The NARC Precision Agriculture Lab at Montana State University’s Northern Agricultural Research Center (MSU - NARC) seeks a motivated and skilled Precision Agriculture Research Associate to join our team. The successful candidate will contribute to the establishment and development of research and extension programs aimed at using precision agriculture technologies to improve the efficiency and profitability of farming and ranching operations across Montana. This role involves managing research and data collection efforts focused on optimizing management practices through the integration of precision agriculture technologies, including effective pest, disease and weed management, spatial and temporal variability of soil properties and crop responses as well as livestock-related studies. Position Number: 4C5015 Department: AES NARC Division: College of Agriculture/MAES Appointment Type: Professional Contract Term: Fiscal Year FLSA: Non-Exempt Union Affiliation: Exempt from Collective Bargaining FTE: 1.0 Salary: Salary commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications. General Statement: The Northern Agricultural Research Center consists of 3,000 acres at the main facility with an additional 3,960 acres of grazing land located in the nearby Bear Paw Mountains. The research center supports both crop and livestock research activities. The research center has recently completed significant construction and renovation, including a new office/laboratory complex. A local advisory board provides guidance on NARC research priorities. Duties and Responsibilities Develop and implement research studies that support precision agriculture practices to enhance farming and livestock efficiency and profitability in Montana. Interact effectively with farmers and ranchers on on-farm experiments to test and refine precision agriculture techniques. Coordinate and supervise research and educational activities as described in written and oral protocols. Operate UAV (drones) for data collection and process imagery using Pix4D software or other relevant tools. Conduct remote sensing and satellite imagery analysis to inform precision agriculture strategies. Contribute to the dissemination of research findings through extension activities, including workshops, field days, and publications. Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge&Skills Bachelor’s degree in agronomy or a related field. Familiarity with remote sensing technologies and satellite imagery analysis. Proficiency in statistical analysis using software such as R or Python. Effective communication skills (both written and oral) with researchers, educators, research center personnel, and producers. Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge&Skills A Master’s degree in precision agriculture, agronomy, data science, or a related field. Proven experience in operating UAV (drones) and processing images using Pix4D software or similar. Experience with Google Earth Engine. Familiarity with R Shiny for developing interactive data visualizations and tools. Understanding of experimental design and statistics. The Successful Candidate Will Have excellent organizational skills. Be able to communicate with all disciplines of agriculture, from producers to scientists. Understand and follow written and oral University and research protocols. Establish and maintain effective working relations with co-workers, faculty, and staff in a team-oriented environment. This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. Physical Demands To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. This position has supervisory duties? No Number of Vacancies: 1 Desired Start Date: Upon completion of a successful search Applications will be: Screening of applications will begin on November 1, 2024 ; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established. Special Instructions Required Documents: Resume, Cover Letter Optional Documents: EEO Statement Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law. J-18808-Ljbffr