Join our team!

Duties and Responsibilities

• In-Store and Over-the-phone Sales and Agronomy
  • • Greet walk-in customers and answer questions, place orders and process payments.
    • Be familiar with our products to assist customers in seed selection for their farm
      • Organic and conventional seed
      • Viking and Blue River brand corn, soybeans and alfalfa
    • Cover crops and small grains
    • Grasses, grazing and pasture mixes
    • Lawn seed, conservation reserve seed, and wildlife food plot seed
    • Advise on crop, soil, insect, and disease management topics.
    • Answer phone calls and process orders to ship or for future pickup.
    • Become fluent in computer software and phone system.
    • Provide additional customer support: complete product licensing agreements, arrange shipment, provide necessary documentation for customer’s organic certification.
    • Support production staff when needed by weighing trucks, assisting with bulk receiving paperwork, and providing other office support as needed.
    • Attend weekly sales and office team meetings.
    • Provide clear and effective communication between customers, other sales associates and warehouse staff.
• Continued Education and Industry Events
  • Attend 2 to 4 events per year (minimum).
  • Attend field days (mainly in IA, MN, WI).
  • University or county events.
  • Conferences (such as MOSES, MN Org. Conference, IA Organic Conference, Midwest Cover Crops Council).
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, state and federal law licensing requirements regarding seed sales and treatment.

• Attend and participate in staff meetings and training sessions as required by the Albert Lea Seed House.

• Perform other job- and work-related responsibilities, tasks and projects as needed or assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Personal Attributes

• Demonstrate the ability to plan, prioritize and organize to effectively manage multiple projects and activities with minimal direction. Respond to change in a flexible manner to meet evolving department needs.
• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing – is comfortable and effective at speaking to groups of employees. Is cooperative, accommodating and exhibits a customer service attitude.
• Exhibit a high degree of ethical conduct and discretion. Exercise good judgement and exemplify professional behavior at all times with accountability, integrity and follow-through.
• Remain current on all required trainings and certifications.
• Adhere to department procedures regarding punctuality and attendance and exhibit flexibility and cooperation with shift scheduling.
• Support the Albert Lea Seed House mission.

Education, Credentials and Experience

• Two years of agronomy or farm experience preferred; along with familiarity with farm seed.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office products, accurate keyboarding and general office equipment familiarity.
• Strong organization and communications skills and attention to detail.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds without assistance and 50+ pounds with assistance.
• Bending, twisting and reaching conducive to both an office and warehouse environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Parental leave
• Profit sharing
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Work Location: Albert Lea, MN

To apply for any of our open positions, please download and complete an employment application. The application is electronically fillable but works best when opened in Acrobat or Reader rather than your Internet browser. Please send completed application and resume to Nicole Hansen, Human Resources Manager, at nicole@alseed.com.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Small Grains Product Strategy
  • Identify current and future needs of customers.
    • Visit with customers and seed growers to understand challenges and opportunities.
    • Meet with grain buyers and food ingredient companies to understand their needs.
  • Identify and work with small grains genetic suppliers (public and private), attend field days, trade shows, and have private meetings with genetic suppliers.
  • Evaluate products and the overall product portfolio.
    • Analyze and interpret data, field notes, and feedback from sales team, dealers, customers, and purchasers)
  • Using data, notes, and customer feedback, select varieties of oats, wheat, barley, and rye to contract-grow for seed.
    • Submit varieties to university trials when appropriate.
    • Attend conferences, field days, etc. and collect insight into which species/varieties are needed in organic crop production.
• Seed Production Forecasting & Planning
  • Work with sales team and production team to forecast needs.
  • Work with production team to establish production goals (varieties & bushels).
  • Forecast seedstock needs & produce and reserve seedstock and order as needed to ensure adequate quantities of the correct class of seed for our growers.
  • Ensure adequate production of seed stock for future years.
• Grow Relationship & Contract Management
  • Communicate with seed growers and place acres of organic & conventional small grains (some others including peas, flax, buckwheat, ancient grains).
  • Communicate pricing to growers and write out seed production contracts for all growers capturing all needed information at the front end (including trucking, trucking costs, storage, premiums, field certification, payment dates, etc.).
  • Book seedstock to growers.
  • Write and track contracts with growers.
  • Create POs ensuring accurate contract information and monitor activity through production and sales seasons.
  • Coordinate with production team on seed storage and processing planning.
  • Work with production team on coordination of inbound seed.
  • Monitor growers to ascertain status of crop and update production POs as appropriate.
  • Schedule periodic visits with seed growers to tour crop fields in-season.
  • Coordinate inbound seed samples from growers to ensure quality is met.
  • Coordinate with QA for field inspection.
  • Record grower contract settlement and coordinate with accounting.
  • Conduct annual evaluation of all growers, contracts, and production processes used within the product category and implement changes and improvements as appropriate.
• Purchasing
  • Assist Accounts Payable to settle contracts with growers.
  • Work with Sales team to identify needs and purchase seed wholesale when needed (paying close attention to seed quality and proper organic documentation).
  • Marketing & Sales
    • Work with Marketing team to:
      • Write accurate product descriptions for website and catalogs.
      • Develop performance tables for website and catalogs.
• Agronomy/Sales/Training
  • Answer small grains sales calls/e-mails and place orders in system in a timely manner.
  • Provide on-farm small grains agronomic support as needed and provide timely problem resolution when issues arise.
  • Provide over the phone agronomic support to customers experiencing issues and/or aid in seed selection by doing research as needed.
  • Engage in continuing education, field days, training, conferences to expand education on timely topics relevant to ALS and create resources, blogs, catalog descriptions when needed.
  • Onboard new staff with relevant training in small grains products & agronomy as well as organic production basics.
  • Give agronomic-focused talks at field days, conferences, etc. when asked by outside parties.
  • Submit varieties to university trials when appropriate.
  • Attend conferences, field days, etc. and collect insight into which species/varieties are needed in certified organic.
• Ensure compliance with all company policies, state and federal law licensing requirements regarding seed sales and treatment.

• Attend and participate in staff meetings and training sessions as required by the Albert Lea Seed House.

• Perform other job- and work-related responsibilities, tasks and projects as needed or assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Personal Attributes

• Demonstrate the ability to plan, prioritize and organize to effectively manage multiple projects and activities with minimal direction. Respond to change in a flexible manner to meet evolving department needs.
• Communicate effectively verbally and in writing – is comfortable and effective at speaking to groups of employees. Is cooperative, accommodating and exhibits a customer service attitude.
• Exhibit a high degree of ethical conduct and discretion. Exercise good judgement and exemplify professional behavior at all times with accountability, integrity and follow-through.

Education, Credentials and Experience

• 5-10 years direct experience in production and marketing of cover crops and/or small grains.
• Bachelor’s in Agronomy, Ag Business, Environmental Sciences or related field.

Physical Demands

• Must be able to sit and stand for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to drive long distances.
• Bending, twisting and reaching conducive to an office environment.
• Must be able to lift 50 pounds without assistance and 50+ pounds with assistance.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Mileage reimbursement
• Paid time off
• Paid training
• Parental leave
• Profit sharing
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekend availability

Supplemental pay types:

• Bonus pay

Experience:

• Direct sales: 1 year (Preferred)
• Agronomy: 1 year (Preferred)
• Regenerative Agriculture: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: Flexible with frequent travel to Albert Lea, MN HQ.

To apply for any of our open positions, please download and complete an employment application. The application is electronically fillable but works best when opened in Acrobat or Reader rather than your Internet browser. Please send completed application and resume to Nicole Hansen, Human Resources Manager, at nicole@alseed.com.