Lead Crop Specialist

80 Acres Farms•San Antonio, TX

About The Position

At 80 Acres Farms, we're on a mission to change the way the world eats—and we're looking for people who want to help us do it. We grow pesticide-free salads, herbs, microgreens, and salad kits in smart vertical farms that produce more food with far fewer resources—using up to 95% less water and renewable electricity, with no reliance on weather or seasons. Our produce is available in more than 17,000 retail locations nationwide, including Kroger, Whole Foods, HEB, and The Fresh Market, and reaches food service partners across the country year-round. What makes this possible is a combination of people, technology, and purpose. Our proprietary growing platform, developed by our technology subsidiary, Infinite Acres, provides our teams with real-time data and control over every aspect of the growing environment—making our farms among the most advanced in the world. We operate commercial farms in Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, South Carolina, and Colorado, packhouses in Indiana, Virginia, and Washington, and research and development facilities in Arkansas, Israel, and the Netherlands. We've grown significantly through the acquisitions of Kalera and Soli Organic, and we're just getting started. If you're passionate about sustainability, food, and building something that matters, we'd love to have you on the team. The Lead Crop Optimization Specialist is responsible for coordinating and supporting production research activities that drive crop performance and operational improvements. This role supports trial planning, execution logistics, documentation, and cross-functional communication to ensure research projects are completed effectively and data is captured accurately. The position works closely with Agronomy, Operations, R&D, and Data Analytics teams to support successful trial execution and continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Horticulture, Plant Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
Three+ years of experience supporting agricultural research, crop production, technical projects, or related operations.

Nice To Haves

Strong organizational, project coordination, and documentation skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Effective communication and collaboration skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel.
Experience supporting production-scale agricultural trials.
Knowledge of controlled environment agriculture (CEA) or vertical farming operations.
Familiarity with trial design, data collection, and research methodologies.
Experience working with research databases, analytics tools, or agricultural technology platforms.

Responsibilities

Coordinate production research trials across multiple facilities, including scheduling, resource planning, and execution support.
Maintain research calendars, project timelines, and trial status updates.
Ensure trial protocols, observations, and results are accurately documented and maintained in centralized systems.
Partner with Operations, Agronomy, R&D, and Data Analytics teams to support trial implementation and data collection.
Monitor project milestones, identify potential risks, and communicate issues to leadership.
Assist with analysis readiness by ensuring research data is complete, organized, and accessible.
Prepare trial summaries, reports, and project updates for stakeholders.
Support the development and improvement of research processes, documentation standards, and best practices.
Participate in post-trial reviews and help implement lessons learned.
Other responsibilities as assigned.