Full-Time
Digital Product Director
Pivot Bio
201-500 employees
Delivers microbial nitrogen fixation for crops
Compensation Overview
$168k - $210k/yr
St. Louis, MO, USA + 1 more
More locations: Minneapolis, MN, USA
In Person
On-site role; must be authorized to work in the United States; eligible locations: Minneapolis, MN or St. Louis, MO.
Bachelor's
 Product (1) |
|---|
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- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Agronomy, or a related field
- 8+ years of experience in Product Management or product leadership roles, with demonstrated ownership of complex digital products through multiple delivery cycles
- 12+ years total experience in digital product development, including experience in engineering, data, UX, platform, or domain-facing roles (e.g., agronomy, analytics)
- Demonstrated experience leading multi-product portfolios or platform-based ecosystems, including sequencing, prioritization, and governance
- Proven ability to operate at executive and cross-functional leadership levels, translating strategy into execution and managing tradeoffs across Commercial, Product Innovation, Manufacturing, and Partnerships
- Strong track record of delivering durable, adoption-ready digital products in environments with high ambiguity and seasonal constraints
- Experience working closely with Engineering, Data, and Architecture leaders on platform health, scalability, and long-term foundations
- Must be Authorized To Work in the United States
- Understanding of agronomic data, crop nutrition, soil science, or precision agriculture is a strong plus
- Own portfolio-level product strategy, prioritization, and sequencing across Pivot’s digital products
- Establish and enforce product intake, prioritization, and tradeoff discipline to protect roadmap integrity, especially during in-season execution
- Lead quarterly portfolio and seasonal release planning, aligning Commercial, Product Innovation, Manufacturing, and Partnerships
- Partner closely with Architecture to ensure product decisions reinforce data standards, APIs, platform scalability, and long-term system health
- Provide product leadership to Engineering and Data Science by defining clear outcomes, success metrics, and release criteria across the portfolio
- Ensure all digital products are adoption-ready, including field workflows, partner enablement, and operational readiness
- Define and own portfolio-level product metrics spanning adoption, evidence quality, operational reliability, and commercial impact
- Facilitate executive-level tradeoff decisions balancing speed, technical debt, scalability, and seasonal risk
- Communicate portfolio status, risks, and learnings to Digital leadership, ELT, and executive stakeholders
- Product portfolio leadership: Proven ability to lead and govern a multi-product or platform portfolio, setting direction, sequencing priorities, and enforcing disciplined tradeoffs
- Systems & platform thinking: Deep understanding of how products, data, workflows, and integrations interact across agronomy, commercial execution, and partner ecosystems
- Executive judgment under ambiguity: Comfortable making and defending high-impact decisions with incomplete information, seasonal constraints, and competing stakeholder priorities
- Operating model ownership: Ability to establish and evolve product governance, intake discipline, and release rituals that scale execution without slowing teams down
- Agronomic & data fluency: Comfortable operating in domains involving field trials, agronomic data, analytics, and AI-enabled decision systems
- Stakeholder and influence leadership: Effectively aligns senior leaders, functional heads, and external partners without relying on formal authority
- Outcome accountability: Bias toward measurable portfolio-level outcomes including adoption, evidence quality, operational reliability, and commercial impact
What Pivot Bio does: It provides a nitrogen-fixing microbial solution for crops, offering an alternative to synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. How it works: The product is applied in the field (in-furrow or seed treatments) so friendly microbes colonize crop roots and fix atmospheric nitrogen into plant-usable forms, supplying nitrogen through the growing season. The company uses machine learning and computational modeling to optimize the microbes’ performance and nitrogen delivery. How Pivot Bio is different: Instead of relying on synthetic fertilizer, it delivers living microbes tuned to crops and field conditions, marketed directly to farmers across much of the United States, and backed by data-driven optimization to improve efficiency. What the goal is: To help farmers achieve higher yields while cutting fertilizer use and reducing environmental problems like runoff and emissions by replacing or reducing synthetic nitrogen inputs with biological nitrogen fixation.
Company Size
201-500
Company Stage
Series D
Total Funding
$616.9M
Headquarters
Minnetonka, Minnesota
Founded
2011
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- March 2026 price cuts and supply assurances directly target volatile fertilizer budgets.
- 2025-2026 launches PROVEN G3, CERT-N Dry, and RETAIN Dry broaden revenue channels.
