Field Research Agronomist

Job Description

Location: Field-based across assigned Company’s research locations, farms, fulfilment-center catchments and expansion territories, with regular travel.

The Field Research Agronomist is the evidence and experimentation specialist responsible for validating,
localizing and improving Company’s crop-cultivation protocols. The role converts material grower,
yield, quality, cost and climate-resilience questions into controlled field trials; collects defensible
agronomic data; identifies what works, for whom and under which conditions; and converts findings
into decision-ready protocol recommendations, training materials and field implementation tools.

Field Research Agronomist is a complete the approved crop-protocol development roadmap by designing and executing
decision-grade field research, validating and localizing protocols across target environments, quantifying
improvement opportunities, and translating approved findings into controlled protocols, training materials and
agronomy implementation tools.

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
• Three to five years of hands-on experience in crop, soil, agronomic or agricultural production research,
including responsibility for field-trial design, establishment, measurement, analysis and reporting.

• Demonstrated experience with agricultural field research methods, including controls, replication,
randomization, blocking, plot layout, sampling, treatment application, crop-stage monitoring and trial
deviation management.

• Evidence of using research to improve or localize crop protocols, varieties, soil-fertility, water, crop
protection, establishment, harvest or post-harvest practices for farmers or commercial production
systems.

• Practical experience collecting and managing plot-level and farmer-level data, conducting statistical
analysis and converting results into clear technical recommendations with limitations and economic
implications.

• Experience developing crop protocols, field manuals, training materials, demonstrations or job aids and
working with extension teams or farmers to test practicality and adoption.

• Experience operating across multiple sites or agroecological conditions and coordinating farmers, field
teams, laboratories, research partners, suppliers or temporary data collectors.

• Demonstrated integrity in handling null or negative findings, outliers, trial loss, participant concerns,
input-provider influence, safety risk and pressure for commercially convenient conclusions.

Qualifications
• Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy, Crop Science, Soil Science, Plant Science, Horticulture, Agricultural
Research, Biometry, Agricultural Statistics or a closely related discipline; a relevant master’s degree is
advantageous.

• Strong working knowledge of experimental design, agronomic sampling, descriptive and inferential
statistics, data visualization and research reporting; competence in R, Python, GenStat, SPSS, SAS or a
comparable statistical tool is advantageous.

• Relevant training in Good Agricultural Practices, integrated pest management, pesticide stewardship,
soil or plant analysis, research ethics, data quality, GLOBALG.A.P., organic production or food safety is
advantageous.

• Strong numerical discipline and attention to detail, including treatment calculations, unit conversion,
area and yield measurement, sample identification, budget control and data validation.

• Clear written, visual and verbal communication and the ability to explain methods, uncertainty and
practical recommendations to farmers, field teams, technical leaders and commercial stakeholders.

• Fluent professional English; relevant local-language capability is required or advantageous by location,
and French is advantageous for cross-border work. Readiness for extensive field travel and outdoor
work through crop-cycle demands is essential.

Technical capabilities:
1. Research-question formulation: Convert production, farmer, buyer and expansion problems into testable hypotheses, defined decisions, outcomes and evidence thresholds

2. Experimental design: Choose and document appropriate controls, treatments, replication, randomization, blocking, plot size, buffers, sampling and analysis for field conditions.

3. Field-trial establishment: Select and characterize sites, lay out plots accurately, verify treatment materials, establish baselines and protect trial integrity.

4. Crop and soil measurement: Use standardized methods and calibrated tools to measure crop establishment, health, phenology, yield, quality, soil, water, inputs, labour and loss.

5. Data quality and stewardship: Design field books and data dictionaries, validate records, preserve raw data and audit trails, manage queries and lock reproducible datasets

6. Statistical analysis: Apply appropriate models and assumption checks; interpret effect size, uncertainty, practical significance, interactions, bias and limitations.

7. Agronomic protocol development: Convert evidence into controlled, stage-based crop recommendations with applicable conditions, critical limits, exceptions, risks and monitoring.

8. Localization and scale validation: Assess soil, climate, water, pest, variety, farmer and operational differences and determine where multi-site or multi-season evidence is required.