Agronomy & Field Specialist

**PRIMARY FOCUS**:
The Agronomy & Field Specialist's primary focus will be to represent the company at the farm level and ensure our business requirements are being met as they relate to potato production, potato quality and agronomy plan execution.

The Agronomy & Field Specialist will work closely with Field Production Managers, Regional Agronomists, contract growers, and Manufacturing Teams, to ensure that the maximum volume of the highest quality creamer potato is produced and delivered from within their growing regions.

Position can be stationed in either Southern Alberta or Central Saskatchewan.

**DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Support the Regional Agronomist to help build farm agronomy plans. Monitors and communicates back adjustments from the plan by the farms to support continuous improvement and accurate field record keeping.
- Ensure a high level of accuracy at crop planting by monitoring activities and directing adjustments through practical knowledge, data collection and data interpretation.
- Scout crops in the growing season, as a support for our farms, to help identify opportunities and challenges that impact the crop from achieving quality and yield goals.
- Utilize LPC top kill best management practices and procedures, with the support from the Regional Agronomist, to direct the farms with harvest timing, yield optimization and volume forecasting.
- Complete harvester calibrations to minimize quality impacts and reduce yield losses.
- Acts as the key team member for the regional agriculture team at the farm level, regarding creamer and seed crop starting volumes, and maintains accurate details throughout the season.
- Supports the potato delivery schedule through in-depth knowledge of the inventories, and communicates challenges and opportunities to the planner, as both the short term and long-term plans for delivery are built.
- Monitors seed and creamer potatoes that are shipped off farms, and ensures upstream customer is receiving products that meet expectations.
- Support the Field Manager on allocation of seed inventories for commercial production and remultiplication.
- Assist Regional Agronomist in season reviews and annual meetings with growers.
- Coordinates the farm activities required for the potato harvest sampling program, reviews testing results and participates in compiling the information with the agriculture team.
- Provide support to Field Production Manager on farm production planning, contract negotiations and implementation of the LPC farm production contract.
- Participate in daily/weekly/monthly meetings and update the team on the potato supply situation.
- Train and ensure grower compliance on PATH field record keeping systems for all field production and food safety requirements.
- Work as a team to achieve KPI's related to Costing and Quality on inbound potatoes.
- Attend corporate agronomy and field production training programs on Potato Best Management Practices
- Maintain general oversight of potato storage conditions with particular attention paid to cleanliness, product storage, safety concerns, product damage prevention and internal security concerns.
- Strive for continuous improvement, make recommendations, and encourage feedback and suggestions.
- Assist with documentation and planning of shipping when needed.
- Gather and communicate critical information on the crops and share throughout the organization.
- Understands the grade for payment process, monitors for accuracy, and considers feedback from production team as it relates to quality expectations.

**DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS**:

- 3-5 years of related experience in potato production.
- Experience in a potato manufacturing or produce manufacturing work environment.
- Degree/Diploma in Agriculture preferred.
- Ability to work in a fast-paced team environment.

**TRAVEL**:

- Valid Driver's License and the ability to travel via plane to Canada/US are required.
- Travel is required to neighbouring regions - approximately 25% of calendar year.

**KEY COMPETENCIES**:

- Self-motivated and driven, strong interpersonal, decision-making, computer, and communication skills.
- Experience with Microsoft Office Suite specifically Excel and Outlook with an understanding of ERP systems.
- Organized with a strong attention to detail to efficiently and effectively handle daily/weekly/monthly tasks.

**PHYSICAL DEMANDS**:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit at a desk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel. The employee is required to walk, stand, bend, balance, kneel, crouch, twist, handle, or feel, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Exertion of physical strength to push, pull, move and lift objects u