SENIOR CROP SPECIALIST in Springdale, AR

Job Description

• Advance Genetics through Leveraging R&D capabilities to accelerate advancement of yield, quality and sensory attributes of 80 Acres’ products through;
  • Establishing structure around Strategic Deployment and commercialization of improved genetics, aligned with business near term, and medium to long term goals and objectives
  • Enhancing consumer focused innovation through collaboration with product development, and Sale & marketing
  • Establishment of proof points in the commercialization process
• Accelerate development and deployment of new differentiating varieties suitable for indoor

The Future of Fresh is Here!

Food isn’t what it used to be. We made it better, and we did it by building a different kind of farm. A farm that doesn’t need sun, soil or favorable weather to do its thing. A farm where pesticides have no place—because everything’s indoors, monitored and controlled, 24/7. We built a farm where robots do the heavy lifting, so the humans can focus on growing the freshest, most nutritious food possible. A farm that can produce over 300 times more food than an ordinary farm. With 100% renewable energy. And 97% less water. Pretty unbelievable, right? Well, believe it. This farm is real. We call it 80 Acres Farms. Fresher food awaits you.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• The Senior Crop Specialist will lead a team of Crop Specialists to drive improvements in yield and quality along with innovation in taste and flavor through a combination of plant science / horticulture, software-driven data collection & analytics, and commercial-level support of 80 Acres Farms.
• Bringing expertise in plant physiology, horticulture, and controlled environment agriculture, the Senior Crop Specialist will apply this knowledge to develop novel growing systems, recipes and methods that enable production of leafy greens, herbs and other crops indoors.
• In this role, the incumbent will manage Infinite Acres’ R&D priorities and execution of cultivar improvement through genetics, environmental optimization, grow system innovation and other production focused innovations using tradition and predictive approaches.
• Build leading CEA capabilities at Infinite Acres, merging the best of existing theory and practices, leveraging current horticultural science infrastructure, and new breakthroughs made possible by 80 Acres’ unique growing system, phenotyping and Grow Ops capabilities.
• Develop, manage and mentor a growing team of Crop Specialists and identify opportunities to support development and professional growth of direct reports.
• Establish and cultivate strong relationships with senior leaders and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including systems engineers, data scientists, in-farm horticulturalists and operations teams, and business operators to tackle multidisciplinary problems.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A PhD or (MSc with at least 5 years’ experience) in the fields of horticulture, plant science, plant biochemistry, agricultural/bio-systems engineering, controlled environment agriculture, or a related subject with a focus on leafy greens and/or fruiting crops
• A prolific command of the theory behind plant physiology, plant growth, and plant health and can translate that theory into applied research Have knowledge of trial design, data management, data analysis, and statistics
• A solid understanding of agronomic techniques, plant cultivation, and crop handling, preferably with experience in leafy greens, herbs, and/or fruiting crops
• Knowledge of building business case(s), and can speak fluently about the costs and benefits of the work done, and know how to build and manage a research budget
• Versatility to collaborate with individuals at all levels and across various functions
• Ability to intuitively assess plant health issues that might arise, come up with tests to confirm root causes, and roll changes out once your hypothesis is validated
• Excellent oral and written communication; ability to shift between technical discussions and layman’s terms with ease

OTHER JOB INFORMATION

About our benefits package: 80 Acres Farms offers a highly competitive package including health, dental and vision insurance; company paid life insurance; long-term and short-term disability insurance; voluntary life insurance; vacation and sick leave; 401K with pre-tax and Roth options; and company paid holidays.

About our hiring practices: 80 Acres Farms values inclusion and diversity and is an equal opportunity employer that participates in e-verify. Employment decisions are made without regard to protected characteristics. All candidates will be given the same consideration. We strongly encourage women, minorities, individuals with disabilities and veterans to apply.