Remote-Sensing Research Manager: Farm Data & GIS Leadership

Practical-Farmers-of-Iowa; Ames (IA); Hybrid; USD 58,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee health insurance

Generous paid time off

Flexible hours

Six weeks of paid parental leave

401k with 5% company contribution

CSA subscriptions

Remote worker stipends

Professional development support

Job summary

Practical Farmers of Iowa seeks a Research Manager to lead applied research on cover crops and conservation practices. This role develops systems for collecting and analyzing agronomic, environmental, and geospatial data, transforming findings into actionable insights for farmers and stakeholders.

You will guide multisite projects, collaborate with university researchers and staff, and secure funding while communicating results via reports, articles, and tools.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in agricultural or conservation science-related field and three years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of cover crop management, soil health principles, nutrient management and conservation practice adoption.
• Knowledge of watershed processes, water quality monitoring, nutrient loss pathways and conservation impacts.
• Experience with experimental design and implementation of field-scale research studies.
• Experience with statistical analysis, interpretation, visualization and reporting of agricultural data.
• Strong project management skills.
• Experience with open-source statistical software (R, Python, etc.).
• Experience with GIS platforms and geospatial analysis (ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, spatial datasets).
• Experience with remote sensing technologies, satellite imagery, NDVI, vegetation indices and geospatial analysis.
• Experience with grant writing, management and reporting.
• Ability to independently manage large, multiyear research initiatives.
• Ability to communicate scientific findings to farmers, funders, partners and the public.
• Ability to organize work independently while collaborating effectively within a team environment.
• Ability to collaborate with universities, technical experts, contractors and external partners.
• Ability to learn and apply emerging analytical methods and technologies.
• Ability to evaluate project effectiveness and continuously improve programming.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement data collection and management tools for multisite, multiyear research projects.
• Analyze, interpret and visualize data using specialized software, tools and models.
• Manage research projects that involve numerous sites and involve collaboration with leaders of PFI’s incentive programs.
• Develop and manage partnerships related to research projects that leverage both organizations' work toward PFI's goals.
• Facilitate collaboration between departments and teams to achieve project objectives concerning geospatial data.
• Write proposals for grant funding opportunities.
• Write articles, stories, reports or technical documentation for teammates and public audiences.
• Other duties as assigned or volunteered to support department or team projects.

Skills

Data collection

Data analysis

Visualization

Project management

Grant writing

Stakeholder communication

Collaborating with universities

Multisite research coordination

Statistical analysis

Experimental design

Publications

Open-source software (R, Python)

Education

Master’s degree in agricultural or conservation science-related field

Three years of experience or equivalent

Tools

ArcGIS Pro

QGIS

Google Earth Engine

R

Python

NDVI and vegetation indices

Geospatial analysis

Job description

Practical Farmers of Iowa seeks a Research Manager to lead applied research on cover crops and conservation practices. This role develops systems for collecting and analyzing agronomic, environmental, and geospatial data, transforming findings into actionable insights for farmers and stakeholders.

You will guide multisite projects, collaborate with university researchers and staff, and secure funding while communicating results via reports, articles, and tools.