Head Agronomist

Job Title:

Head Agronomist

Start Date:

June 1, 2026 (Flexible)

Location:

Remote

About Crop Diagnostix:

Crop Diagnostix is an AgTech startup using plant RNA and AI to turn plant signals into actionable insights for farmers and agronomists. Join us as we build the future of agriculture by helping growers see the invisible.

Job Overview:

As our Head Agronomist, you will manage and retain our most important accounts, build credibility, educate, and earn trust with agronomists, drive account expansion in potato and corn through your agronomic network, and design and execute ROI trials against Grower Standard Practice. You will be the peer other agronomists trust, the face of Crop Diagnostix in the field, and the internal authority shaping how RNA insights translate into in-season decisions.

Critically, the Head Agronomist will be a key driver of our product vision and roadmap. Because you live in the field alongside our customers, you will have the deepest understanding of how agronomists and growers use Crop Diagnostix, what they need to succeed, and where the product falls short. You will translate that intelligence into prioritized feature input and roadmap direction that determines whether we win or lose in the field.

Key Responsibilities:

In your first 30 days, you might:

◦      Immerse in Crop Diagnostix insights, sampling protocols, zones, pricing, and current account status

◦      Deliver a prioritized target list of potato and corn accounts you can open from your network

◦      Provide initial feedback on RNA reports and language that resonates with agronomists

By 60 days, you might:

◦      Initiate 5+ warm conversations with net new accounts

◦      Deliver structured product feedback on what agronomists ask, object to, and need—feeding directly into feature prioritization

◦      Take ownership of proactive management for our highest-value accounts

By 90 days, you might:

◦      Close at least one new account and contribute measurable zone count from your activity

◦      Design and execute ROI trials against Grower Standard Practice that produce credible, referenceable wins

◦      Own a defined voice in product roadmap discussions—bringing prioritized, evidence-backed input on features, protocols, and what customers need to achieve ROI

A Week in the Life:

·      Review weekly RNA insights from internal ROI trials, make recommendations on each trial, and coordinate with the CRO to ensure proper execution.

·      Join a weekly Zoom/Teams call to review RNA insights with a few key accounts and provide agronomic recommendations.

·      Join an internal Zoom/Teams meeting to discuss product feedback from customers and help prioritize new product features.

·      Provide technical agronomy knowledge to the science and machine learning team to design and execute proper experiments for new biomarker discoveries.

·      Identify and initiate one or two new strategic customers or relationships worth developing for Crop Diagnostix’s future and set up a warm intro call.

Qualifications:

·      Senior agronomy background with deep credibility, especially in potato

·      Established network of agronomy firms, retailers, co-ops, and agronomists in key potato and corn growing geographies

·      Experience opening accounts and building commercial relationships through agronomic trust

·      Experience designing and executing field trials, including ROI comparisons against Grower Standard Practice

·      Experience in a startup or fast-moving environment preferred

·      Occasional travel to potato and corn industry conferences

Competencies:

·      Agronomic Credibility: You carry peer-level trust with skeptical agronomists. You’ve earned your reputation in the field, and other agronomists pick up your call.

·      Grower-first Mentality: Helping growers be successful is your true passion. You’re tired of pushing products onto growers. You put grower ROI at the forefront of every agronomic decision, regardless of which products they buy. Championing an unbiased agronomic tool excites you.

·      Network Density in Potato and Corn: You have active relationships across potato and corn geographies. Relationships open doors faster than marketing ever will.

·      Biological Curiosity: You genuinely engage with RNA science, not just recite it. You want to understand what the data means at the field level and translate it for others.

·      Commercial Instinct: You see and close opportunities, not just educate. You know how to move from agronomic conversation to signed agreement without losing trust.

·      Trial Design and Experimental Rigor: You can design and execute ROI trials against Grower Standard Practice that withstand scrutiny from skeptical agronomists and translate into customer ROI stories.

·      Product Vision and Customer Intelligence: Because you are closest to the customer, you are our most important source of product intelligence. You translate what agronomists and growers actually need into prioritized feature input and roadmap direction – bringing structured, evidence-backed input that shapes how we build the product.

Compensation:

·      Base salary commensurate with experience. Meaningful equity stake. Full benefits including unlimited PTO, remote work setup, and health insurance including medical, dental, and vision.

We're building a new category in agriculture, and the right candidate will help us maximize the adoption and impact of this technology.