- Red Reef partnership and North American acreage expansion create repeatable commercial proof points.
What critics are saying
- 2025 WARN records 62 Berkeley layoffs, proving relocation pressure and organizational churn.
- Synthetic fertilizer incumbents outspend Pivot Bio, and farmer switching friction slows adoption.
- If field results disappoint, Pivot Bio becomes a niche input supplier, not platform winner.
What makes Pivot Bio unique
- June 2026 EPA registration for PROVEN 40 validates higher-rate biological nitrogen.
- March 2026 HQ move to Minnetonka puts Pivot Bio inside Corn Belt customers.
- March 2026 St. Louis Centers of Excellence integrate R&D, manufacturing, and distribution.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Disability Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Commuter Benefits
Annual Training & Development support
Unlimited Paid Time Off
Stock Options
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↑ 0%1 year growth
↓ -2%2 year growth
↓ -2%Pivot Bio relocates headquarters to Minnesota, strengthening midwest presence. Pivot Bio recently announced it has moved its corporate headquarters to Minneapolis, Minn., relocating from its prior headquarters in Berkeley, Calif. This move further strengthens the company's presence in the U.S. agricultural heartland. Pivot Bio is delivering the first scalable breakthrough in crop nutrition in more than a century by bringing innovative nitrogen fixing technologies to farmers to reliably and productively grow crops. Named by Fast Company as one of the World's 50 Most Innovative Companies, Pivot Bio had several possible locations to base its global headquarters, the decision to move to Minnesota reflects its continued focus on working alongside farmers, advancing sustainable agriculture and supporting the company's long-term growth. "At the heart of our company is our commitment to improving the lives of farmers and the health of the planet," said Chris Abbott, CEO of Pivot Bio. "Having grown up in Minnesota, I know firsthand the importance of agriculture to this region, and by locating our corporate headquarters here, we are now closer to the customers and partners we serve every day and better positioned to support the continued adoption of our crop nutrition technologies." The company will be joining a deeply established headquarters economy in Minnesota that boasts 17 Fortune-500-headquartered companies - including some of the world's largest food and ag companies - and a rich ecosystem of food and agriculture innovators. "Minnesota is where the future of food and agriculture is being built," said Peter Frosch, President and CEO of the GREATER MSP Partnership. "Home to global giants in food and agriculture, our region combines unmatched industry concentration, research depth and collaborative spirit. We are thrilled to welcome Pivot Bio to this powerhouse ecosystem to help us build the future of agriculture from Minnesota." By choosing the Greater MSP region for their headquarters, Pivot Bio is joining a robust network of partners committed to advancing agriculture innovation and sustainability. These include MBOLD, a coalition of Minnesota-based food and agriculture leaders working to accelerate solutions to global food challenges, and the Minnesota SAF Hub, a strategy to build an industrial scale sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) value chain from Minnesota, a globally leading strategy to decarbonize the airline industry. "MBOLD is about working together differently on big solutions to the biggest challenges in food and agriculture," said Jase Wagner, President and CEO of Compeer Financial and chair of the MBOLD coalition of globally leading food and agriculture companies. "Minnesota has all the ingredients to scale new solutions. Pivot Bio's move reinforces our leadership as a global hub. We look forward to working with their team on our shared priorities." "Pivot Bio's decision to relocate its headquarters to Minnesota is a major win and we are excited to welcome them to the state," said Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) Commissioner Matt Varilek. "The company will gain strategic advantages from being at the center of one of the nation's most productive agricultural regions, with direct access to farmers, industry partners, and research institutions, as well as being part of a state with a strong concentration of Fortune 500 headquarters. This move demonstrates Minnesota's competitiveness for business growth that also supports the creation of great jobs and opportunity for Minnesotans." Pivot Bio's new headquarters is at 701 Carlson Parkway in Minnetonka. This month's digital sponsors: | / | / | / | / |
Pivot Bio expands St. Louis footprint with new Centers of Excellence. April 30, 2026 As fertilizer markets continue to face significant volatility driven by global supply pressures, energy dynamics and geopolitical uncertainty, one of the world's most innovative ag tech companies, Pivot Bio announced the significant expansion of its Greater St. Louis footprint with two new Centers of Excellence anchored in Hazelwood and Creve Coeur. The more than $7 million incremental investment strengthens U.S.-based manufacturing and innovation capabilities to deliver more reliable, cost-effective nitrogen solutions to farmers. The announcement comes at a critical time for farmers navigating rising input prices, unpredictable supply and tight decision windows heading into planting season. In response, Pivot Bio has taken steps to increase U.S.