Robot Operator Intern (Nipomo, CA)

Based in Nipomo, CA

Paid Internship (40+ hours a week, Summer 2024)

Do you want to operate some of the world’s most advanced robots for a meaningful purpose? Do you want to fight to make the world’s fresh produce healthier, tastier, and more sustainable? As a Robot Operator Intern at Tortuga, you’ll deploy our robots on site within a trained team. You’ll learn how to run multiple robots to pick fruit and deliver it to our farm customers. You’ll help identify where we can improve by getting faster, better, and more efficient as an operations team. You are excited to help build the future of farm work, to work on a passionate and supportive team, and to “get it done” in the field on a daily basis. 

What you’ll do

• Learn to operate Tortuga’s world-leading robot harvesting fleet - including driving, manual labor indoors and outdoors on farms, cleaning/maintaining robots, and managing multiple robots at once

• Work reliably up to 5 days a week (occasional weekend work) for 8-10 hours per day, with early starts (and, if you are willing, potential evening or night shifts)

• Quality control the robot’s work by making sure there are no “defect” berries, and delivered berries meet supermarket and customer specifications

• Contribute ideas and fixes that can improve our daily operations and productivity in the field

What we’re looking for

• Required: Current pursuit of B.S. Agriculture or relevant degree

• Required: Excitement and willingness to learn how to operate robots with high attention to detail 

• Required: Desire to work in an outdoor environment, doing physical / manual labor

• Required: Ability to communicate in English (both written and verbal). If you speak Spanish, that is a plus!

• Nice to have: Farm experience or experience in the military, manufacturing, or operations/logistics

Please note you must be authorized to work in the United States for this position.

The hourly rate pay range below represents the low and high end of our range for this position. Actual pay may vary and may be above or below the range, based on various factors including but not limited to experience, education, and responsibilities. 

Nipomo, CA area pay range: $18 - $23 / hour

This is a paid summer internship for approximately 3 months. Benefits for this position include: 

• Paid time off (sick and vacation)

• 401(k) plan with 3% employer contribution

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance 

• Short-term disability insurance

• $250 wellness stipend 

• $100 professional development stipend

About Tortuga

Tortuga AgTech’s mission is to build a healthier society, and a thriving ecosystem, through smarter farming. We’re pursuing our mission by building robotic harvesting and precision analytics systems for the world’s leading fresh produce growers (delicious things like strawberries, tomatoes, bell peppers, and herbs). We’re building not just because it’s fun, but because we believe thoughtful, well-built advanced technology can help farmers grow healthier, fresher, more environmentally sustainable produce for everyone. We’re backed by some of the most respected early-stage investors in Silicon Valley, as well as ag industry veterans. 

Tortuga means “turtle” in Spanish. Around the world, turtles are symbols of wisdom, patience, and connectedness to the Earth. We’re proud to be based in Denver, CO - a growing and leading robotics hub in North America, and a great place to live! 

Tortuga is an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment including the decision to hire, promote, discipline, or discharge, will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical​​​ condition, pregnancy, genetic information, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or ​expression, veteran status, or any other status protected under federal, state, or local law.