Data Analysis and Reporting Manager

Practical Farmers of Iowa • Ames, IA

2d • $58,000 - $62,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Practical Farmers of Iowa is seeking a Data Analysis and Reporting Manager to lead the development and implementation of systems that transform farm-level production and geospatial data into trusted sustainability outcomes. This role is part of the farm viability department and is crucial for supporting farmer participation in emerging environmental markets and sustainability initiatives. The manager will oversee data collection, stewardship, quality assurance, modeling, and reporting processes for greenhouse gas accounting, sustainability reporting, and program evaluation. This position requires collaboration with agronomy, data, science, and external partner teams to ensure data integrity, audit readiness, and continuous improvement of monitoring and reporting systems. The ideal candidate will possess expertise in agricultural production systems, data management, geospatial information, and sustainability analytics, coupled with strong project management and communication skills. The goal is to build scalable systems that deliver credible, science-based outcomes for farmers and stakeholders, advancing PFI's mission.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in a science field
• Experience with measurement, reporting, and verification systems and audit requirements
• Familiarity with agricultural production systems and farm management practices (inputs, yields, soil practices, etc.)
• Knowledge of geospatial data systems (GIS concepts, field boundaries, remote sensing basics)
• Understanding of data governance, quality assurance, and quality control standards and traceability requirements for reporting
• Experience building and managing structured datasets combining farm production and geospatial data
• An ability to analyze large, complex datasets and translate them into emissions and sustainability metrics
• Experience working with data tools such as Excel, structured query language, Power BI, and geospatial information systems platforms (e.g., ESRI)
• The ability to collaborate to design and improve data workflows and reporting pipelines across teams
• Familiarity with conducting quality assurance and quality control on emissions inventories to ensure audit readiness
• The ability to communicate technical data clearly to agronomy, sustainability, and leadership teams
• Strong interpersonal communication skills (written and verbal)
• An ability to connect field-level agricultural data to enterprise emissions reporting systems
• An ability to interpret incomplete or imperfect datasets and still produce reliable outputs
• The ability to maintain high attention to detail in high-stakes reporting environments
• Skill identifying gaps in data systems and proactively designing improvements
• The ability to prioritize multiple reporting cycles, deadlines, and stakeholder needs simultaneously

Nice To Haves

• A doctorate in a science field
• Experience with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol (Scopes 1, 2, and 3) and agricultural emissions accounting
• Knowledge of lifecycle assessment (LCA) principles and carbon accounting methodologies
• Experience with sustainability disclosure frameworks (science-based targets initiative, carbon disclosure project, international sustainability standards board, international organization for standardization standards)
• Experience operating or coordinating emissions modeling tools (e.g., Fieldprint-style calculators, lifetime cycle assessment tools)
• Experience collaborating with data engineers and architects to improve system integration and automation
• The ability to manage cross-functional coordination across agronomy, data, and sustainability teams
• The ability to translate technical monitoring, reporting, and verification outputs into business insights and decisions

Responsibilities

• Manage data stewardship and reporting projects.
• Manage the collection of farm production data (inputs, yields, practices, management systems) with PFI staff and contractors.
• Oversee geospatial data ingestion (geospatial information systems layers, field boundaries, remote sensing inputs), including supervising contractors.
• Coordinate data pipelines across agronomy, field teams, and external partners.
• Ensure consistency, completeness, and traceability of all monitoring, reporting, and verification input datasets.
• Analyze data stewardship and reporting data and report results.
• Run and manage outputs using tools such as Fieldprint-style calculators and carbon modeling platforms like Roth C or other models using R-code or other packages.
• Translate agronomic and geospatial data into greenhouse gas estimates and sustainability metrics.
• Support Scope 1, 2, and 3 inventory development through structured data inputs.
• Collaborate with sustainability and science teams to refine emission factors and methodologies.
• Design and implement processes to ensure consistency and efficiency of the data stewardship and reporting sub-department.
• Maintain monitoring, reporting, and verification data systems for audit readiness and third-party verification.
• Support development of an annual greenhouse gas inventory and science-based targets for initiative tracking requirements.
• Ensure documentation of methodologies, assumptions, and data lineage.
• Strengthen quality assurance and quality control protocols across all monitoring, reporting, and verification datasets.
• Facilitate collaboration between departments and teams to achieve data stewardship and reporting project goals.
• Work closely with data architecture and engineering teams to optimize data flows.
• Support integration of geospatial information systems (e.g., ESRI), databases, and reporting tools.
• Contribute to the development of a centralized emissions and sustainability data warehouse.
• Improve automation between field data capture, modeling tools, and reporting outputs.
• Partner with agronomy teams to interpret field practices into data models.
• Develop and manage partnerships related to data stewardship and reporting that leverage both organizations' work toward PFI's goals.
• Collaborate with sustainability reporting teams on disclosures and frameworks (Greenhouse Gas Protocol, Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, etc.).
• Support supplier engagement efforts to improve upstream data quality and emissions factors.
• Provide analytical support for lifecycle assessments and scenario modeling.
• Perform other duties as assigned or volunteered to support department or team projects.

Benefits

• Employee health insurance with 100% employer-paid premium
• Generous paid time off
• Flexible hours
• Six weeks of fully paid parental leave
• 5% automatic 401k contribution after one year of employment
• Contributions towards spouse or dependent health insurance
• Stipends for remote workers
• Reimbursements for fitness costs, CSA subscriptions, student loans, or eco-friendly purchases
• Professional development opportunities

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level