-based production, lower prices and launch a new multiyear nitrogen price and supply assurance program to help provide a more reliable and cost-effective nitrogen option at a critical time. The company's Greater St. Louis Centers of Excellence bring together two key hubs: its Research, Development, and Innovation Center in Creve Coeur, located within the 39 North AgTech Innovation District, and its Customer and Operations Success Center in Hazelwood, which supports manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and customer service operations for Pivot Bio. The company recently announced that its global headquarters has relocated from Berkeley, California to Minnesota. Together, these locations represent the fully integrated system behind Pivot Bio's crop nutrition solutions, from innovation through on-farm delivery. "Farmers are being asked to make critical decisions in a market that's anything but predictable," said Chris Abbott, chief executive officer at Pivot Bio. "Our focus is on helping bring more certainty back to the farm, and that starts with investing in U.S.-based innovation and production that farmers can depend on. By expanding our innovation and production capabilities in both Hazelwood and Creve Coeur, we're ensuring farmers have access to a consistent, high-quality nitrogen source they can depend on, whenever and wherever they need it." In Hazelwood, the company is scaling its operational footprint to meet rising demand, ensuring products can be produced, packaged and delivered efficiently to growers across the country. "Farmers today are looking for more than just performance, they need confidence in the decisions they're making in an increasingly volatile market," said Chris Turner, chief commercial officer at Pivot Bio. "Expanding our footprint in the Greater St. Louis area allows us to better support growers with solutions that are not only reliable but aligned to the economic realities of their operations." "Strengthening our U.S.-based manufacturing and operations network is critical to delivering at the scale and consistency farmers expect," said Balaji Venkataraman, chief supply chain officer at Pivot Bio. "These Centers of Excellence enhance our ability to produce, package and move product efficiently, ensuring dependable access to nitrogen solutions across the country." At its Creve Coeur location, based in the EDGE building as part of the 39 North ecosystem, Pivot Bio is advancing next-generation crop nutrition technology through its research and development efforts, supported by proximity to leading scientific institutions and a growing agtech innovation hub. "Pivot Bio is exactly the type of company that 39 North exists to support, and we're thrilled to have their Center for Research, Development and Innovation in St. Louis, right in the heart of the district," said Emily Lohse-Busch, 39 North AgTech Innovation District Executive Director. "Their presence strengthens an already vibrant innovation community, and proximity to the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, a growing network of startups and scaleups, and world-class talent will help accelerate the critical work they're doing to support farmers in producing the food the world needs." "Bringing our research and development capabilities together in St. Louis allows us to accelerate how quickly we can translate breakthrough science into real-world solutions for farmers," said Travis Frey, Ph.D., chief technology officer at Pivot Bio. "By deepening our presence in a leading agtech innovation hub, we're strengthening the connection between discovery, development and delivery of next-generation crop nutrition technologies." The company's expansion in St. Louis underscores its commitment to building a more resilient, farmer-focused crop nutrition system. The company expects to add more than 40 new positions to its St. Louis area centers. "We are excited to have Pivot Bio chart its next phase of growth in St. Louis," said Chad Zimmerman, senior agrifood director at BioSTL. "Our dynamic agtech ecosystem was built for companies like Pivot Bio to scale, allowing them to benefit from and contribute to the future of Midwestern agriculture while staying connected to global opportunities." Pivot Bio is marking the expansion today with an event bringing together state and local leaders, partners and members of the agricultural community. This month's digital sponsors: | / | / | / | / |
Pivot Bio investing $7M in Hazelwood. Posted online April 29, 2026 | 7:29 am Minnesota-based Pivot Bio is expanding its footprint into Hazelwood. The company plans to invest more than $7 million and create 40 new jobs. Pivot Bio is relocating its manufacturing and innovation center to the St. Louis area. The company also has its research and development hub in Creve Coeur. No comments on this story
Pivot Bio has announced a $7 million expansion in Greater St Louis, establishing two Centres of Excellence in Hazelwood and Creve Coeur to strengthen US-based manufacturing and innovation for nitrogen solutions. The move comes as fertiliser markets face volatility from global supply pressures and geopolitical uncertainty. The expansion includes a Research, Development and Innovation Centre in Creve Coeur within the 39 North AgTech Innovation District, and a Customer and Operations Success Centre in Hazelwood supporting manufacturing, packaging and distribution. The company expects to add over 40 positions across both locations. The announcement follows Pivot Bio's relocation of its global headquarters from Berkeley, California to Minnesota. The expansion aims to provide farmers with more reliable, cost-effective nitrogen alternatives amid rising input prices and unpredictable supply chains.
