R&D Field Sensing Intern

Corteva Agriscience • Des Moines, IA

29d

About The Position

At Corteva Agriscience, you will help us grow what’s next. No matter your role, you will be part of a team that is building the future of agriculture – leading breakthroughs in the innovation and application of science and technology that will better the lives of people all over the world and fuel the progress of humankind.
Corteva Agriscience is seeking a highly motivated 6-month intern to join our Research and Development team. This role sits at the intersection of meteorological field sensing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and digital agriculture. The successful candidate will evaluate the integrity of environmental data streams and explore how advanced weather networks and novel sensing technologies impact plant breeding, crop health, and predictive modeling.
This position offers a unique opportunity to work with cutting-edge hardware—including weather stations, UAVs, and robotic platforms—while performing complex computational tasks to ensure high-fidelity data is available for downstream agronomic products.

Requirements

• Education: Priority given to current seniors or graduate students (Master’s or PhD) at an accredited university or community college. Majors in Meteorology, Atmospheric Science, Geospatial Information Science (GIS), Environmental Engineering, Agronomy, or related STEM fields are preferred.
• Coding Skills: Proficiency in Python or R is required, specifically for data manipulation, statistical analysis, and script automation (e.g., Pandas, NumPy, Tidyverse).
• Technical Expertise: Strong understanding of GIS principles and geospatial software (ArcGIS, QGIS, or Google Earth Engine). Experience with remote sensing and the application of technology to plant screening techniques is a plus.
• Hardware Experience: Demonstrated ability to troubleshoot, build, or test sensitive environmental sensors or electronic equipment. Experience with station calibration and maintenance is highly valued.
• Proven ability to clean and organize complex datasets.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a passion for exploring innovative solutions in a fast-paced R&D environment.
• Ability to work effectively in both office settings and outdoor field environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Willingness to work in a variety of environments, including both office-based computational work and outdoor field sites.
• Ability to take occasional day trips to off-site research locations for equipment maintenance and data collection.

Responsibilities

• Data Quality & Analytics: Develop and implement automated quality control (QC) scripts using Python or R to identify sensor drift, outliers, and transmission gaps. Analyze and organize large, complex datasets to extract actionable insights for crop modeling.
• Weather Network Audit: Investigate existing weather networks to ensure consistency and reliability across field sites; utilize GIS and remote sensing tools to analyze the spatial representativeness of station siting.
• Hardware & IoT Management: Troubleshoot, calibrate, and maintain field sensing equipment. Contribute to the design, engineering, and testing of new sensor prototypes and IoT devices.
• Field Operations: Conduct field visits for equipment inspection and data collection. Potential to operate UAVs and/or robots and their associated payloads to support phenotyping operations.
• Research Project: Design and execute a dedicated research project focused on sensor performance, network optimization, or technology impact, culminating in a presentation to R&D leadership and station staff.
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Work alongside researchers across various disciplines (Atmospheric Science, Plant Breeding, Engineering) to communicate how data quality and novel technologies influence future farming operations.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern