Practical Farmers of Iowa Is Hiring a Cropping Systems Research Coordinator

About PFI

Practical Farmers of Iowa is a nonprofit organization that has worked to equip farmers to build resilient farms and communities since 1985. We create learning opportunities via farmer-led events, on-farm research and educational content through our robust network of farmers. We also provide funding and technical assistance to help farmers adopt regenerative farming practices and grow farm businesses. Our vision is an Iowa with healthy soil, healthy food, clean air, clean water, resilient farms and vibrant communities.

This work has always been rooted in our value of welcoming everyone and creating a culture of mutual respect. We believe that a diversity of people, ideas and perspectives strengthens our ability to find creative solutions, enriches our understanding and broadens our impact. At Practical Farmers, we celebrate this diversity and are committed to ensuring that our policies and practices create an equitable and inclusive workplace. We take equal opportunity seriously and seek to empower and support all applicants and teammates.

Practical Farmers offers a flexible, supportive and fast-paced work environment. Professional development is a core part of our culture and team members are encouraged to take independent initiative to help fulfill our mission.

About the Position

PFI’s research department is primarily responsible for our Cooperators’ Program. Since 1987, this innovative program has been a central platform for farmer-led curiosity and knowledge-sharing. Through the program, farmers design and conduct timely and relevant on-farm research to answer questions about their farms and share what they’ve learned with others. We believe that real-world, applied research on farms is critical for building a better agricultural system. We also help farmers engage in meaningful dialogue and promote the exchange of ideas that blossom into new research projects.

We’re seeking a cropping systems research coordinator to lead some of our ongoing multisite on-farm research projects across the Midwest. One project explores the effect of nitrogen fertilizer rates informed by soil tests on corn yield, nitrogen use efficiency and financial returns in production systems using soil health practices. Another project is looking at how cover crops influence the number of days suitable for fieldwork in corn-soybean production systems.

In addition to managing research projects, this position will develop innovative on-farm research opportunities driven by farmer interests, helping farmers identify meaningful research questions and practical experimental designs. This position will be responsible for analyzing, interpreting and visualizing research data and translating findings into accessible reports, articles, blog posts and other educational resources for farmer audiences.

We expect research results to be interpreted and visualized with farmers as the target audience in accessibly written research reports and through user-friendly online interfaces. Success in this role requires combining scientific rigor with strong communication and relationship-building skills to support farmer learning and advance practical, farmer-led agricultural research.

If you are interested in practicing science with and constantly learning from a community of curious and creative farmers who are transforming their farms for the better through intentional investigation, this role is for you.

Duties

• Coordinate two large-scale, multisite on-farm research projects
• Design and implement data collection and management tools with farmers for on-farm research projects
• Analyze, interpret and visualize research data
• Write reports and articles for PFI publications on research projects
• Plan and facilitate events with research objectives.
• Other duties as assigned or volunteered to support department or team projects

Required Qualifications and Characteristics

• Master’s degree in agronomy, plant science, soil science, horticulture or related field and three years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Knowledge of current trends in Midwestern agricultural systems
• Knowledge of cover crop management, soil health principles, nutrient management and conservation practice adoption
• Knowledge of soil health assessment methods including soil organic carbon, carbon mineralization potential and aggregate stability
• Strong experimental design skills in field plot settings
• Strong statistical analysis, interpretation and visualization skills
• Experience with open-source statistical software (R, Python, etc.)
• Strong research report writing skills
• Experience publishing peer-reviewed scientific journal articles
• Ability to perform analyses of ongoing multisite-year research results
• Ability to communicate scientific principles to non-scientists and farmers
• Clear interest in applying their research skills to serve the learning outcomes desired by farmers
• Ability to coordinate concurrently active projects
• Ability to work well independently and with others
• Ability to organize work, set goals and adhere to deadlines

Desired Qualifications and Characteristics

• Doctorate in agronomy, plant science, soil science, horticulture or related field
• Knowledge of GIS platforms and geospatial data management (ArcGIS Pro, Google Earth Engine, spatial datasets)
• Understanding of the social and community dimensions of agriculture
• Knowledge of farmer adoption behavior, agricultural sociology and barriers to adopting conservation practice
• Effective at handling farmer communication, customer service and data collection across multiple channels (text, email, phone, etc.)
• Experience with grant writing and reporting
• Experience with crop, environmental or greenhouse gas modeling
• Experience writing public-facing articles
• Oral communication and storytelling skills
• Event facilitation skills

This is a full-time position with potential for hybrid work. There is a minimum requirement of one day per month at the Ames, Iowa, office and seasonal travel around Iowa and surrounding states. The beginning salary range for this position is $46,000-$53,000 with annual opportunity for salary increases and position advancement.

PFI values its employees and is a flexible and supportive work environment. We offer employees a competitive benefits package that includes employee health insurance with 100% employer-paid premium, generous paid time off, flexible hours, six weeks of fully paid parental leave and 5% automatic 401k contribution after one year of employment.

We also encourage employee professional development and offer a range of specialty benefits employees can use to support their wellness, sustainability and financial goals. Examples of our specialty benefits include contributions towards spouse or dependent health insurance, stipends for remote workers and reimbursements for fitness costs, CSA subscriptions, student loans or eco-friendly purchases. Practical Farmers is a family-friendly employer.

Please apply by completing an application (including contact information, cover letter, resume and references). Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.