Farm Operations Supervisor – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

What This Job Really Is

This is not a desk job. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is hiring a Farm Operations Supervisor to run the day-to-day work at one of three experimental farms near Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec. You'll be the link between researchers and the field crew – translating scientific protocols into planting, maintenance, and harvest activities. You'll supervise staff, manage chemical and seed inventories, coordinate equipment use across sites, and handle crop sales. You'll also train employees, enforce safety practices, and evaluate performance. The role is full-time, on-site, and permanent.

The salary range – $33.84 to $36.79 per hour – is solid for a supervisory role in the federal public service, and the classification (GL-MAN-09) comes with a benefits package including a pension, paid leave, and medical/dental insurance. The immediate opening is at the L'Acadie Experimental Farm, but the posting also aims to create a pool for the other two farms (Sainte-Clotilde and Frelighsburg). That means if you're qualified but not selected for the first spot, you could still be pulled from the pool for a later opening.

The work environment is genuinely interesting: you'll be supporting research on crop protection, precision agriculture, and biovigilance. That gives the role more intellectual weight than a standard farm manager position. You're not just growing crops – you're helping generate data that shapes Canadian agriculture.

Three Reasons This Role Is Worth a Look

Professional value. This is a permanent, indeterminate federal position. That means job security, a predictable 40-hour week, and full benefits from day one. The pay is competitive for agricultural supervision, and the GL-MAN-09 level puts you in a category that allows internal mobility across the public service later. You also get a defined-benefit pension – increasingly rare outside government. If you're already in the federal system, this posting explicitly allows acting appointments, deployments, assignments, or secondments, so it can be a lateral move that gets you into a science-focused environment.

Work reality. You won't be stuck in an office. The job is outdoors, on working research farms, with real seasonal rhythms. You'll be planting, harvesting, scouting pests, and managing irrigation. You'll work with researchers and field staff, so there's variety in both tasks and people. The work is physically demanding – lifting up to 20 kg, working in heat and cold, tolerating dust and pollen – but that also means you're not sedentary. If you prefer concrete results to abstract reports, this role delivers. The emphasis on team leadership and employee coaching adds a people-management dimension that can build supervisory credentials.

Screening reality. The essential criteria are specific but not extreme. You need a secondary school diploma (or an acceptable combination of training/experience in agriculture), plus experience in staff supervision, coordinating plant production farm activities, and supervising or performing field operations like seeding, pest control, and harvesting. That's a fairly clear bar. Later in the process, they'll assess computer use, equipment maintenance, and knowledge of fertilizers, pests, and cultivation practices. The big filter: French essential. You'll need to be fluent enough to work and communicate in French. Also, the conditions of employment include a pesticide application certificate (you must be willing to obtain one) and a valid Quebec Class 5 driver's license. Missing any of these could stop you early.

What Might Trip You Up

The location is a real consideration. The farms are in Frelighsburg, Sainte-Clotilde, and near Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – all small communities in rural Quebec. If you don't live nearby, you'll need to relocate. The job is full-time on-site, so remote work isn't an option. That limits the pool to people who are either already in the area or ready to move.

The physical demands are not negotiable. You must be willing to work overtime (evenings and weekends), wear PPE, and tolerate allergens. If you have allergies that can't be controlled with medication or gear, this posting will not work. Also, the "willing and able" language is standard but real – they will ask about this.

The long closing date – June 8, 2026 – is a double-edged sword. It suggests the process is building a pool rather than filling an urgent need. That means you could apply today and not hear back for months. It also means the posting may attract many applicants over that window, so competition could be broad. Don't expect a quick result.

Another nuance: the essential experience in "coordinating activities related to the management of a plant production farm" is fairly open-ended. You need to show you've done this, not just tick a box. If your supervisory experience is from a factory or retail setting without agricultural context, you may struggle to demonstrate fit. The asset qualifications – a vocational diploma in agriculture or research-experience – could help differentiate you, but they aren't essential.

Bottom Line and Next Move

This is a legitimate and solid Government of Canada job with real long-term value. The pay, benefits, and permanence are attractive. The work is interesting and hands-on. But it's not for generalists or people unwilling to commit to rural Quebec and physical labour.

If you meet the essentials and are comfortable with the conditions, apply. The application process is straightforward – resume and cover letter essentially, since they ask you to "provide the requested information" in the online system. Make sure your application clearly explains how you meet each essential: education, staff supervision, farm coordination, and field operations. Use specific examples. Mention any direct agricultural experience, especially with crops, equipment, or research plots.

My read: this is a strong opportunity for the right person. The pool creation means even if you don't get this immediate position, you could be called later. Treat it as a clean application – prepare your materials, submit before the far-off closing date, and then forget about it until you hear back. Do not spend your whole weekend on this unless you're a perfect fit and ready to move to southern Quebec. Paid help is probably overkill unless you want guidance on translating farm work into federal resume language. Otherwise, apply cleanly and move on.