Research Scientist I - Agronomical Data
Who We Are + What We Do
The Land Institute co-leads the global movement for perennial, diverse, regenerative grain agriculture at a scale that matches the enormity of the intertwined climate, water, and food security crises. An independent 501c3 non-profit founded in 1976, the organization seeks to reconcile the human economy with nature's economy, starting with food. The transdisciplinary team of scientists, together with global partners, are developing new perennial grain crops, like Kernza©, and diverse cropping systems that function within nature's limits while researching the social transformation required for a just, perennial human future.
How You’d Fit In + Stand Out
We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scientist I in Agronomical Data Science to support a growing network of perennial groundcover research trials. This role sits at the intersection of agronomy, data science, and systems modeling and will play a critical role in advancing both the operational efficiency and scientific impact of our research program. The successful candidate will work closely with researchers, graduate students, and collaborators to improve data workflows, deploy and refine analytical tools, and generate insights that inform the scalability of perennial groundcover systems.
This position will directly contribute to advancing perennial groundcover systems as a scalable solution for improving soil health, reducing erosion, and enhancing agricultural sustainability. The Agronomical Data Scientist will help connect field-scale research with data-driven insights that inform real-world adoption.
Primary Responsibilities + Expectations
- Image Analysis and Model Deployment: Refine, validate, and deploy image analysis models to quantify groundcover intensity across diverse field environments. Process and manage large image datasets from multiple research locations. Improve model performance across varying lighting conditions, crop stages, and species compositions. Collaborate with researchers to ensure outputs align with agronomic measurements and experimental needs.
- Data Management and Research Support: Assist researchers and graduate students in structuring, cleaning, and standardizing datasets. Develop and maintain data storage workflows and documentation for multi-site trials. Support the implementation of shared data management systems across collaborators. Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and accessibility.
- Modeling and Systems Analysis: Develop models to evaluate the scalability and limitations of perennial groundcover systems. Analyze interactions between management practices, environmental conditions, and system performance. Contribute to scenario modeling that informs best management practices and adoption potential. Translate complex analyses into clear and actionable insights for researchers and stakeholders.
- Research, Data Synthesis & Writing: Provide support on data conclusions and next steps for new research implementation. Support program lead in developing, implementing, and publishing research projects. Assisting with grant writing to initiate new projects and external collaborations. Provide data management support. Assist with data analysis
Organizational Competencies
- Mission Driven: You are passionate about the mission of The Land Institute and are interested in aligning your skills and personal genius to benefit this work.
- Courageous: You do not retreat or shy away from hard things. You face challenges and conflict with professionalism, grace, and resolve.
- A Boundary Spanner: You bring an interdisciplinary skill set, and you model self-awareness in your own preferences. You are motivated to always be learning, and you adapt to span boundaries with people across a range of different perspectives.
- Inspiring and Inspired: You are inspired by the people around you, finding and harnessing the genius in your colleagues to meet the organizational objectives, and you are inspiring others through example and your own genius applied.
- Growth Mindset: You have the vulnerability to know what you don’t know, admit your flaws, and learn from others to grow and develop yourself and the organization.
- A Creative Collaborator: You believe in the power of a diverse collective to generate ideas and solutions. You excel at strategic thinking, being open to new perspectives, and managing innovation. You bring a playful, positive approach to the work and like meeting new people and deepening connections with those you already know.
- Excited by change: You embrace nascent and evolving situations and enjoy engaging new people, ideas, and possibilities. You think about change holistically: internal, external, organizational, and cultural. You like iterating systems, building efficiency, and operationalizing design. You are willing to jump in and contribute to new projects as needed.
Who you are
- Master’s level degree or equivalent experience in data science, agronomy, or related fields.
- Strong programming skills, such as Python or R
- Experience with image analysis or computer vision applications
- Experience working with agricultural or biological datasets
- Demonstrated ability to manage and organize complex datasets
- Experience with machine learning frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch
- Familiarity with field-based agricultural research and experimental design
- Experience working in collaborative, multi-institutional research environments
- Knowledge of crop systems, especially perennial or conservation-based systems
- Experience with geospatial data or environmental modeling
- Strong problem-solving and analytical thinking
- Ability to work independently while collaborating across disciplines
- Clear communication of technical concepts to diverse audiences
- Attention to detail and commitment to data quality
- Ability to collaborate effectively with individuals across diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and life experiences.
- Desire to work independently, with minimum supervision.
Hours
Generally available to work forty hours per week, including in-person and digital meetings, primarily during 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Time on weekdays when most of our staff and collaborators are working. Some evening and weekend working hours will be needed. We are flexible for caregivers who might need to provide rides or support, attend appointments, or be available for caregiving.
Location + Travel
This position will have a flexible location, but will require extended time spent and travel to producer locations in Colorado and New Mexico, and travel to visit other collaborators and growers as needed. Seasonal travel may be as much as 50% of the time.
Environmental + Working Conditions
Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer and phone.
Work in field and laboratory research settings in all types of weather
Long hours of fieldwork
Travel in varying conditions
Compensation + Benefits
The Land Institute offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
The salary range for this position is $57,000 - $71,000 annually.
- Remote-friendly work environment
- Paid parental leave
- Competitive, equitable compensation
- 403(b) Retirement
- 403(b) Employer contributions
- Health Insurance
- Dental Insurance
- Vision Insurance
- Employer-Provided Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account
- Dependent Care
- Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
- Voluntary Life Insurance
- Accidental Insurance
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Employee Assistance Program
- Paid holidays
- Generous paid time off
- Complete laptop workstation and set up for remote work
To Apply: Submit a CV and letter of interest
The Land Institute is an equal opportunity employer and embraces the opportunity to provide employment to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.