Agronomy Services Lead

InnerPlant; Iowa (LA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Insurance benefits

Flexible time off

Job summary

InnerPlant seeks an Agronomy Services Lead to drive hands-on field trials in Iowa and eastern Nebraska. You will collaborate with contract researchers, farmers, retailers, and researchers, shaping and leading the agronomy services team as the sentinel network scales.

You will own seed supply chain, ensure genetic purity, manage disease knowledge for the Corn Belt, and support commercial teams with agronomic insights. Willingness to travel and lift up to 50 lbs is required.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in field research, agronomy services, and seed production in corn/soybean systems.
• Experience designing and executing field trials with protocol development and data quality management.
• Knowledge of seed production, contracting, conditioning, QA, and logistics.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute field trials across Nebraska and Iowa; translate results for product, commercial, and regulatory teams.
• Own seed supply chain: production planning, contracting, conditioning, quality assurance, inventory.
• Lead agronomy services team; build scalable processes, SOPs, and vendor relationships; hire and develop staff.
• Serve as expert on corn and soybean production systems, disease pressure, and fungicide decision-making.

Skills

Field trials

Corn & soybean systems

Trial design

Project leadership

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

B.S. in agronomy or related

M.S./Ph.D. preferred

Job description

About Us

InnerPlant is on a mission to transform farming as never before imagined: We give crops a voice by turning plants into living sensors that signal the onset of stress, enabling farmers to increase yields and reduce costs by optimizing inputs.

The Agronomy Services Lead is responsible for InnerPlant’s field trials supporting the rapid growth of our commercial product, CropVoice. The CropVoice platform translates signals from our living sensors to pinpoint stress well before visible symptoms, giving farmers and agronomists critical and timely insights and removing the guesswork behind key in-season decisions. The Agronomy Services Lead supports field trials for R&D and our commercial pipeline and serves as the expert for corn and soybean production.

The Agronomy Services Lead will be based in Iowa or eastern Nebraska, with regular in-season travel to trial and network sites.

Your Role

As the Agronomy Services Lead, you will operate hands-on across trial sites in Iowa and eastern Nebraska, work directly with contract research partners, farmers, retailers, seed dealers, and researchers. You will shape how InnerPlant’s agronomy function grows: As our sentinel network scales, you will have the mandate to build and lead the agronomy services team. To achieve success as an Agronomy Sales Manager, you will:

• Design and execute field trials, including:
  • Planning, placing, and managing a network of biosentinel fields across Nebraska and Iowa that are representative of regional commercial corn and soybean fields; and
  • Translating trial results into clear findings for product, commercial, and regulatory teams and into proof points for farmers.
• Own the InnerPlant seed supply chain, including:
  • Production planning, grower/partner contracting, conditioning, quality assurance, and inventory;
  • Ensuring genetic purity, germination quality, and regulatory stewardship compliance for engineered seed from production through planting; and
  • Forecasting seed demand against trial plans and commercial network expansion.
• Serve as InnerPlant’s expert on corn and soybean production systems, including:
  • Disease pressure (e.g., frogeye leaf spot, white mold, foliar corn diseases), and fungicide decision-making in the western Corn Belt; and
  • Supporting commercial teams with farmers and retail partners as the credible agronomic voice of the company.
• Build the agronomy services team:
  • Establish scalable processes, SOPs, and vendor relationships for trials and seed operations.
  • As the network grows, hire, develop, and lead a team of agronomists and field staff.

What Makes You Stand Out

The successful Agronomy Services Lead will possess extraordinary organizational skills to follow through on all projects while working collaboratively and transparently across multiple teams. In particular, you will:

• Manage all projects in a disciplined manner, making sure that all deliverables are fulfilled timely and accurately, that all costs are managed within budget and with a view to generating future savings, and planning proactively for future needs and growth.
• Leverage your existing network of Contract Research Organizations and winter nursery seed service providers for field trials and seed production.
• Champion the company’s mission to transform farming and effectively communicate that vision to farmers and partners.
• Lead creative efforts to explore scientific breakthroughs enabled by biosensor technology.

• B.S. in agronomy, crop science, plant pathology, or a related field; M.S. or Ph.D. preferred.
• 7+ years of hands-on experience in field research, agronomy services, and seed production in corn and soybean systems.
• Demonstrated expertise designing and executing field trials, including protocol development and data quality management.
• Working knowledge of seed production and supply operations — contracting, conditioning, QA, and logistics.
• Deep familiarity with corn and soybean disease management and crop protection practices in Nebraska, Iowa, or comparable Corn Belt geographies (LATAM a plus).
• Experience with regulated or engineered crop trials and stewardship programs preferred.
• CCA/CPAg certification or equivalent (preferred).
• Willingness to travel extensively during the growing season, ability to work outdoors in a field environment for extended periods and lift up to 50 pounds.
• A valid drivers license and a clean driving record.

The US base salary range for this position is $100,000 - $150,000 + benefits. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. We offer insurance benefits and flexible time off.

InnerPlant provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

InnerPlant provides an amazing opportunity to work on some of the hardest problems facing humanity and help design the agricultural systems of the future. We're backed by John Deere, large farmers, and veteran venture capitalists.

WE GIVE CROPS A VOICE

www.innerplant.com