Job Description

Crop Scout — Seed Production

Bloomington, IL • Full-time, year-round

$19-$20/hour + 15-17% profit sharing bonus (paid in December and August) + full benefits

Why You'll Want This Job

• Profit sharing that actually pays out — adds roughly $3-$4/hour on top of base, twice a year
• You'll be trained — no prior seed industry experience needed; we teach you the work over a few months of structured training
• Health, dental, disability, 401(k), $150 clothing allowance, and paid team-building days
• Real growth path — we promote from within, and our Management Trainee program builds location managers from the ground up
• Family-owned feel with a worldwide footprint — leadership knows your name, decisions get made fast, and you're treated like a partner, not a number

What This Job Actually Is (In Plain Terms)

We produce seed for farmers — corn, soybeans, wheat — and the quality of that seed depends on what happens in the field during the growing season. As a Crop Scout, you'll be the eyes and ears in the field. You'll work with local farmers (our seed growers), walk cornfields throughout the season, monitor crop conditions, and gather the information that field crews need to do their jobs.

This is a hands-on outdoor role with about half your time spent gathering information (scouting, monitoring, walking fields) and the other half doing the work alongside the crews — sorting and distributing parent seed, verifying field measurements before planting, and supporting detasseling operations.

This is not a people management role. You won't be hiring, firing, or running performance reviews. You'll be the person who knows what's happening in the field and shares that information with the crews and the Field Operations Manager so the right work gets done at the right time.

Day-to-Day Responsibilities

• Perform work activities safely and in compliance with the company QMS program
• Accurately sort, label, and distribute parent seed to growers
• Verify field isolation distances prior to planting
• Work with seed growers to ensure proper planting
• Monitor crop conditions throughout the growing season — insects, weeds, disease, and overall health
• Monitor rouging crews, detasseling crews, and detasseling machine operators to ensure maximum yield potential and that seed quality specifications are met
• Provide information and guidance to the crews so they know what work to do and where

What You'll Bring

• Comfort working outside in hot cornfields, in the sun, on your feet for long stretches
• Genuine interest in agriculture — looking at crops, identifying diseases and insects, understanding what's happening in a field
• Strong communication skills and the ability to teach and guide others
• Willingness to work alongside local farmers and treat them as partners
• A valid driver's license
• Reliable attendance and a long-tenured work history
• Curiosity about the seed business — we'll teach you the technical knowledge if you bring the interest

No prior seed industry experience required. You'll get a few months of structured training before you're in the field gathering and providing information to others.

What the Work Is Really Like

This role has a unique seasonal rhythm. The busy stretches come 2-3 months at a time, then slow down, then pick back up. The most intense stretch is detasseling — 7 days a week for 3 to 4 weeks during the summer. People who like that mix of intense bursts and slower stretches tend to thrive here.

You'll spend a lot of time outside walking cornfields in the heat. If you don't enjoy being outdoors in summer weather, this role won't be a fit. You'll also be in regular contact with local seed growers — farmers — so the role suits people who like working with farmers and respect what they do.

About half your time is monitoring (scouting, observing, gathering information) and half is doing the work alongside the crews.

A company vehicle will be provided seasonally if you show strong work over time. It's earned, not handed out on day one.

If you've grown up around agriculture, worked on a farm, studied ag at a community college or university, or just love being outside and working with your hands — and you're curious about the seed business and willing to learn — we want to hear from you.

Apply now — we're hiring fast.

You should be proficient in:

• Driver's License
• Experience in a Manufacturing Environment