The Engineer Who Let Curiosity Drive Her—Literally
Although Sarah Wurden grew up in Redmond, Washington—surrounded by the tech industry—she had no ties to agriculture. But at a national recruiting event, one booth stood out: John Deere.
“I didn’t realize just how much of a tech company Deere was. I immediately clicked with the people and could see that Deere would be a good place to grow as a software engineer.” She adds, “John Deere does some pretty cool and innovative things within the precision technology space to make our customers both more productive and more sustainable.”
Building Tools That Matter
Now based in Austin, Texas, Sarah works on the field analyzer app within John Deere’s Operations Center™. “We help customers visualize the vast amounts of data that their machines collect—so they can see what worked, what didn’t, and make smarter decisions for next year’s crops.”
One project stands out: “Working on features for the fully autonomous tractor. If the machine finds an obstacle in the field, it snaps a photo, marks the spot on the map, and sends it to the farmer before routing around the obstacle. Seeing that technology in action and realizing how it can evolve through further innovation while also appreciating its potential impact on the future of farming is just incredible.”
Learning by Doing (and Driving)
Sarah’s favorite part? The hands-on learning. “You can take an afternoon and become certified to drive tractors at the test farm. I even took a course where we performed operations out in the field, then analyzed the results in Operations Center ™ just as a customer would. There is a great emphasis on understanding the products we are working on so we can make the right decisions for the end user during development. You don’t need an ag background to thrive here—just curiosity and a love for learning.”
A Place Where Different Paths Meet
What struck Sarah the most was the dynamic cross-functional partnerships and blend of people on the Deere team. “Everyone at John Deere is down to earth and genuinely enthusiastic about what we’re building. The Austin office is a mix of teams—one day I’m working with someone on Furrow Vision, the next with the See and Spray team. It’s a fusion of ideas and backgrounds, and that’s what keeps it engaging.”
Why She Stays
“I’ve found Deere to be a place where you can grow your skills, explore new technologies, and contribute to something bigger than yourself,” Sarah says. “Plus, the people here are incredibly innovative and sincerely passionate about what they do.”
