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Full-Time

Soil Scientist

Confirmed live in the last 24 hours

Yardstick

Yardstick

11-50 employees

In-situ soil carbon measurement technology

Food & Agriculture
Data & Analytics

Compensation Overview

$135k - $175kAnnually

Junior, Mid

Remote in USA

Category
Lab & Research
Environmental Sciences
Required Skills
Python
Data Science
R
Requirements
  • Advanced degree or comparable expertise in soil science and pedology. Whether or not you have an MS or PhD, you have the expertise of one. You have a working understanding of how soils vary across a landscape, ecosystems, and farming systems.
  • Pedometrics and Proximal Sensing Expert. You have 2+ years of experience with pedometrics and proximal sensing with a focus in spectroscopy.
  • Stats and programming experience. You are no stranger to statistical and modeling techniques (Linear Regression, Partial Least Squares, Random Forest, Neural Networks, etc.). You are competent in Python or R. You can wrangle, clean, and leverage R and/or Python ecosystem packages to visualize and analyze large datasets to drive insights.
  • Research & design foundation. You show demonstrated experience with experimental design. You are capable of creatively and collaboratively approaching novel problems.
  • Soils laboratory experience. Having spent at least 1+ year(s) in a soils laboratory; you have a strong framework for the fundamentals of soil laboratory methods.
  • Ability to leverage geospatial data. Proficiency with geospatial data, mapping, pathing, and public sources of such data (SSURGO, GSSURGO, etc.) and command of tools (QGIS, geopandas, etc.) to manipulate such data.
  • Passion for climate impact and enthusiasm to learn, teach and collaborate!
Responsibilities
  • Leverage soil domain knowledge to support Yard Stick’s spectroscopic hardware and modeling needs.
  • Design and run end-to-end in situ soil spectroscopy experiments to contribute to our novel spectral soil probe R&D in collaboration with Data Science and Hardware.
  • Enable SOC measurement and prediction leveraging spectroscopy informed pedometric techniques.
  • Assist with determining the suitability of new spectral probe projects based on soil data.
  • Assist with the development and refinement of methods and best practices for the measurement of SOC, IC, bulk density, etc., via conventional laboratory analyses.
  • Liaise with the customer success team to answer soils questions. Help build relationships with laboratories, industry, and academic partnerships.

Yardstick focuses on measuring soil carbon in agriculture. Its main product is an in-situ soil carbon measurement technology that provides accurate and instant results at a lower cost. This technology helps scientists and farmers by simplifying the process of collecting, mapping, tracking, auditing, and sharing soil carbon data, which is essential for promoting climate-friendly farming practices. Unlike competitors, Yardstick offers an end-to-end service where customers only need to provide their field boundaries, and the company handles the rest, making the process less complex and more affordable. The goal of Yardstick is to enhance soil carbon measurement rigor while supporting emission reduction and soil carbon removal efforts.

Company Stage

Series A

Total Funding

$44.7M

Headquarters

Oakland, California

Founded

2021

Growth & Insights
Headcount

6 month growth

10%

1 year growth

19%

2 year growth

158%
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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Yard Stick's recent $12M Series A funding and $225M in USDA grants position it for significant growth and technological advancement.
  • Partnerships with organizations like Holganix and inclusion in the Unreasonable Food cohort highlight Yard Stick's potential for impactful collaborations and industry influence.
  • The company's technology can reduce the cost of soil carbon measurement by over 90%, making it highly attractive to farmers and scientists focused on climate-friendly practices.

What critics are saying

  • The agricultural technology sector is highly competitive, requiring Yard Stick to continuously innovate to maintain its edge.
  • Dependence on external funding and grants could pose financial risks if future funding opportunities diminish.

What makes Yardstick unique

  • Yard Stick's in-situ soil carbon measurement technology offers instant, accurate, and affordable data, setting it apart from traditional, more cumbersome methods.
  • The company's end-to-end service model simplifies the complexity of soil carbon measurement for clients, providing a seamless experience from data collection to sharing.
  • Yard Stick's adherence to leading soil carbon protocols like Verra VM0042 and CAR SEP enhances its credibility and appeal in the agricultural sector.