Market Development Agronomist at Land O'Lakes, Inc. in Ames, Iowa

Job Description:

Market Development Agronomist

The Market Development Agronomist (MDA) drives demand of services, technology and products using their technical expertise in agronomy/seed skills and advanced understanding of the services platform. The Account Plan will be used to determine the specific owners, sellers and Sales Development Managers (SDM's) that the MDA will work with.

This is a remote role that will be working with customers in Southern Iowa. Ideal candidate locations would be in the Ames, Fort Dodge or Des Moines areas.

Duty or Area of Responsibility

40% Advanced Acre Execution and Coaching w/Retail Sellers

• Enables the creation of new markets by using digital and services to drive revenue growth in these new markets. Serves as the technical specialist in leveraging this strategy to differentiate our system.


• Coaches the Advanced Acre solutions strategy to assigned retail sellers and designated growers in conjunction with internal sales team as determined from Account Plans.


• Partners with the Implementation Specialist on clinic execution


• Conduct training opportunities to include CPP & Seed products, digital and services platform for identified retail locations (at the local level and at Answer Plot events) in collaboration with Sales Development Managers.


• Execute sales support and coaching based on the Account Plans.


• Train on new product innovation and execution through various venues such as Insight and/or Innovation trials, Answer Plots, clinics, etc.


• Facilitate virtual services, agronomic and product delivery through videos, etc.


• Provides Innovation/Insight trials direction and execution to identified owners and internal staff.

40% Non-Customer Facing: Partner with WinField United Product Managers

• Help inform and drive product pipeline by providing feedback and representation from local market.


• Create local insights and differentiated product positioning to aide in the seed and cpp selling story for the retail selling base in specified geography.


• Assist Product Managers to do internal trainings with Business Unit sales teams.

20% Non-Customer Facing Activities

• Actively engage in enhancing skill sets through the Center of Excellence (COE), internal training meetings, etc.


• Collaboration with key regional influencers (ex: basic partner agronomists)


• Attend regional/national meetings through business planning and creation of training plans, materials and pre-call preparation.

Responsible for the following Key Performance Indicators (KPI's):

• Meeting or exceeding defined region, BU sales and financial targets


• Call activity based on Salesforce entries


• Strategic imperatives


• Managing expenses within budget

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in agriculture or business-related field plus 5 years of industry experience; or an equivalent of 10 years of successful work experience in agronomy


• Advanced degree including MS or PhD in agronomy or closely related field is preferred


• Experience coaching, training, and executing technical agronomic decisions and developing and educating others on products, services, and programs.


• Ability to create working relationships internally and externally


• Experience diagnosing customer expectations and needs and responds promptly


• Proactive communicator with exceptional written, verbal, and formal presentation skills


• Trustworthy with a strong level of personal commitment


• Ability to make sound decisions and complete tasks in a fast-paced work environment


• Proven ability to coordinate and collaborate with multiple stakeholders and to influence at all levels


• Ability to work independently and manage productivity


• Experience demonstrating agility and leading/adapting quickly to change


• Solid experience using Microsoft products (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); virtual collaboration tools (Teams, Zoom); and CRM software (Salesforce)


• Must have current and valid state driver's license


• Ability to travel up to 50%, including evenings and some weekends; may require working long hours during peak seasons.

This is a sales role that is compensated with a target mix of base salary plus commission. Base salary: 90,000 - 130,000. Commission is driven by individual performance.

About Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Join us and be part of a Fortune 250, farmer- and member-owned cooperative that is reimagining the business of food. We have been named a Top Workplace by Indeed and LinkedIn, and to the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list.

Benefits for most full-time roles include medical, dental, vision, PTO, life & disability insurance, education assistance, a 401k and a variety of well-being resources. Most part-time employees are eligible for prorated PTO, holiday pay, employee development programs, prorated education assistance, and a 401(k).

Land O'Lakes, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) M/F/Vets/Disabled. The company maintains a drug-free workforce, including post-employment substance abuse testing pursuant to a Drug and Alcohol Policy.

Neither Land O'Lakes, nor its search firms, will ever contact you and ask for confidential information over the phone or in email. If you receive a call or email like this, please do not provide the information being requested.