Head of Science

Holganix•Kansas City, MO

About The Position

At Holganix, we revolutionize the way the world grows by manufacturing and distributing a liquid microbial solution (think of it as a probiotic for soil) to primarily farmers (but also landscapers, golf courses, and performance turf users) across America and Canada. Our solution dramatically increases soil health, ultimately improving crop yield and reducing the need for other inputs like fertilizer, pesticides, and water. Additionally, our solution significantly impacts carbon sequestration in the soil and improves the carbon intensity score of a crop. Holganix is transforming agriculture by bringing together soil health and biological science, environmental science (carbon, water, etc), and data science to help farmers grow more profitably and sustainably. We are scaling across millions of acres in the U.S. and beyond, expanding a platform with enormous agronomic, climate and economic impact. As Head of Science, you will work with the executive team and company leadership to develop the scientific strategic vision, integrity, and research strategy for Holganix; and lead the actioning of that strategy to strengthen our evidence base, guide product innovation including Bio800 and environmental assets, and shape how science becomes a robust spine of our mission and business. You’ll develop strategic roadmaps, scientific teams, and lead the scientific culture; creating the processes and credibility that our customers, partners, and investors trust. Who We’re Looking For We’re seeking an experienced cross-functional business leader with a strong science background who thrives at the intersection of multidisciplinary research, field deployment, partnerships, and commercial results. You have a passion for developing and executing project plans; including oversight of roadmaps, budgets, resources, timelines, and key deliverables. You have broad working knowledge across several elements of our platform: soil science and biological systems, microbiology, ‘omics’ technologies, agronomy, fermentation, environmental assets as they are quantified and the scientific requirements that backstop these assets, successful partnerships with data science, and working with commercial leadership to turn science into commercial value. You’re energized by farmer-facing impact and by building and inspiring a team that blends rigor, speed, creativity, and humility. Our science is all about passion for possibilities. Are you ready to grow what’s possible?

Requirements

Background and proven track record in translating strategic priorities into project and program management across some aspects of our platform that includes soil, plant, and environmental sciences, including disciplines such as agronomy, molecular biology, data science, microbiology, systems biology, bioinformatics, agronomy, environmental science, or related fields
12+ years scientific leadership experience in biologicals, soil health, crop inputs, or related sustainability fields
Track record leading multi-location field trials and evidence generation supporting commercial success
Leadership related to private-public multi-year research projects
Experience providing leadership across a broad scientific platform that also includes IP architecture
Passion for agriculture, farmer outcomes, and a thriving stewardship of our land – a curious, mission-driven leader with a creator mindset

Nice To Haves

Preferred some experience in the science of environmental assets (soil carbon, emission reductions, water efficiency, etc)
Preferred some experience working with large agronomy/environmental datasets and partnering with data scientists

Responsibilities

Serve as the top scientific authority talking the executive strategy and developing the scientific priorities across the company along with the budgets resourcing, and accountability roadmaps to support those missions
Lead the integration and execution of projects across discovery, product development, agronomy, Soil Science, Environmental Assets (carbon, emission reductions, water), Microbiome and Data Science as a unified evidence platform
Build and lead the teams that can establish the scientific and data moats around Holganix offerings: IP, product claims, QA/QC, environmental credit rigor, integrated multi-omics data to ensure scientific defensibility
Design, identify resources, and execute the plan needed to drive R&D and product innovation — new formulations, consistency improvements, and breakthrough biological technologies for new markets
Oversee the teams responsible for field trial design, execution, and validation across diverse crops, soils, geographies, and climates, while integrating analytical platforms and data science to translate field outcomes into product insights and recommendations.
Help our science team represent Holganix science to farmers, carbon buyers, industry groups, media, regulators, investors, and key global partners
Develop, coach, and scale an A-team of scientists and agronomy experts while cultivating a high-performance, mission-driven culture
Partner with Product, Sustainability, and GTM leaders to translate science into commercial advantage
Expand external collaborations with top researchers, CROs, labs, and scientific institutions to establish Holganix as a global thought leader in Soil Science.
Establish and cultivate relationships with key opinion leaders, academic institutions, and leading research laboratories to advance scientific discovery, strengthen external collaborations, and support the company’s research and product development teams