directly manage and develop project managers and contributors while leading and influencing indirect reports and cross-functional team members; establish clear expectations, coach teams through complex problem solving, and foster accountability, rigor, and momentum without relying solely on formal authority.
• Drive execution by establishing strong project governance, progress tracking, risk management, and escalation mechanisms that ensure forward momentum in fast-changing environments.
• Proactively identify dependencies, bottlenecks, and risks, engaging directly with on-site operations-including farm-level execution-to validate assumptions, monitor progress, and ensure alignment with operational realities.
• Surface issues early, develop clear response options and alternatives, and partner closely with your direct manager to enable timely decisions and course corrections.
• Lead field-driven problem solving in partnership with expert growers, engineers, and operators, owning issues from root-cause analysis through implementation and measurable impact.
• Translate on-the-ground data and execution outcomes into insights that improve performance, scalability, and future roadmap decisions, synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations for senior leaders.
• Clearly communicate project outcomes, insights, risks, and trade-offs to executive and cross-functional stakeholders, providing decision-ready perspectives that inform strategy and investment priorities.
• Capture and institutionalize key learnings, best practices, and decision rationales as reusable organizational knowledge, continuously improving project execution and problem-solving practices across the organization.
• Strengthen organizational execution capabilities by developing teams’ structured thinking, planning, and analytical skills through direct leadership, coaching, and influence.

Who will love this job: Individuals who identify with our Core Values and exhibit skills within those values will thrive at Oishii.

• One Team, One Fight!
  • Ability to quickly shift priorities to meet deadlines and effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, clearly, concisely and with purpose from succinct slack updates to robust, logical presentations.
  • Ability to work cross functionally at all levels and collaborate at various levels of the organization.
  • Willingness to learn from senior and junior team members, reach out for help when needed, and admit that you do not always have the best ideas.
  • Ability to facilitate conversations across all levels of the organization including technical experts, non-native English speakers, and junior team members.
• Focus
  • Ability to remove obstacles in order to prioritize which could include problem solving, working through ambiguity and using fact based or sound judgment.
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively depending on the situation, with a high attention to detail, and ability to create structure & process where none may exist.
• GSD (Get Sh** Done!)
  • Capable of prioritizing tasks and always considering the resources available when doing so.
  • A bias for action! Ability to hold yourself accountable and take ownership of driving results that impact company outcomes.

What we look for in an Senior Project Manager:

• 8-10+ years of experience leading complex projects or strategic initiatives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments (e.g., consulting, operations, R&D, strategy, or startups)
• Experience operating at a senior leadership level, with either an MBA from a top-tier program or equivalent hands-on experience driving strategy and execution
• Proven ability to manage and develop teams, including 4-5 direct reports across individual contributor and manager levels
• Demonstrated mastery of core project management and enabling skillsets, including planning, prioritization, stakeholder management, and structured problem solving
• Proficient and familiar with communication tools such as Google suite, Microsoft Office suite, Slack, Asana, etc.
• Comfortable onsite daily in a farming and production environment.
• Proficiency in English is required and proficiency in Japanese is a plus.

Shift & Schedule:

• This is an onsite role based in Jersey City, NJ that requires some regular travel to farm facilities in Philipsburg, NJ weekly and monthly.
• While most work will be Monday through Friday during normal business hours, due to the continuously operating nature of plants and facilities, you must be willing to engage occasionally on nights and weekends.

Perks at Oishii:

• Competitive $120,000-$140,000 salary and equity
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Plan (Roth & Traditional)
• EAP Access
• 100% Employer Paid Life Insurance & Long Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Parental leave, Paid Time Off & Paid Sick Time
• Paid Training & 7 Paid Holidays
• Office social events including happy hours, parties, and community service projects
• Employee activity groups for basketball players, Yoga Enthusiasts, runners…

About Oishii:

At Oishii, we grow the best fruit in the world by deploying ground-breaking vertical farming technology that pushes the boundaries of agriculture. We’re the first in the WORLD to grow fruit in an indoor vertical farm at commercial scale. We started with strawberries, which we debuted at Chef’s Table at Brooklyn Fare, the three star Michelin restaurant considered by critics to be among the best in the world. Since then, we have supplied our strawberries to food-loving consumers, world-class restaurants, and specialty retailers across NYC. Our proprietary technology enables us to grow the very best produce year-round, at the same high level of quality, all without using any pesticides.

Oishii has been profiled in Eater, NPR, Time Magazine, and Fortune. Oishi was also one of the Fast Companies Most Innovative Companies of 2022.

At Oishii, everything we do works toward accomplishing our mission of transforming agriculture sustainably while bringing produce that truly delights people everywhere. This requires farmers, engineers, scientists, project managers, and members of many other backgrounds to work together day-in and day-out to innovate, while operating increasingly large farms. We have an amazing mission-driven team of highly motivated and engaged members. Learn More https://oishii.com/.