Agronomy Specialist

Company and Position Information:

Del Monte Foods (DMFC) is a multi-national food company headquartered in Walnut Creek, CA, with a powerful portfolio of brands, including iconic Del Monte, Contadina and College Inn. Our premium-quality meal ingredients, snacks and beverages can be found in six out of ten U.S. households.

At Del Monte Foods, we believe in supporting one another. In helping our people shape their own careers - in letting them grow outward, upward and across disciplines. We are tending to the greater good, providing accessible, nourishing, great-tasting food for all. We are Del Monte Foods - Growers of Good.

The salary range for this role is:

Responsibilities:

The Midwest Agronomy Specialist is the individual responsible for joint planning, conducting, and evaluation of the Wisconsin bean breeding nurseries, as well as remote pea, bean, and corn agronomic trials at Illinois and Wisconsin field sites. This position also requires assisting with bean breeding efforts in Wisconsin and Pacific North-West (PNW) or Bean Seed Production sites in PNW. The individual will evaluate commercial varieties, agronomic practices, and provide technical services to the local production units on beans, peas, sweet corn, carrots, beets, and potatoes. Finally, it is a function of the job to maintain a broad and current understanding of agronomic research in the food industry and University systems and to maintain an outside variety evaluation program that are of interest to Del Monte Foods.

• Conduct agronomic research trials, including: machine harvest, hand pick bean yield plots; machine harvest yield herbicide screen; seed treatment trials, pesticide efficacy trials, the late season low nitrogen trial; the machine harvest nitrogen rate trial; the outside bean variety hand pick yield plot; the pea and corn variety hand pick yield plot;
• Assist in the planning, conducting, and evaluation of the Wisconsin bean breeding nurseries. These nurseries included the selection, observation, brown spot, root rot, white mold, rhizoctonia, and the virus complex trials in Wisconsin. Also assist in the maintenance of the Access bean breeding program, entering harvested seed amounts, and the generation of the PNW bean seed increase plot books.
• Conduct the bean seed increase at the Plover green house and initiate the bean crossing program, making crosses and harvesting seed of early generation crosses. The crosses are generated in the Access program, assigned a pedigree, and seed amounts generated.
• Conduct and evaluate 10 to 20 acres in size commercial trials on new bean, pea, and sweet corn varieties. Conduct observation trials of beets and carrots. Conduct cold germination trials on vegetable seeds including beans, peas, sweet corn, beets, spinach etc.
• Coordinate with various University personnel on studies of interest on beans, peas, sweet corn, beets, carrots, and potatoes in order to keep updated on new problem developments and solutions in the food industry.
• Manage and supervise employees to obtain the maximum and most efficient use of labor.

Variety Development

This position is responsible for Short Row and Strip Trial planning, Trial seed procurement, coordination of planting/evaluation, data review, development of new product summaries. Data from Short Row and Strip trials is summarized and compared with Research data.

• Research Trials - Breeder trials ensure sound statistical comparisons for screening new varieties.
• Short Row Trials - Screening of smaller replicated sets of advanced research lines for adaptation in more locations (treated as replications). Trials are conducted with individual (targeted) production locations, growers and field reps.
• Strip Trials - Larger "strips" for assessment of performance over a range of environments is essential for accurate regional product advancement decisions.
• Other duties as assigned.

Del Monte Foods Leadership Behaviors:

As leaders we:

Ground Our Teams

• Connect our teams to a clear strategy.

• Provide the support our teams need for success.

• Hold ourselves and our teams accountable.

Create the Climate

• Solve problems together with our teams.

• Enable smart risk taking.

• Empower our teams to make decisions and take action.

Nurture the Good

• Are intentional about building trust.

• Lead with empathy.

• Grow and develop our teams.

Qualifications:

• BS in Agronomy, with a strong emphasis on applied agricultural sciences, including entomology, pathology and nematology.
• 1-3 years of agronomic field work.
• Experience specifically related to vegetable genetic programs a plus.
• Effective verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills for working with a range of backgrounds and interests.
• Farming experience including machinery operation, irrigation, greenhouse management, basic pest management and agricultural Best Management Practices.
• Advanced knowledge of statistics and experimental design applied to field plot research.
• Must be active participant in team-focused problem solving. Attend conferences, planning meetings, other internal team discussions relating to vegetable seed production and its intended end use.
• Willingness to travel to production areas during production seasons.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
• Strong mathematical and statistical analysis skills.

WE OFFER:

• Competitive salary.

• Comprehensive benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401(k).

Please be advised that your application is not complete until you fill out, sign, and submit an Application for Employment for a specific position for which Del Monte Foods is actively recruiting. Your application must reflect that you possess the required qualifications for the position.

No sponsorship is available for this position.

No agencies or 3rd party vendors.