Senior Spray Technology Engineer

Iowa State University; Ames (IA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Iowa State University’s Digital Ag Innovation Lab seeks a Senior Spray Technology Engineer to lead sponsored R&D on agricultural application systems. You will guide cross-disciplinary teams, oversee field validation, and deliver innovations from concept to deployment, partnering with industry sponsors and researchers.

This hands-on role emphasizes engineering excellence, field validation, and collaboration without formal personnel management responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 5 years of related experience.
• Experience designing, developing, testing, or validating agricultural application equipment.
• Ability to lead complex technical projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong mechanical and systems engineering skills, with troubleshooting ability.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for sponsored research projects, coordinating cross-functional teams and guiding engineering decisions.
• Lead design, integration, testing, and validation of liquid and dry application systems in lab and field environments.
• Evaluate application technologies and system performance to improve agronomic outcomes.
• Collaborate with industry sponsors and project teams to define technical requirements and deliver objectives.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, and testing documentation while supporting proposals.

Skills

Technical leadership

Design & testing

Field validation

Cross-functional collaboration

Engineering analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Spray systems

Pumps

PWM technologies

Job description

Position Title

Senior Spray Technology Engineer

Job Group

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and 5 years of related experience

Job Description

Build the Future of Agriculture

If you want your work to move beyond the lab-from concept to prototype to real-world field deployment-while solving complex engineering challenges alongside leading agricultural innovators, this is the role for you.

Who We Are

The Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State University partners with leading agricultural companies to design, build, and deploy next-generation technologies for agriculture. Our team works at the intersection of applied engineering, industry collaboration, and the land-grant mission, moving ideas from concept to prototype to field deployment.

Our vision is bold: to be the premiere thought leader and partner in ag innovation .

Our mission guides everything we do: Innovate. Educate. Outreach .

We operate with four core values: Passion. Innovation. Collaboration. Excellence .

This is a place for builders, problem-solvers, and systems thinkers who want their work to move from idea to prototype to field to industry adoption.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Senior Spray Technology Engineer to lead the technical execution of sponsored research and development projects focused on agricultural application systems. This role combines hands on engineering, field validation, project leadership, and industry collaboration to deliver innovative technologies from concept through field deployment.

This is a highly technical, hands on position for an engineer who enjoys solving complex problems, working directly with agricultural equipment, and leading multidisciplinary project teams. You will collaborate with industry sponsors, researchers, engineers, and students to develop practical solutions that improve application accuracy, efficiency, and agronomic outcomes.

This position provides technical and project leadership without formal personnel management responsibilities, allowing the successful candidate to remain focused on engineering, field validation, and sponsor collaboration.

What You'll Do

• Provide technical leadership for sponsored research projects by coordinating cross-functional teams, guiding engineering decisions, and ensuring successful project execution without formal supervisory responsibility.
• Lead the design, integration, testing, troubleshooting, and validation of liquid and dry application systems across laboratory and field environments, including ground and aerial platforms.
• Evaluate application technologies and system performance, including spray nozzles, pumps, flow control, PWM technologies, sensors, and other application hardware, using engineering and field data to improve agronomic outcomes.
• Collaborate with industry sponsors and project teams to define technical requirements, communicate progress, coordinate engineering, agronomy, technicians, and students, and deliver project objectives.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, testing documentation, and project recommendations while supporting proposal development and identifying future research opportunities.
• Mentor engineers, technicians, and students by providing technical guidance, fostering collaboration, and promoting engineering best practices.

What You Bring

• Experience designing, developing, testing, or validating agricultural application equipment, spray systems, precision agriculture technologies, or related agricultural equipment.
• Strong mechanical and systems engineering skills, with the ability to troubleshoot complex equipment and evaluate system performance.
• Experience planning and executing laboratory, field, or product validation testing and translating engineering results into agronomic outcomes and customer value.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects involving multiple stakeholders and collaborate effectively with industry sponsors, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to independently manage multiple technical projects while maintaining high standards of safety and quality.

Technology & Systems You May Work With

• Spray systems, nozzles, pumps, and flow control (including PWM)
• Targeted and variable-rate application technologies
• Drone and aerial application systems
• Lab and field-testing platforms
• Agricultural equipment and precision application systems

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Agricultural Engineering, Agronomy, or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Experience with agricultural application systems through product development, field engineering, technical service, product support, or related roles within agriculture, OEMs, or ag input companies.
• Experience planning and conducting field trials, performance testing, and validation programs while translating engineering performance into agronomic outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to define technical requirements,