About Benson HillBenson Hill empowers innovators to develop more healthy, tasty, and sustainable food by unlocking the natural genetic diversity of plants. Benson Hill’s CropOS™ platform combines machine learning and big data with breeding techniques and plant biology to drastically accelerate and simplify the product development process. This platform allows for cost-effective and more efficient ways for companies to analyze and make improvements in plant genetics. Benson Hill brings a unique and holistic approach to our product and platform development, as we span a broader workflow involving trait and seed development, genome editing, and breeding all the way to creating better ingredients and varieties that tap a strong consumer demand for more flavorful and nutritious fruits and vegetables. More information can be found online at www.bensonhill.com. Follow us on Twitter at @BensonHillInc.

Our Purpose and Core Values

Our Core Values are a set of common principles we share that are fundamental to our company’s identity.

• Be Bold! We redefine boundaries by providing new solutions to difficult problems. Together we are driven to transform the future and will not allow the fear of failure to prevent us from innovating. We voice our opinions, embrace change, and challenge each other to think creatively.
• Be Inspired! We have purpose in our work-we are curious, engaged, and have fun. We maintain an active learning mindset and are motivated by diverse people and thoughts. We are energized by all innovators and together we aim to make an impact and contribute to building a better world.
• Be Real! We understand who we are, what we want to achieve, and what it takes to get there. We hold each other accountable through timely, candid, and well-intentioned feedback. Together we engage in honest communication and healthy debate that leads to success through true alignment.

Department Overview

Benson Hill’s Field Operations team focuses on the development and efficient collection of data and seed for the success of the Benson Hill Yellow Pea and Soybean pipelines. The Field Operations team is the generator of data to feed CropOs for successful variety development and delivers high quality seed to the Commercial teams to execute delivery of superior Ingredient products. The Field Operations team focuses on efficiency and quality to ensure that work-life balance is maintained, safety of all employees is achieved, seed quality is of the highest standards and data is powerful.

Job Summary

Lead the Benson Hill Midwest region Operations team through a critical period of technology growth and program expansion. The team is comprised of talented operation associates that are ambitious to innovate agriculture. The Operations Manager will lead the team in developing & executing plans for all aspects of field planting, plot management, data collection, pollination, and harvest in a safe manner. Plan short- and long-term resource needs for the station including personnel, equipment, and operating budget. Seek input from stakeholders across Benson Hill to ensure alignment of station operations with company direction & vision. An open, innovative mindset and a desire to push the boundaries of the status quo are essential. The Operations Manager must have solid agronomic knowledge and a strong background in field research. Excellent organization, communication, and leadership capabilities are required.

You’ll make an impact by: (Essential Duties and Responsibilities)

• Leading station personnel in the establishment and execution of work plans
• Managing field planting, plot maintenance, and other station activities
• Working closely with the product management team to align operations with program objectives
• Preparing and communicating operational and technical reports
• Managing station operations and capital budgets
• Maintaining a broad range of existing technical skills and quickly learning new skills
• Identifying inefficiencies in processes and working collaboratively to make improvements
• Developing station personnel to achieve personal and work goals

You have:

• Education: Minimum Requirement is BS degree in relevant field plus 5 years of related experience
• Qualifications/Skills: Strong leadership capability, preference for 2 years experience leading people, deep knowledge of breeding operations, experience managing field research data, working knowledge of small plot equipment and operations, pesticide applicators license or ability to obtain, CDL license or ability to obtain, UAV license or ability to obtain, and familiarity with budget management.
• Innovative mindset & drive
• Knowledge of agricultural management, practices, and equipment
• Knowledge of Precision equipment (Ex: GIS, GPS systems)
• Ability to travel up to 20% of the time, consisting of visits to outlying research locations, seasonal meetings, and to winter nursery operations
• Must be capable of working extended hour during time-sensitive periods of growing seasons.
• Strong skills with Microsoft Office and ability to learn and utilize proprietary software tools

We have:

• A flexible PTO program with a focus on work/life balance
• Competitive medical benefits and retirement savings plan
• FREE Dental and Vision Coverage
• Education reimbursement
• PAID parental leave
• And more….