Senior Agronomy Lead - Crop Systems and Digital Ag

Iowa State University • Ames, IA

32d

About The Position

Build the Future of Agriculture If you want your work to matter outside the lab—guiding real decisions in real farm fields—this is the role for you. The Digital Ag Innovation Lab partners with leading agricultural companies to design, test, and deploy next-generation technologies and agronomic solutions. Our team works at the intersection of agronomy, digital agriculture, and applied engineering, moving ideas from early concepts to field validation and industry adoption. Who We Are The Digital Ag Innovation Lab at Iowa State University brings together agronomy, engineering, and data science to develop practical solutions for modern agriculture. Our team works closely with agricultural companies, farmers, and researchers to evaluate emerging technologies and advance precision agriculture systems. Our vision is bold: to be the premier thought leader and partner in agricultural innovation. Our mission guides everything we do: Innovate. Educate. Outreach. Innovate with industry partners to develop technologies and practices that improve agricultural productivity and sustainability Educate the next generation of scientists, engineers, and agricultural professionals Outreach to farmers and industry stakeholders to translate research into practical adoption We operate with four core values: Passion. Innovation. Collaboration. Excellence. The team has a strong innovation record, including 90+ patents and licensed technologies , and continues to develop solutions that shape the future of agriculture. The Opportunity We are seeking a Senior Agronomy Lead to provide agronomic leadership for crop systems and digital agriculture initiatives within the Digital Ag Innovation Lab. This role focuses on translating agronomic insight into practical solutions that support technology development and adoption in production agriculture. You will lead field validation programs evaluating crop systems, management practices, and emerging digital agriculture technologies. Working closely with engineers, data scientists, and industry partners, you will help guide the development and evaluation of technologies that improve agronomic decision-making, crop performance, and farm productivity. What You'll Do Lead and manage field-scale validation programs evaluating crop systems, management practices, and emerging digital agriculture technologies. Generate actionable agronomic insights by analyzing crop, soil, and spatial data using statistical and geospatial tools. Integrate satellite, UAV, sensor, and field-based datasets to evaluate crop performance and management outcomes. Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate agronomy, sensing technologies, and data analytics. Provide agronomic leadership to guide development, testing, and refinement of emerging agricultural technologies. Translate field results into practical insights that support technology development and on-farm decision-making for industry partners and agricultural stakeholders. Lead and mentor research staff and students while fostering a collaborative, high-performing innovation environment. Contribute to development of externally funded projects and collaborative industry research initiatives. The successful candidate will have experience in applied agronomy and field-based experimentation, strong analytical skills, and the ability to translate agronomic insights into practical solutions that drive technology development and data-informed agricultural decision-making. Success in this role requires strong collaboration, communication, and project leadership skills, particularly when working with interdisciplinary teams and industry partners. The candidate will be hired as a Research Scientist IV. Although this is a term position, it is expected to offer long-term opportunity, with the option for renewal. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship. Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position. The position will remain open until filled.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of related experience
• Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. on an ongoing basis without sponsorship.
• Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

Nice To Haves

• M.S. or Ph.D. in agronomy, plant physiology, or a related field
• Experience designing agronomic field trials within crop production systems
• Experience using statistical and analytical tools common in agronomic research
• Experience communicating agronomic insights and outcomes to industry partners and stakeholders
• Experience writing or contributing to successful grant proposals
• Experience mentoring staff, students, or early-career scientists
• Experience evaluating interactions between agricultural machinery and crop production systems under field conditions.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage field-scale validation programs evaluating crop systems, management practices, and emerging digital agriculture technologies.
• Generate actionable agronomic insights by analyzing crop, soil, and spatial data using statistical and geospatial tools.
• Integrate satellite, UAV, sensor, and field-based datasets to evaluate crop performance and management outcomes.
• Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams to integrate agronomy, sensing technologies, and data analytics.
• Provide agronomic leadership to guide development, testing, and refinement of emerging agricultural technologies.
• Translate field results into practical insights that support technology development and on-farm decision-making for industry partners and agricultural stakeholders.
• Lead and mentor research staff and students while fostering a collaborative, high-performing innovation environment.
• Contribute to development of externally funded projects and collaborative industry research initiatives.

Benefits

• Iowa State Employees enjoy comprehensive health and work-life benefits, including medical and dental
• Retirement benefits including defined benefit and defined contribution plans
• Generous vacation, holiday and sick time and leave plans
• Onsite childcare (Ames, Iowa)
• Life insurance and long-term disability
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Various voluntary benefits and discounts
• Employee Assistance Program
• Wellbeing program

What This Job Offers

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