Agricultural Solutions Designer

Propagate helps farmers & landowners make regenerative agriculture work for them by balancing short-term income with long-term returns. Our mission is to make agroforestry a cornerstone of agriculture.

At Propagate, we're an empathetic and charismatic team. We have a deep passion for nature, and of course, we love trees. We believe economics can work in harmony with nature, and that regenerative agriculture can be a financial and ecological success. Outside of work, you'll find us connecting with farmers, playing music, and getting active outdoors. Read our manifesto, and meet our team.

We're looking for an ag-savvy Solutions Designer to oversee and address our customers’ land-use goals and financial objectives. You will guide clients through our product, Overyield, supporting the design, planning, and rapid-prototyping of agroforestry systems. You'll also provide informed technical service to clients, explaining the complexities and requirements of regenerative agriculture to a non-technical audience. Ultimately, you should be able to provide agricultural, technological, and business knowledge throughout the design process, strengthening customer relationships.

Priority will be given to candidates who submit application before February 20th, 2022.

What you’ll do

• Design best-fit agroforestry systems for unique scenarios, ensuring that the scope and direction of each project adheres to client goals:
  • Provide technical support to clients, and address all product-related queries on time, being proactive about feedback and client momentum.
  • Travel to site visits, meet with clients face-to-face, and understand the specific requirements of each farm.
  • Establish best practices to balance efficiency and quality of analysis.
• Train customers to use our products effectively:
  • Understand customers’ needs and suggest upgrades or additional features to meet their requirements
• Identify leverage points to improve Overyield's performance and broaden our scope:
  • Identify new design tools and R&D opportunities.
  • Relay customer feedback to dev team; help identify potential new features.
  • Architect industry solutions on the Overyield platform; innovate on “out of the box” capabilities.
• You'll will work closely with our project managers, ensuring that data is communicated to and from project development in a structured format. You will forecast the on-the-ground reality that is informed by real-time farm development.
• Liaise with the sales department to generate new business:
  • Develop and iterate on internal processes to ensure consistency in onboarding.
  • Support pre-sales activities related to scope development, work estimation, work breakdown, and project planning.
• Perform necessary research, and attend conferences & trainings to establish and build on an intuitive understanding of agroforestry, food systems, and the industry at large.
• Other duties may be assigned; along with participation in special projects as required

Who you are

You have proven agricultural or landscape design experience, and the ability to effectively communicate Propagate's value proposition, product, processes, and technical capacity for designing & planning agroforestry systems. Like us, you value creativity, curiosity, and intellectual honesty, and you are committed to solving problems as a team. You think and operate at the intersection of agriculture, ecology, and profit. You’re passionate about creating a positive impact, you're motivated to join a small, productive team that does extraordinary things.

Requirements

You have the following skills and experience (if you don’t have a listed skill or experience, we still encourage you to apply):

• Solid technical background with hands-on experience in agriculture
• An ability to intuit customer needs and suggest timely solutions
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills as well as strong problem-solving and time-management skills
• Research skills: know how to autonomously find relevant and needed information
• Familiarity with software, landscape design, and project development – GIS skills are an asset.
• Experience creating technical deliverables as projects in a consultation environment
• Are able to deal with a variety of customers ranging from: farmers, land managers, landowners, vendors, project managers, and strategic business partners. This is a client-facing role.
• Previous experience in a similar position: an account management or solutions team
• Strong sense of honesty, high ethical standards, reliability, and trustworthiness; holding yourself mutually accountable with the rest of the team
• Digital literacy and proficiency in spreadsheet and CRM software is preferred
• Must have and maintain a valid driver’s license along with a clean driving record and must be willing to travel as needed or required. This role requires travel. 20-30% of your time may be spent on the road.

Additional education & experience

• BS/BA degree in business, design, agricultural industry or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of experience, preferably in the agriculture space.
• Knowledge of permanent crops and/or regenerative agriculture is required.
• This position is remote, though the lion's share of our farms are east of the 98th meridian, in the continental temperate-climate United States. Experience and presence in this climate is important.
• Bilingual or trilingual skills are a plus.

Benefits

• Health Care Plan (Medical, Dental & Vision)
• Highly-competitive Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick & Public Holidays)
• Stock Option Plan
• Work From Home
• Paid farm or volunteering time

Who we are

At Propagate, we believe that by equipping people with the best tools to solve problems, we can tackle big challenges together. We're always looking for talented people who are interested in building a more resilient future. We are a venture-backed startup, founded in 2017, backed by The Grantham Environmental Trust, Techstars, Elemental Excelerator and Exelon Foundation.

Propagate is strongly committed to equity in its policies, practices, and programs. People of color, women, LGBTQ-identifying, individuals with disabilities and/or veterans are highly encouraged to apply.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.