Senior Agronomy Lead Crop Systems and Digital Ag
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Posted on:
Yesterday
Vacancies:
1 Vacancy
Job Summary
Position Title:
Senior Agronomy Lead - Crop Systems and Digital AgJob Group:
Professional & ScientificRequired Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelors degree and 8 years of related experiencePreferred Qualifications:
M.S. or Ph.D. in agronomy plant physiology or a related fieldExperience designing agronomic field trials within crop production systems
Experience using statistical and analytical tools common in agronomic research
Experience communicating agronomic insights and outcomes to industry partners and stakeholders
Experience writing or contributing to successful grant proposals
Experience mentoring staff students or early-career scientists
Experience evaluating interactions between agricultural machinery and crop production systems under field conditions.
Job Description:
Build the Future of Agriculture
If you want your work to matter outside the labguiding real decisions in real farm fieldsthis is the role for you.
The Digital Ag Innovation Lab partners with leading agricultural companies to design test and deploy next-generation technologies and agronomic solutions. Our team works at the intersection of agronomy digital agriculture and applied engineering moving ideas from early concepts to field validation and industry adoption.
Who We Are
The Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State University brings together agronomy engineering and data science to develop practical solutions for modern agriculture. Our team works closely with agricultural companies farmers and researchers to evaluate emerging technologies and advance precision agriculture systems.
Our vision is bold: to be the premier thought leader and partner in agricultural innovation.
Our mission guides everything we do: Innovate. Educate. Outreach.
Innovate with industry partners to develop technologies and practices that improve agricultural productivity and sustainability
Educate the next generation of scientists engineers and agricultural professionals
Outreach to farmers and industry stakeholders to translate research into practical adoption
We operate with four core values: Passion. Innovation. Collaboration. Excellence.
The team has a strong innovation record including 90 patents and licensed technologies and continues to develop solutions that shape the future of agriculture.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Senior Agronomy Lead to provide agronomic leadership for crop systems and digital agriculture initiatives within the Digital Ag Innovation Lab.
This role focuses on translating agronomic insight into practical solutions that support technology development and adoption in production agriculture. You will lead field validation programs evaluating crop systems management practices and emerging digital agriculture technologies. Working closely with engineers data scientists and industry partners you will help guide the development and evaluation of technologies that improve agronomic decision-making crop performance and farm productivity.
What Youll Do
Lead and manage field-scale validation programs evaluating crop systems management practices and emerging digital agriculture technologies.
Generate actionable agronomic insights by analyzing crop soil and spatial data using statistical and geospatial tools.
Integrate satellite UAV sensor and field-based datasets to evaluate crop performance and management outcomes.
Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate agronomy sensing technologies and data analytics.
Provide agronomic leadership to guide development testing and refinement of emerging agricultural technologies.
Translate field results into practical insights that support technology development and on-farm decision-making for industry partners and agricultural stakeholders.
Lead and mentor research staff and students while fostering a collaborative high-performing innovation environment.
Contribute to development of externally funded projects and collaborative industry research initiatives.
The successful candidate will have experience in applied agronomy and field-based experimentation strong analytical skills and the ability to translate agronomic insights into practical solutions that drive technology development and data-informed agricultural decision-making. Success in this role requires strong collaboration communication and project leadership skills particularly when working with interdisciplinary teams and industry partners.
The candidate will be hired as a Research Scientist IV.
Although this is a term position it is expected to offer long-term opportunity with the option for renewal.
Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.
The position will remain open until filled.
Level Guidelines
Expert-level position possessing advanced professional and/or technical skills working under limited or no supervision
Applies high-level professional knowledge and expertise to focus on ISUs mission and meeting division department or work unit goals
Solves complex issues using highly-developed problem resolution skills
Regularly provides recommendations regarding problems/issues outside the bounds of defined procedures and practices
Utilizes high-level professional knowledge and expertise to provide guidance recommendations and set standards related to strategy policy and mission
Leads projects of moderate to high scope and complexity with broad impact
May provide supervision to other department staff (i.e. leads a small work team)
Appointment Type:
Regular with Term Appointment (Fixed Term)Proposed End Date or Length of Term:
April 19 2029Number of Months Employed Per Year:
12 Month Work PeriodTime Type:
Full timePay Grade:
PS812Application Instructions:
To apply for this position please click on Apply and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following:
1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae
2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter
If you have questions regarding this application process please email or call or Toll Free: 1-.
Why Choose ISU
Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits including medical and dental; as well as:
Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
Generous vacation holiday and sick time and leave plans
Onsite childcare (Ames Iowa)
Life insurance and long-term disability
Flexible Spending Accounts
Various voluntary benefits and discounts
Employee Assistance Program
Wellbeing program
Original Posting Date:
March 16 2026Posting Close Date:
Job Requisition Number:
R18796Required Experience:
Senior IC
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About Company
Attending Iowa State University of Science and Technology (ISU) can be a whirlwind experience for some. ISU is a public land-grant institution offering higher education courses and programs with an emphasis on science, technology, and related areas. It's also home to the Cyclones athl ... View more
