Agronomy Specialist

🌱 Plant Your Career Here — We're Hiring in Tonica, IL!

Northern Partners Cooperative is actively seeking a dependable and driven Agronomy Specialist to join our team at our Tonica, IL Agronomy Facility. If you're hands‑on, safety-focused, and thrive in a fast‑paced agricultural environment, this role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while growing your career.

The Agronomy Specialist supports daily agronomy operations with a primary focus on safely handling, organizing, and distributing crop protection products, fertilizers, and other agronomic inputs within the cooperative’s chemical shed. Key responsibilities include accurate inventory management, preparing product loads, maintaining a clean and compliant facility, and providing excellent service to internal and external customers. This position also assists with a wide range of operational and maintenance activities, including the handling, blending, delivery, and application of fertilizers, crop protection products, and seed.

The specialist contributes to the upkeep of agronomy equipment, vehicles, and facilities to ensure operational readiness throughout the season. All work must be performed in accordance with safety, environmental, and regulatory standards, including DOT, OSHA, EPA, and state requirements. This is an entry‑level role with opportunities for ongoing training, skill development, and advancement within the cooperative.

Chemical Handling & Product Preparation: Safely receive, inspect, store, and organize chemical and fertilizer products in the chemical shed, ensuring proper labeling, containment, and segregation. Follow OSHA, EPA, DOT, and Illinois Department of Agriculture regulations and cooperative safety protocols when handling, storing, or transporting agricultural chemicals. Accurately measure, mix, or prepare crop protection products and fertilizers according to labels, custom applicator requests, and grower orders, ensuring precise formulation and documentation.

Assist with blending dry and liquid fertilizers and loading tender trucks, spreaders, and applicators with correct products and quantities. Maintain clean, organized work areas, properly dispose of chemical waste, promptly address spills, and document all handling activities. Support custom applicators and internal staff by staging products and providing operational assistance while adhering to all safety protocols. (25%)

Inventory Management & Documentation: Perform daily inventory counts of chemicals, fertilizers, seed, and other agronomy products, ensuring accurate stock levels and proper storage. Track product movement within the chemical shed and across cooperative facilities, maintaining precise records of receipts, transfers, and deliveries. Utilize cooperative software to document product usage, load preparation, deliveries, and inventory adjustments. Investigate and resolve inventory discrepancies promptly, coordinating with supervisors and other departments.

Support cooperative-wide inventory initiatives, including cycle counts, audits, and seasonal reconciliations. Assist in implementing best practices for product storage, labeling, and handling to minimize waste and prevent cross‑contamination, while ensuring regulatory and safety compliance. Collaborate with agronomy operations, maintenance staff, and other departments to streamline inventory processes and improve reporting accuracy. (25%)

Facility Safety, Compliance & Housekeeping: Maintain a clean, organized, and compliant chemical shed, ensuring products are stored according to label instructions, regulatory guidelines, and cooperative standards. Enforce proper labeling, secondary containment, segregation of chemicals, and consistent PPE use, including gloves, respirators, goggles, and protective clothing. Implement spill‑prevention practices, containment, cleanup, and incident reporting. Conduct daily and periodic safety inspections of the facility, equipment, and work spaces, maintaining compliance with OSHA, EPA, DOT, and Illinois Department of Agriculture regulations.

Participate in required safety, environmental, and operational…