Pivot Bio CEO makes case for biological nitrogen amid fertilizer volatility. The company which develops microbial nitrogen products relocated its headquarters from california to Minnesota to position itself closer to Midwest farmers. | Published on: Apr 21, 2026 MINNEAPOLIS - Pivot Bio's chief executive officer is making a direct pitch to Midwest farmers, arguing the company's microbial nitrogen products can lower fertilizer costs while improving performance in a volatile input market. Pivot Bio CEO Chris Abbott said in an interview with Agweek that the company's technology - which uses gene-edited microbes to deliver nitrogen at the root - offers a more efficient and stable alternative to synthetic fertilizer. For Pivot Bio, which recently relocated its headquarters to Minneapolis, Abbott said the approach is to deliver products to a market defined by cost pressure and environmental scrutiny. "Everything that we do starts with nitrogen," Abbott said. "The foundational technology are gene-edited microbes converting atmospheric nitrogen to essentially nitrogen fertilizer right on the root system." Nitrogen remains one of the most critical and volatile inputs in agriculture, accounting for roughly one-third to nearly half of operating costs for crops like corn and wheat, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service. Synthetic fertilizer has driven yield gains but is also tied to price swings, supply chain disruptions and environmental concerns, according to the company. Pivot Bio's model does not eliminate synthetic fertilizer, Abbott said, but is designed to replace a portion of it with a more targeted source. "For a long time, we're going to be working in the system along them," he said of synthetic fertilizer companies. "Fertilizer plays a very key role. We're just a better option. We are better and cheaper." The company's products are currently used on millions of acres across North America and support crops including corn, wheat and cotton, according to the company. At the field level, Abbott described the value proposition in economic terms familiar to growers, which is cost per acre and return on investment. "Our product today is about 60% cheaper than synthetic nitrogen," he said. "Growers are saving $20 instantly and in most cases see a yield increase as well." That positioning - both cost reduction and performance - is central in a commodity-driven fertilizer market, Abbott said, where adoption depends on measurable outcomes. "If you aren't better and aren't cheaper, it's pretty hard to have a sustainable impact at scale," he said. The company's technology relies on microbes that live on plant roots and continuously produce nitrogen, reducing losses associated with leaching and volatilization, according to Abbott's description of the system. "When it's essentially glued to the root system, it doesn't go anywhere," he said. That characteristic has implications beyond cost, particularly in regions where nutrient runoff and water quality are ongoing concerns. At the same time, Abbott acknowledged adoption challenges, particularly among farmers cautious about new products in a crowded agtech marketplace. "There's plenty of people that don't like change," he said. "We had to learn product placement matters." Early performance data reflected that learning curve, he said, with outcomes improving as the company refined how its products are applied. "It went from about a 56% win rate to 93% because we placed it the right way," Abbott said. The company's geographic footprint mirrors major crop production regions, with significant adoption across the Midwest, including hundreds of thousands of acres in Minnesota, Abbott said. The relocation of its headquarters to Minnesota reflects that concentration, as well as proximity to both customers and industry infrastructure. "We are 30 minutes from our closest customer," Abbott said. "This is where the talent is, it's where our customers are, it's where our partners are." The company emphasizes domestic production and distribution. Its microbial products are manufactured through fermentation and shipped from St. Louis, Missouri, allowing delivery across the U.S. within a matter of days, according to Abbott. For farmers, Abbott said, the pitch remains straightforward: Reduce risk tied to weather and input costs while maintaining or improving yields. "If you want to improve your performance of nitrogen or reduce your cost, this is the single biggest way to do it," he said. But Abbott said success will depend less on narrative and more on performance in the field. "You either got to be better or cheaper or both," he said. "And we believe we are."