Precision Agriculture Testbeds Manager

Montana State University - Office of Student Engagement; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Montana State University is seeking a Precision Agriculture Testbeds Manager to coordinate operations, drive projects, and engage industry partners at the Lutz Farm and Red Bluff Ranch.

The role ensures testbed initiatives move from discovery through execution, reporting, and closeout using structured processes aligned with MSU's research and extension environment, involving partners, faculty, and students.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, environmental science, education, project management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in project or program coordination.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience working across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Current Driver’s License and ability to travel to meet with clients and access remote facilities.
• Ability to operate effectively in both office and field environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead initial client discovery meetings to understand proposed technologies, use cases, and project objectives.
• Coordinate with faculty, technical staff, farm managers, and Headwaters Tech Hub personnel to assess feasibility and resources.
• Coordinate contracting with MSU’s RED office and ensure compliance with institutional requirements.
• Monitor timelines, budgets, and reporting; ensure client objectives are met.
• Coordinate internal resources and scheduling for project execution.
• Support dissemination of results and coordinate outreach events; lead the Annual Precision Agriculture Demo Day.
• Collaborate with industry partners to integrate testbed activities into MSU courses.

Skills

Project coordination

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Driver's license travel

Office & field work

Education

Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, environmental science, education, project management, or a related field

Master’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, environmental science, education, project management, or a related field

Job description

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27107 For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Dorie Seymour

[e-mail]

406-994-5718

Classification Title

Program/Project Lead

Working Title: Precision Agriculture Testbeds Manager

Brief Position Overview

The Precision Agriculture Testbeds Manager is responsible for the operational coordination, project management, and partner engagement activities associated with Montana State University’s Precision Agriculture Testbeds at the Lutz Farm and Red Bluff Ranch. This position ensures that external and internal testbed projects move efficiently from initial client discovery through execution, reporting, and closeout using a structured, repeatable process modeled after the Grand Farm testbed framework and adapted to MSU’s research and extension environment.

Position Number 4C0499

Department Land Resources & Environ Sci Division College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type Professional Contract Term Fiscal Year Semester If other, specify From date If other, specify End date FLSA Exempt Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE 1.0 Benefits Eligible Eligible Salary Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. Contract Type LOA If other, please specify Recruitment Type Open

General Statement

Montana State University, in partnership with the Headwaters Tech Hub (HTH) and other MSU partners, has made strategic investments in precision agriculture by developing applied, real-world testbeds at the Lutz Farm and Red Bluff Ranch. These testbeds are intended to function as shared infrastructure supporting industry validation, applied research, demonstration, workforce development, and economic development activities.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Client Engagement and Project Intake
  • Lead initial client discovery meetings to understand proposed technologies, intended use cases, and project objectives.
  • Assess alignment between client needs and available testbed capabilities, infrastructure, and timelines.
  • Guide clients through completion of the Testbed Project Intake Form to capture technical requirements, constraints, and expectations.
• Project Planning and Scoping
  • Synthesize information from discovery meetings, intake forms, and internal consultations into draft project plans.
  • Coordinate with faculty, technical staff, farm managers, and Headwaters Tech Hub personnel to:
    • Assess feasibility
    • Identify resource and staffing needs
    • Estimate timelines and costs
    • Ensure client objectives are clearly represented while maintaining realistic scope, budget, and operational constraints.
• Contracting and Administrative Coordination
  • Coordinate with MSU’s Research and Economic Development (RED) office to support contracting processes.
  • Track project approvals and documentation to ensure compliance with institutional requirements, including coordination with the MSU Office of Research Integrity & Compliance.
  • Maintain communication with clients regarding contract status, timelines, and next steps.
  • Coordinate administrative aspects of testbed-related grants and subawards, including tracking reporting requirements, budgets, and deliverables in collaboration with RED and finance staff.
  • Support preparation of technical and progress reports by compiling project documentation and inputs from internal teams.
  • Monitor timelines and compliance requirements, communicating risks or delays to project leadership.
• Project Execution Oversight
  • Coordinate internal resources to support project execution in accordance with finalized plans.
  • Work with the testbed lead and field operation manager to maintain situational awareness of field activities, testbed availability, and scheduling conflicts.
  • Coordinate with administrative and finance staff to initiate invoicing following project completion.
  • Compile technical inputs from faculty and staff into project documentation and final client-facing reports.
  • Ensure final reports meet contractual and institutional requirements and are delivered to clients in accordance with the invoice and payment processes.
  • Participate in post-project internal reviews to assess outcomes and lessons learned, contributing to continuous improvement of testbed operations.
• Applied Research and Extension Support
  • Support dissemination of results through applied publications, extension materials (e.g., MontGuides), or partner-facing summaries when appropriate.
  • Coordinate outreach events that occur parallel with on-site tests.
  • Lead coordination of the Annual Precision Agriculture Demo Day
  • Collaborate with faculty and industry partners to incorporate testbed and adjacent activities into MSU’s Agriculture and Engineering courses.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, environmental science, education, project management, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience in project or program coordination.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Experience working across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Current Driver’s License and ability to travel to meet with clients and access remote facilities.
• Ability to operate effectively in both office and field environments.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Master’s degree in agriculture, agribusiness, environmental science, education, project management, or a related field.
• Experience with agriculture, agricultural research, or on-farm trials.
• Experience in both crop and livestock production systems.
• Familiarity with research, extension, or testbed environments.
• Experience supporting scopes of work, budgets, or contract-related workflows.
• Background working with producers, ag-tech companies, or applied research programs.
• Project management training or certification.

The Successful Candidate Will

The successful candidate will lead the coordination and execution of precision agriculture technology testing, validation, and demonstration projects within Montana State University’s Precision Agriculture Testbeds. The candidate will build productive relationships with industry partners, producers, researchers, and students, translating project needs into practical test plans, schedules, and deliverables. The successful candidate will play a key role in evaluating emerging technologies, including remote sensing, autonomous systems, livestock monitoring tools, and data-driven decision support technologies, under real-world Montana agricultural conditions. The candidate will contribute to workforce development by facilitating student engagement, field demonstrations, applied learning opportunities, and outreach activities, while helping establish a sustainable, industry-engaged testbed program that advances agricultural innovation and economic development.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

• Seasonal field activity may require flexible scheduling during peak periods.
• This position is fully funded for an initial two-year period through the Precision Agriculture Testbeds. Long-term continuation is anticipated through externally funded testbed projects, industry collaborations, and research and economic development grants related to the testbeds.

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

• Combination of office-based work and field-based activities at MSU research farms.
• Regular travel between Bozeman, Lutz Farm, and Red Bluff Ranch.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? No

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for new sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents