VP Development (Start-up)

The organisation

UrbanFarmers (UF) develops and operates urban farms growing ultra-local fish and vegetables that excite consumers with their freshness, taste and quality.

Rooftop farms provide a new experience by revolutionizing “fresh”. Food is grown directly on the roof, just a few steps away. Rooftop farms are also monetizing empty rooftop spaces in the city and reduce the environmental impact of food miles in the city.

UF was started in 2011. Since then, the company has grown substantially and secured financing for corporate and farm projects internationally. The company is currently operating in Switzerland and The Netherlands and has just recently also opened a North American subsidiary in New York City.

Since 2012 UF owns and operates two commercial-scale, industrialized Aquaponic rooftop farms in Basel, Switzerland and The Hague, NL. UF has achieved full validation of the business model and technology. With a roll-out of further farms in development, the company is poised to become a global niche champion in ultra-local food production.

The company was awarded with several prizes including the CTI start-up label qualifying UF as a Swiss life sciences champion and enjoys significant global media coverage (e.g. USA, Russia, Japan, Europe).

The position

The Vice President of Development of UrbanFarmers AG is responsible for the development and roll-out of urban farm projects worldwide. In this role, the main responsibility is managing the development portfolio from the acquisition to the construction phase and to ensure a successful hand-over the farm operations teams.

The existing farm development portfolio consists of projects across EU, USA and Brazil and is currently sized at EUR 50m. Managing a team of two Director positions, the VP of Development is deeply involved in the acquisitions of real-estate with major commercial property firms and can help close lease negotiations.

Also, the VP of Development creates a strong steering role in project execution and supervises architects, planners and our Technical Partners in the building & construction phase.

In this role, the VP of Development will also build internal capabilities within his department and engages and promotes young talents. This role also works closely with the COO and CEO position to create a strong, investible project pipeline and provide good quality deal flow for our Investment Committee.

This function works closely with the Management Team to drive internal alignment and results by implementing and sustaining process and quality improvements. Ideally, the VP Development combines a pragmatic as well as highly entrepreneurial mind-set that helps the company grow fast and reliably at the same time.

The position requires travelling, both domestic and international (up to 50%), and is based in The Hague, Netherlands.

Tasks & responsibilities

• Project Development: Gather and align farm capex business cases with all stakeholders, structure payback and financing models and successfully pitch projects to our Investment Committee
• Engineering, Procurement and Contracting: Organize architects, planners and general contractors to commission feasibility studies, submit building permits and project manage projects in construction until hand-over to our farm ops teams
• Technical Partner Management and Strategic Sourcing: Liaise with our Technical Partners, UF Consortium members and scout new technologies and applications to build our farms better and at lower cost

Candidate profile

The job position requires strong real-estate development as well engineering, procurement and contracting experience in technical projects.

Secondly, the VP Development needs to be a natural leader with the ability to collaborate in a multi-functional and international environment. The VP’s role to build capabilities internally and externally is a vital part of a high-grow start-up.

Additional requirements

• MSc in Architecture, Mechanical Engineering or Construction Management with further education in Real-Estate Management or Corporate Finance
• Professional Experience: 5+ years total professional experience in real-estate development, architecture and planning

Interested?

You are invited to apply for this position by using the form below.