Sr. Manager, Agronomy

About This Role

Note: This role can be based either out of Durham, NC or for the right candidate, East Coast remote near an international airport.

Pairwise is entering an exciting phase of growth as we scale our berry program from early field trials to commercial production across the Americas. To support this expansion, we are seeking a Senior Manager, Agronomy to build and lead our agronomy function, delivering scalable technical expertise across pre-commercial trials and commercial grower partnerships while accelerating the successful adoption of Pairwise berry cultivars.

Reporting to the Director of Technical Development, this role serves as a key technical leader, partnering closely with cross-functional teams and external stakeholders to ensure agronomic strategies support both product performance and commercial success. The ideal candidate is an experienced agronomy leader with a proven track record of managing commercial agronomy programs, developing high-performing teams, and driving operational excellence.

• You are equally energized by mentoring and developing people, building scalable processes as you are rolling up your sleeves to solve complex agronomic challenges in the field.
• This is a highly visible leadership role for someone who thrives in both strategic and hands-on environments.
• You will play a critical role in establishing best practices, expanding technical capabilities, and shaping the future of Pairwise's commercial agronomy program.

Essential Functions

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of field agronomists supporting commercial growers and nursery partners across the U.S. and Latin America, including hiring, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
• Execute and continuously refine the agronomy support strategy for pre-commercial and commercial production sites, guiding growers from field trials through full-scale production to drive successful adoption of Pairwise varieties.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve a comprehensive Best Management Practices (BMP) library covering fertility, irrigation, pest and disease management, pruning, trellising, and environmental controls for Pairwise berry cultivars.
• Design and implement standardized reporting systems, decision-support tools, and field visit templates to enable consistent, scalable agronomic support across sites and regions.
• Partner with the Commercial team to support grower onboarding and evaluate prospective production sites for technical readiness and long-term success.
• Provide hands-on agronomic support to nursery and commercial production sites through regular field visits, evaluating crop performance, troubleshooting production challenges, and recommending best cultural practices.
• Ensure the agronomy team provides effective support for the successful execution and management of R&D trial locations.
• Collaborate closely with Commercial, R&D, and Quality teams to align agronomic recommendations with product development goals and commercial strategy.
• Lead grower training programs, field demonstrations, and educational tours focused on best management practices across diverse production systems and growing environments.
• Stay informed on industry trends, emerging technologies, and evolving regional pest and disease pressures impacting berry and specialty crop production, incorporating relevant insights into agronomic programs.
• Develop, manage, and monitor the agronomy program budget and represent the headcount strategy.
• Travel approximately 30–50% (domestic and international), with travel schedules driven by seasonal priorities and business needs.

Required Education & Experience

• BS in agronomy, horticulture, plant sciences, or a related discipline with 10+ years of relevant agronomy experience, including at least 6 years managing agronomy programs, teams, and budgets.
• An MS with 8+ years of relevant experience, including at least 4 years in program management, is also acceptable.
• Demonstrated success managing agronomy or field operations teams across multiple growing regions.
• Experience implementing agronomy support strategies, best management practices, and standardized tools for commercial crop production.
• A strong foundation in pest and disease management, irrigation, fertility principles, and cultural practices for produce or horticultural crops.
• Experience managing budgets and aligning agronomy programs with commercial business objectives.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally with commercial, R&D, and quality teams.
• Fluency in English and Spanish (spoken and written) is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with berry production systems.
• Experience with both substrate and soil-based production systems.
• Experience working with growers in Latin America, particularly Colombia or Ecuador.