CONSERVATION AGRONOMIST

Job Title: Conservation Agronomist

Department: Sales & Marketing

Reports To: Chief Operating Officer

Report Location: Remote Location in Nebraska

Since 1975, ServiTech, Inc. has relied on the most current technologies, research, and science to make productive and profitable recommendations for thousands of growers on millions of acres. Three ServiTech laboratory facilities complement industry agronomic services to measure fertility, tailor field inputs, and increase yields.

As the global population increases, the need for more efficient food production systems also grows. ServiTech actively pursues new technologies to ensure that our recommendations and services are making farming operations more productive, more efficient, and more sustainable.

SUMMARY

The Conservation Agronomist will work with ServiTech farmer accounts and ServiTech's owner cooperatives members to engage landowners and farmers in ServiTech's service area (IA, NE, KS) and surrounding areas. This position is to provide conservation and agronomy technical assistance to local farmers and landowners. This technical assistance will result in increased farmer participation and engagement in programs and projects that improve production, profitability, and natural resource outcomes.

This position is remote but must be lived in Nebraska and will work closely with ServiTech's agronomy staff as well as ServiTech's owner cooperatives. This position will provide conservation and agronomy expertise to ServiTech's farmer customers, ServiTech's owner cooperatives farmer members, and area landowners. This position will also provide conservation expertise to the ServiTech agronomy team. An important aspect of this role will be to build relationships with ServiTech's owner cooperatives agronomy and precision staff, local watershed projects, soil and water conservation district staff, and other conservation partners. This position must reside or be willing to move within ServiTech's Nebraska service area.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a conservation and agronomy technical specialist.
• Identify appropriate in-field and edge-of-field agronomy and conservation practices for soil and water resource improvement.
• Promote management practices and systems to address resource concerns, farmer/landowner conservation, production and productivity goals, and grant project goals.
• Execute on-farm research, including collection of data and management information.
• Monitoring agronomic and conservation practice performance.
• Connect farmers and landowners with financial assistance and secure necessary technical design standards for practice application.
• Build relationships and serve as a technical agronomy and conservation liaison between watershed coordinators, other local conservation organizations and ServiTech's owner cooperatives members.
• Build relationships and coordinate projects with project sponsors and a variety of audiences in the ag retail territory including farmers, landowners, ServiTech staff, CCA's, USDA Service Center personnel, local partners, and other commodity organizations.
• Successfully engage ServiTech's owner cooperatives members staff in building relationships, conducting outreach to their farmer members in a cooperative manner, and providing conservation expertise as requested.
• Participate in ServiTech meetings, trainings, events, and field days.
• Coordinate with other ServiTech departments and staff including Marketing & Communications, Crop Services and Laboratories.
• This position will also require you to perform other duties as assigned by management.

TRAVEL

Must be able to travel as needed. Approximately 50-60% regular travel. Travel includes up to ten hours per day and overnight as necessary. Occasional travel to the ServiTech office in Dodge City, KS, is required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to use hands, read, talk and/or hear. The employee is regularly required to sit, stand, drive, and operate a computer for long periods of time. The employee is frequently required to walk; handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and occasionally required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 to 25 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and is regularly required to climb stairs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus including regular use of a computer.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The employee must understand and implement all related safety policies, procedures, and programs for prevention and protection while performing job duties in various work environments. The noise level in the work environment is usually low to moderate.

DISCLAIMER:

This job description indicates the general nature and level of work expected. It is not designed to cover every activity, duty, or responsibility required of the employee.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Business acumen to work across divisions of the business.
• Excellent and effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Critical thinking/analytical, problem-solving, and conflict management skills.
• Ability to manage difficult or emotional situations, respond promptly to customer needs, resolve questions, complaints, and concerns immediately, and meet commitments.
• A desire to be involved in agriculture and work for a cooperative.
• Customer service experience including effective time management skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to be flexible, manage change and meet deadlines.
• Ability to ethically analyze data and report results with integrity.
• Ability to focus, pay attention to details, monitor work for accuracy, and manage multiple priorities.
• Practical understanding and application of agronomy and environmental science.
• Establishing relationships and acting as a champion for change.
• Navigating organizations, evaluating, and implementing ideas.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position does not have supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree in Agronomy or Agriculture; a minimum of eight years of sales experience; a minimum of ten years of progressive leadership and technology development experience; or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Excellent computer proficiency and the ability to learn new software are required. This position requires a remarkable level of professionalism and business acumen; exceptional communication skills including the ability to build rapport; tenacity; effective time management skills; and a genuine desire to serve, lead and succeed. Willing to seek out and attend additional continuing education, seminars, classes, or other job-related education requirements or opportunities.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

A valid driver's license with a safe driving record

COMPUTER SKILLS

The individual should be proficient in their use of a personal computer and must be able to perform tasks using Windows-based software. To perform this job successfully, the individual should be able to effectively use software designed to manipulate data in a spreadsheet and be able to utilize word-processing software, contact management systems, and other database software, including our own LIMS programs.

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, governmental regulations, safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, employees, clients, customers, and the general public.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to work with mathematical concepts such as probability and statistical inference. Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, proportions, and percentages and to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

REASONING ABILITY

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form. Ability to deal with problems with several concrete variables in standardized situations. Must be able to think quickly and perform a mental assessment of workplace hazards and take appropriate precautions.