Innovation and Expertise on the Suterra Technical Team

Have you ever considered what it would be like to work on the technical field team for a scientific pioneer in the agricultural industry like Suterra? Our technical team members talk about their typical workday (if such a thing can even exist), what they appreciate most about the job, and what life skills they will gain for their careers decades into the future.

No such thing as a typical day for a Suterra technical field team member

Ask any team member in any Suterra department what a day in the life of their career is like, and you are unlikely to get an exact answer. Working in an innovative agricultural industry focused on biological-based pest management solutions means that the scientific framework for your specialization is constantly evolving and expanding.

Additionally, as is common with any agricultural job, the day-to-day duties of the technical team are highly seasonal. During the growing season, a tech team member may spend early mornings in the field executing rigorous trials on the efficacy of mating disruption in different cropping systems. In contrast, during the winter, the same team members may be at conferences and entomology summits, communicating with growers, entomologists, and other experts in the world of integrated pest management (IPM).

Dr. Emily Symmes, PhD entomologist, and leader of the technical field team, discusses the many roles she takes on as Suterra’s Senior Technical Field Manager.

“I am trained as an entomologist and IPM specialist. But working for Suterra, I am also a writer, a speaker, an educator, a researcher, and the list goes on. I get to work directly with growers, pest control and crop advisers, and other researchers to build long-lasting relationships and empower the industry with knowledge to drive successful adoption of our sustainable pest management tools.”

The Suterra technical team members are hired not just because they are specialists but because they are willing and eager to continuously increase their knowledge to become the world-class experts in the field of semiochemicals and mating disruption. As part of the job, Suterra helps technical team members obtain California Pest Control Advisor (PCA) licenses as well as other relevant certifications.

Teamwork among Suterra’s Experts

One element commonly praised as unique to the Suterra experience is the teamwork among our experts across the various departments, frequently working with each other as sounding boards, collaborators, teammates, and friends. Suterra’s technical team may be a small, focused group of specialists, but make no mistake - the technical team at Suterra is truly a team, not simply a group of individuals working under the same company umbrella. Our technical team members regularly work together on projects and communicate with each other and across departments in the highly integrated company.

The integrated nature of the company also means that Suterra experts are never working in the isolated department of their specialization. For example, laboratory team members communicate with field team members early in the product development stage to establish field trials that evaluate efficacy in real-world agricultural conditions in order to bring the best possible products to market. The aforementioned field trials involve communicating with our field service and grower relations teams to work directly with growers. These trial collaborations further strengthen Suterra’s relationships and shared learning with our grower and industry partners.

“Working on the technical team offers so many opportunities to engage with a wide variety of agricultural stakeholders, from growers and operations managers to pest control and crop advisers, to researchers and extension agents from academia. Sharing innovations and knowledge with the mutual purpose of supporting the agricultural industry is exceptionally rewarding and supports the continual development in diversifying each team member’s own expertise.”

If a dynamic, team-focused career where you are constantly learning on the job sounds appealing, or if you would simply like to learn from our experts about pheromones, mating disruption, and integrated pest management, the Suterra technical team would be happy to talk with you. Contact your local representative or send us a message on our website, and we will connect you with our team of experts.