Sr Manager, Product Development Operations

Inari Agriculture - West Lafayette, IN

Full-time - Mid Level

West Lafayette, IN

251-500 employees

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

The Sr. Manager of Product Development Operations at Inari will lead the planning, process development, and overall strategy for the Product Development Operations team, focusing on the later stages of product development. This role involves coordinating field testing, research farm activities, and late product development efforts, ensuring alignment with company goals and milestones. The position requires strong leadership, effective communication, and the ability to manage resources and timelines in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership of people and teams in the Product Development Operations group.
• Own the development of the operations strategy to enable product development activities aligned with company milestones & goals.
• Coordinate resources to ensure projects are appropriately resourced.
• Communicate effectively across and within teams to drive alignment.
• Generate mechanisms for planning and execution of all field-related activities.
• Balance resources and project requests with Inari's short, mid, and long-term goals.
• Own the allocation and prioritization of resources across projects.
• Develop timelines/deadlines with stakeholders to ensure successful execution of trials and timely return of high-quality data and seed.
• Develop and implement new processes while seeking process improvement opportunities within operations.
• Align testing strategies and logistics of implementation with key stakeholders.

Requirements

• Master's degree in Agronomy, Plant Breeding, or related discipline.
• At least 5 years of experience in small plot field testing, breeding nurseries, or research trials.
• Experience managing people and leading teams.
• Ability to effectively communicate with a diverse range of individuals and audiences.
• Experience in field testing operations is desirable.
• Experience organizing, cleaning, and analyzing large field trial data sets.
• Relevant seed industry experience working with CROs on field trial planning and execution.
• Experience with project management, business development, or project coordination is desirable.

Nice-to-haves

• A collaborative mindset open to giving and receiving ideas, perspectives, and feedback.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Strong sense of purpose and drive to develop unique, high-impact solutions.
• Adaptability and enthusiasm for new challenges, innate curiosity, and a passion for learning.
• Systems thinking - able to think critically, conceptually, and analytically about systems and procedures.
• Sound and accurate judgment; accountable for decisions made within the scope of responsibility.

Benefits

• Diverse and inclusive work environment
• Opportunities for professional development
• Collaboration with experts from various fields
• Engagement in innovative agricultural solutions