Manager Agronomy Research Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Description

Cooperative Farmers Elevator

Position Description & Accountability

DATE: June 15, 2026                                                     DEPARTMENT: Agronomy 

JOB TITLE: Agronomy Solutions Manager                LOCATION: Flexible/Field-based with Regional Travel

REPORTS TO: Agronomy Product Manager             CLASSIFICATION: Full-time/Exempt

Position Summary

The Agronomy Solutions Manager leads the development, validation, and deployment of agronomic systems that improve customer outcomes and business performance through technical research, product strategy, and sales enablement.

This role connects research, product management, and sales execution to ensure recommendations are locally validated, strategically aligned, and effectively adopted across the customer base.

Key Responsibilities

Agronomy Research & Field Validation Leadership

• Lead structured local research and trial program across seed, crop protection, fertility, and biologicals.
• Establish on-farm and replicated trials to validate product and system performance.
• Translate findings into actionable insights for sales teams, customers, and commercial strategy.
• Serve as the organization's technical authority on agronomic performance, trends, and innovation.

Agronomic System Development

• Develop integrated agronomic systems combining seed genetics, crop protection, and nutrient management.
• Ensure systems are replicable across geographies and optimized for customer ROI and CFE margin.
• Continuously refine recommendations using trial data, customer outcomes, and supplier innovation pipelines.

Product Strategy Support

• Partner with Product Management to validate positioning, identify portfolio gaps, and support supplier negotiations with local data.
• Influence lifecycle decisions using field performance insights and ensure alignment between research, offerings, and market positioning.

Sales Enablement & Technical Support

• Equip and train sales teams with system-based, data-backed recommendations that position value over price.
• Provide advanced technical support for complex customer situations and key account opportunities.
• Participate in customer meetings where technical credibility influences decisions.

Customer Solution Development

• Support development of custom agronomic solutions for key and strategic accounts.
• Lead agronomic planning for high-value growers and integrated livestock operations where applicable.
• Ensure recommendations prioritize yield, profitability, sustainability, and system adoption across acres.

Data, Insights & Continuous Improvement

• Build a structured approach to capturing trial results, customer outcomes, and product performance insights.
• Maintain a central agronomic knowledge base to improve recommendations, identify margin opportunities, and strengthen supplier negotiations.

Key Performance Indicators

• Local trial validation across the product portfolio.
• Acres under system-based recommendations and adoption of multi-product programs.
• Sales team utilization of tools and improvement in margin, win rate, and strategic category growth.

Requirements

Other Duties

Perform other duties as assigned by management 

• Represent the role professionally in meetings by staying actively engaged, contributing to discussions, and providing thoughtful feedback and support to the feed team
• Professionally represent CFE at external meetings and industry events by building strategic relationships, fostering collaboration, expanding networks, and promoting CFE's brand and business objectives
• Maintain a professional image that reflects company values while promoting teamwork through positive attitude, communication, and conduct

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, or related field (Master's preferred).
• 7-12+ years of experience in field agronomy, research, trials, or technical/product support.
• Strong knowledge of seed, crop protection, fertility systems, and agronomic troubleshooting.
• Ability to translate technical data into commercial outcomes with strong communication and influencing skills.

Success Profile

• The successful candidate will:
• Think in systems, not products.
• Combine scientific credibility with commercial awareness.
• Operate effectively in field, sales, and strategic settings.
• Align what CFE sells with why it works.

Physical Demands

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands to finger, handle or feel, and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to walk and reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Employee signature below constitutes employee's understanding of the requirements, essential functions and duties of the position.

Employee (Print & Sign): ____________________________________________ Date: ___________