AGRONOMY TRIAL SPECIALIST

Key Skills

AI Robotic systems, Computer Vision (CV), Effective communication skills, Environmental, Machine learning techniques, Management

Job Description

Blue River Technology serves the agricultural industry by designing and building advanced farm machines that utilize computer vision and machine learning to enable farmers to understand and manage every plant. These machines help farmers improve profitability, protect the environment by reducing pesticide use, and capture valuable plant-by-plant data. Blue River is a pioneer in the agricultural robotics space and has developed the See & Spray precision sprayer, which applies herbicide only where needed, and can reduce herbicide use by 90%. Blue River also leads the development of autonomous systems for John Deere. 

John Deere & Company, with over 180 years of experience in designing, manufacturing, and distributing innovative products to farmers, acquired Blue River Technology in the fall of 2017 as an independently run subsidiary. In partnership with John Deere, Blue River has expanded rapidly, and together, both companies see many opportunities to apply advanced computer vision, machine learning, and robotics technologies to areas in agriculture beyond spraying.

Our office is located in Santa Clara, CA, with satellite offices in San Francisco and Austin, TX, and is home to 300+ team members with diverse experience, including computer vision, machine learning, systems software, autonomous vehicles, and precision agriculture. Our working environment is fast paced and highly collaborative, and employees are excited to use their talents to improve food production and protect the environment.

Summary

The Agronomic Trial Specialist will support research activities for See & Spray™ technology with a focus on weed control in soybean, corn, and cotton production systems. The role involves field trial research that will include, but is not limited to, work in the following areas:

• General setup of field trials, including marking of treatment boundaries prior to application
• Assist Blue River Field Engineers on the days of application, which will include data collection immediately following treatment while wearing appropriate PPE to identify treated plants
• Following each treatment, data on the effectiveness of weed management is collected as instructed by the Blue River Agronomy team.
• Data entry
• Communicate with cooperators and Blue River Field Team to coordinate field management activities and spray events
• Assist with sprayer demonstration days as directed by the Blue River Marketing team per region
• Assist with sprayer experiments as directed by the Blue River Engineering team and Field Engineers
• Evaluation of weed control within trials that include plant counts and visual assessments
• Extensive travel to various field trial locations in the assigned region throughout the 3 month season.

The anticipated start date of the three-month position is early to mid May 2024, with work through July 2024 but potentially extending into August (season dependent). Start and end dates can be flexible based on the availability of the candidate. The position is full-time during the 3-month period, with expectations of working 40-60 hours per week. The Agronomic Trial Specialist will be provided a company truck and fuel card, as well as expense reimbursement for travel to research locations during the duration of the position. Positions are available in the Midwestern region, which would include work in the states of Iowa, Illinois, and Indiana, or in the Mid-South region, which includes the states of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas.

The Agronomic Trial Specialist stays in verbal and written communication with the agronomy, product management, and field application engineering personnel on a regular basis and reports to the Field Engineering team.

Requirements

• Ideal for current or recent undergraduate students pursuing a degree in agronomy, agribusiness, ag science, crop sciences, application technology, or related field.
• Ability to understand and interact with agricultural technology and machinery
• Exceptional understanding of row crop production agriculture
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; fluent English speaker and writer
• Can work independently and without constant supervision or direction
• Ability to work well in a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary environment
• Physically able to work in hot environments with PPE gear within recently treated fields
• Valid driver’s license

This position is a full time temporary, non-exempt role and is not eligible for sponsorship or third party employment. Compensation is hourly, and significant overtime opportunities may exist.