OBJECTIVE: The Conservation Agronomist is the farmer face for AgOutcomes and the Soil and Water Outcomes Fund (www.theoutcomesfund.com) in Illinois. The Conservation Agronomist works to enroll farmers in the Soil & Water Outcomes Fund, assists farmers and affiliated recruiters in the enrollment process, provides quality control of incoming farmer data and translation of resulting environmental and ecosystem service data.  Additionally, this position provides conservation and agronomic advice to enrolled farmers and maintains excellent customer relationships with farmers.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

  • Provide support to current and prospective farmers for collection of management practice data and other necessary enrollment information
  • Assist Monitoring and verification team by conducting in-field soil, and water samples and verification of conservation practice adoption.
  • Maintain a strong understanding of the Soil & Water Outcomes Fund and associated farmer enrollment platform
  • Conduct three check-ins (at time of enrollment, during the summer, and post-harvest) per year with enrolled farmers
  • Provide oversight, guidance and support to affiliated farmer recruiters (CCA, ag retail, etc.)
  • Track acres enrolled by affiliated recruiters, provide payment and report status
  • Assist farmers in interpreting and understanding outcomes-based payment structure and estimated payments based on models
  • Provide technical assistance to enrolled farmers for agronomy and conservation practice implementation, either directly or through intermediaries like certified crop advisors or agronomy advisors
  • QA/QC all farmer provided data
  • Provide opportunities for enrolled farmers to participate in on-farm research/benchmarking with other enrolled farmers
  • Work with 3rd party verifiers to ensure efficient process of collecting required farm-level data
  • Analyze and interpret outcomes data received from 3rd party verifiers
  • Provide conservation practice expertise farmer and Soil & Water Outcomes Fund partners
  • Provide guidance on relevant trends and developments in the agricultural landscape related to markets, innovations, potential customers, etc.

COMPETENCIES

  • Agronomy Expertise
  • Communicating Effectively
  • Coordinating Project Activities
  • Displaying Technical Expertise
  • Managing Resources
  • Prioritizing and Organizing Work
  • Establishing Relationships
  • Customer Service

TRAVEL

  • This is a remote position based in north-central Illinois. Requires some office time at the Illinois Soybean Association in Bloomington, Illinois. Requires up to 50% travel, typically in Illinois. Frequently travel is outside the local area and may be overnight. Some of the travel may be in other states.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

  • This position has no supervisory responsibility.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • Bachelor’s degree or higher in agronomy, environmental sciences, agricultural engineering, biological sciences, ecology or related field.
  • Minimum of three to five years of experience working in agronomy or conservation.
  • Strong understanding of Midwest cropping systems and conservation practices.
  • Capable of working in a team environment while working independently to achieve specific project deliverables.
  • Understanding of computer technologies including cloud-based data storage and GIS.
  • Valid driver’s license required.

PREFERRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) certification

BENEFITS

  • Medical, Dental and Vision insurance
  • Flexible Spending Account available
  • Cellphone and Wellness reimbursement
  • 401(k) with generous company match
  • Tuition reimbursement program
Accessibility: If you need an accommodation as part of the employment process please contact Human Resources 

Equal Opportunity Employer, including disabled and veterans.

 

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