Lead Agronomist

Posted:
8/1/2024, 5:01:00 AM

Location(s):
Illinois, United States ⋅ Chicago, Illinois, United States

Experience Level(s):
Senior

Field(s):
Sales & Account Management

Workplace Type:
Remote

Are you an agronomy leader who would like to shape the future of digital agriculture? Would you like to mentor and foster team agronomic growth and celebrate its success? Do you enjoy developing a strategic vision for new agronomic concepts and digital products that influence the grower’s bottom line? 
 
Advanced Agrilytics seeks a Lead Agronomist to support our Illinois team of Precision Agronomists.  A Lead Agronomist is a sales support role providing guidance and mentorship to the precision agronomist sales team.  The Lead Agronomist shares key insights on agronomic topics through the growing season and supports the Advanced Agrilytics suite of digital tools.
 
As a Lead Agronomist at Advanced Agrilytics, you are providing leading-edge agronomic insights in traditional agronomic principles with a strong sub-field environmental focus.  We are seeking candidates who can provide vision, strategic thinking, and advice to the precision agronomist team, build relationships with key grower accounts, and have a passion for serving the farmer. Qualified candidates must have a focus on growth and dedication to a true systems approach to agronomy that offers grower specific management products that extend soil fertility, crop care (herbicide, fungicide, others), plant growth and development, as well as current production practices to data management and analytics.   
 
Advanced Agrilytics is an agronomy services company focused on unlocking the potential of every acre through direct-to-farm agronomic guidance, unbiased spatial research and sub-acre environment understanding, delivering on the promise of precision agriculture.

Hiring geographies include: Springfield, Quincy, Macomb, Peoria

How you will help us grow:
Support Sales & Market Share Growth 
•Leverage deep grower relationships to grow market share in the region in partnership with Precision Agronomists 
•Provide technical and agronomic support to Precision Agronomist team on key grower sales calls 
•Develop and supply technical sales support material to the sales organization 
•Achieve sales, revenue and market share targets within the defined market/territory 
•Plans and establishes research at grower operations to demonstrate improved management (crop inputs, hybrid/variety and others) strategies to use as a sales tool 
•Liaison between sales and data teams to provide technical support and guide vision and development of new digital tools  

Crop Advising
•Convey products and knowledge to the Precision Agronomist team to be delivered to growers 
•Support agronomic observations with growers to guide team members in key agronomic decision making 
•Work with key industry connections to understand seed, crop protection, and fertility innovations and educate team members on relevant products for geography 
•Review and mentor precision agronomists on decisions around grower crop plans, rotations, product positioning 
•Develop, review, and draw conclusions from grower year end data reviews 
•Educate and review with the Precision Agronomy team on all portfolio prescriptions (example: Lime, Phosphorus, Potassium, VR Seeding, and VR Nitrogen) with fundamental rationale of each product 
•Maintain oversight in training summer interns 

Research
•Assist in planning and protocol development for projects that influence grower knowledge of products or concepts  
•Work with our Research Team on identifying key projects for your geography and assist in execution of key trial work 
•Identify and seek out opportunities for field research collaborations that support new product development 

Experience you bring:  
•A Master’s degree in an associated field with five years of experience or a Bachelor’s degree with eight years of experience with research responsibilities; specifically, knowledge in experimental design. 
•Must be willing to maintain or obtain a Certified Crop Advisor certification within one year of employment
•Demonstrates a desire to mentor a team of agronomists in personal growth to assist in achieving sales and growth targets 
•Willingness and desire to engage in customer sales calls and assist Precision Agronomists in closing sales opportunities 
•Knowledge of Precision Agriculture preferred 
•Comfortable in challenging customers and play the role of a change agent to help them improve their operations 
•Strong listening skills to carefully and effectively appreciate unique customer needs and align them into compelling value propositions 
•Experience in developing and execution of research protocols for the purpose of supporting new product development 
•Oral communication, writing, and interpersonal skills 
•Must reside in the U.S.  
•Must live within the desired territory    

What our culture brings:
•Competitive compensation 
•Performance based bonus program
•Competitive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision & Life Insurance 
•401(k) Plan with company match  
•Flexible Time Off
•Vehicle reimbursement program
•Collaborative, autonomous work culture where each person makes a difference!