Foundation Seed Operations Lead - Field & Research Farm

South Dakota Board of Regents; Brookings, Northern (SD, KY); Hybrid; USD 2,678,000 - 3,814,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and flexible benefits

Excellent retirement plan with 6%匹匹ing

Relocation benefits

Job summary

South Dakota State University’s Ag Experiment Station is seeking a Foundation Seed Specialist to manage field operations, seed conditioning, and distribution near Brookings, SD. The role includes supervising student labor and coordinating land requests for research farms.

The position supports SDSU research across multiple colleges, with a focus on practical seed production and farm operations for research purposes. Starting at $23.56/hour with generous benefits.

Qualifications

• Must hold or be eligible for a South Dakota Commercial Pesticide Applicator License.
• Preferred experience in ag research, seed production, or farm operations.
• Associate’s Degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Ag Science, or related field by start date.

Responsibilities

• Assist with operation and management of Foundation Seed Stocks, including seed production, cleaning, conditioning, and distribution.
• Develop work schedules for student employees and provide training and oversight for safe and effective farm operations.
• Conduct field scouting of Foundation Seed production fields to monitor crop conditions and identify issues.
• Maintain, repair, and modify equipment to support Foundation Seed operations.

Skills

weed identification

pest identification

seed identification

field scouting

equipment operation

supervising student labor

Education

Associate’s Degree in Agronomy or related field

Tools

Production-scale agricultural equipment

Job description

South Dakota State University’s Ag Experiment Station is seeking a Foundation Seed Specialist to manage field operations, seed conditioning, and distribution near Brookings, SD. The role includes supervising student labor and coordinating land requests for research farms.

The position supports SDSU research across multiple colleges, with a focus on practical seed production and farm operations for research purposes. Starting at $23.56/hour with generous benefits.