Lead Field Scientist - Soil Fertility & Data

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; Urbana (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance

Retirement Plan

Tuition waivers for employees and for

Job summary

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a Principal Research Specialist in Crop Sciences. The successful candidate will conduct advanced field research in soil fertility and nutrient management, design experiments, manage data workflows, and mentor students and staff, contributing to peer-reviewed publications and outreach.

The role supports the Illinois Soil Fertility Laboratory under Dr.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Crop Sciences, Agronomy, Soil Science, or related field with at least 2 years of field research or commercial crop production experience.
• Experience with experimental design and data collection.
• Experience with data management, statistical analysis, and interpretation of agronomic datasets.
• Strong knowledge of crop production and soil fertility concepts; proficiency with spreadsheets, word processing, and data management tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and execution of field experiments.
• Implement treatment applications, sampling protocols, and data collection plans.
• Coordinate seasonal field operations and manage trial logistics.
• Perform data entry, quality control, statistical analysis, and interpretation.
• Prepare figures, tables, and summaries for manuscripts and reports.
• Maintain metadata and data management systems consistent with best practices.
• Maintain inventories, equipment, and compliance records.
• Ensure adherence to safety, pesticide-use, and institutional policies.
• Train and supervise undergraduate employees, graduate students, and technicians.
• Provide instruction on research methods, safety, and field protocols.
• Interact with growers, industry partners, extension personnel, and collaborators.
• Assist with field days, presentations, and professional meetings.

Skills

Field research

Experimental design

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in Crop Sciences, Agronomy, Soil Science, or related field

Master's degree (preferred) in Crop Sciences, Agronomy, or related field

Tools

GIS

R

SAS

Spreadsheet software (Excel)

Job description

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign invites applications for a Principal Research Specialist in Crop Sciences. The successful candidate will conduct advanced field research in soil fertility and nutrient management, design experiments, manage data workflows, and mentor students and staff, contributing to peer-reviewed publications and outreach.

The role supports the Illinois Soil Fertility Laboratory under Dr.