Sr. Manager, Seed Production Agronomist

ABOUT BENSON HILL 

Benson Hill empowers innovators to develop more healthy, tasty and sustainable food by unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants. Benson Hill’s CropOS™ platform combines machine learning and big data with breeding techniques and plant biology to drastically accelerate and simplify the product development process. This platform allows for cost-effective and more efficient ways for companies to analyze and make improvements in plant genetics. Benson Hill brings a unique and holistic approach to our product and platform development, as we span a broader workflow involving trait and seed development, genome editing, and breeding all the way to creating better ingredients and varieties that tap a strong consumer demand for more flavorful and nutritious fruits and vegetables. More information can be found online at www.bensonhill.com. Follow us on Twitter at @BensonHillInc. 

OUR PURPOSE AND CORE VALUES 

Our Core Values are a set of common principles we share that are fundamental to our company’s identity. 

• Be Bold!  We redefine boundaries by providing new solutions to difficult problems. Together we are driven to transform the future and will not allow the fear of failure to prevent us from innovating. We voice our opinions, embrace change, and challenge each other to think creatively.
• Be Inspired! We have purpose in our work-we are curious, engaged, and have fun. We maintain an active learning mindset and are motivated by diverse people and thoughts. We are energized by all innovators and together we aim to make an impact and contribute to building a better world.
• Be Real! We understand who we are, what we want to achieve, and what it takes to get there. We hold each other accountable through timely, candid, and well-intentioned feedback. Together we engage in honest communication and healthy debate that leads to success through true alignment. 

POSITION SUMMARY: 

Reporting to the President of Benson Hill Seeds, the Seed Production Agronomist will proactively serve as the primary relationship manager with our seed production contract tollers. You will interact with product management to plan projected needed seed production, then work with tollers, both in the US and counter season in South America, to contract seed production acres to meet that plan. Throughout the growing season provide projected yield updates, and insure purity of parent seed and seed production. You will additionally work with state seed certifying agencies to inspect seed production fields and seed harvests. You will own these relationships and have major impact on the growth of the organization. 

YOU WILL: 

• Build multi-year seed and parent seed production volume plan, coordinating with product management and ingredients teams to maintain and adjust plan as needed to meet business needs.  
• Select, negotiate and contract with Seed Production Tollers to increase soybean parent and commercial seed for our closed-loop grain contracting and licensing businesses. Evaluate seed production toller performance. 
• Coordinate with the data science team in collection of seed production field data including field boundaries, production details and pre-harvest pod sampling for GM purity and output trait performance. 
• Coordinate with Benson Hill Seeds Operations Director and State Seed Certifying associations for field inspections and seed quality testing.
• Develop and implement seed treatment strategy, options, products, machinery and suppliers for internalized seed treatment.
• Provide some direction to the commercial agronomy team until we expand a role to lead that team, providing insight to:
• Commercial Trials
• Replant, return, service call policies and processes
• Coordination with product management and data science on product technical material and placement information for field sales reps and farmers. 
• Coordination with the Field Sales Director to support Field Sales Representatives agronomic and product training with farmer service calls as needed. 
• Represent Benson Hill and present at farmer-focused trade shows, field days, plot demonstration events, etc. 

YOU HAVE: 

EDUCATION 

• Bachelor degree in Ag Business, Agronomy, Crops & Soil Sciences or other related Ag field. Masters is preferred. 
• Certified Crop Advisor certification preferred. 

EXPERIENCE 

• Minimum 5 years’ experience with input sales and/or seed production.  

SOFTWARE/SKILLSET 

• Excellent organizational and time management skills 
• Strong planning and tracking skills.  
• Excellent intercompany communications skills (verbal, email, written) 
• Experience with geo-referenced field data and notes software and connections with common farm equipment software systems.
• Ability to create and manipulate Microsoft Excel spreadsheets and smartsheets
• Intermediate skill level for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint 

OTHER 

• Attention to detail 
• Collaborative
• Able to travel up to 50% at times during critical times
• Position located in Des Moines, Iowa area.  

WE HAVE A TOTAL REWARDS PACKAGE AT BENSON HILL THAT CONSISTS OF MORE THAN JUST YOUR PAYCHECK. TOTAL REWARDS AT BENSON HILL COVERS PAY (SALARY AND BONUS), HEALTH (EMPLOYER BENEFIT CONTRIBUTIONS) AND WEALTH (INVESTMENTS). SOME OF THE PERKS INCLUDE: 

• A Collaborative Environment 
• A flexible PTO program with a focus on work/life balance
• Competitive medical benefits and retirement savings plan
• FREE Dental and Vision Coverage
• Education reimbursement
• PAID parental leave
• And more….