Lead Systems Engineer - Digital Ag

Iowa State University•Ames, IA

22h•Onsite

About The Position

Build the Future of Agriculture Design, build, and deliver integrated engineering systems that perform in the real world while growing your technical depth and leadership in a hands-on, industry-connected environment. 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 premier thought leader and partner in ag innovation. Our mission guides everything we do: Innovate. Educate. Outreach. We innovate with partners to create technology solutions that drive value into agriculture and our communities. We educate to inspire and develop students and professionals to ensure a thriving workforce that drives success within our industry. We outreach to share knowledge with farmers and ag businesses and promote practices that enhance their success. We operate with four core values: Passion. Innovation. Collaboration. Excellence. The Opportunity We are seeking a Lead Systems Engineer to drive the design, integration, and deployment of complex engineering systems. In this role, you will lead system-level efforts from concept through field deployment, ensuring solutions perform in real-world agriculture environments. This is a hands-on role focuses on system architecture, integration, and execution. You will work across software, electrical, hydraulic, and mechanical domains while partnering closely with sponsor engineering teams to deliver integrated solutions. The role offers the opportunity to expand your leadership impact by mentoring others, influencing technical direction, and taking on increasing ownership of projects and system outcomes.

Requirements

5+ years of experience in engineering roles involving complex systems
Experience integrating hardware and software within real-world systems
Strong systems thinking across electrical, mechanical, software, and/or hydraulic domains
Experience with prototyping, testing, and validating engineered systems
Ability to troubleshoot and solve complex technical problems
Effective communication and collaboration skills, including working with external partners
Interest in growing into technical leadership and mentoring others

Nice To Haves

Advance degree in engineering or related field, or equivalent industry experience
Background in agricultural equipment, off-highway machinery, robotics, drone systems, or precision application technology (seed and chemical; liquid and dry systems)
Experience with field testing, validation, or performance benchmarking
Experience working with industry partners or customer-driven projects
Experience mentoring engineers or leading technical workstreams

Responsibilities

Lead end‑to‑end system engineering from concept, architecture, and requirements through deployment and field validation
Define and integrate cross‑domain architectures and interfaces spanning mechanical, hydraulic, electrical, and software systems
Design, build, integrate, and validate complete physical systems for agricultural and off‑road equipment
Develop system‑level hardware and software solutions, including sensing, automation, and control systems
Build and test prototypes and vehicle‑integrated systems, using data and analysis to drive performance improvements
Collaborate cross‑functionally and with external partners to solve complex integration challenges and deliver solutions
Provide technical leadership through mentoring, project planning, execution, and sponsor communication