Principal Scientist – Plant Breeder
Location: Hanford, CA, United States
Job Function: Farming
Req Number: 1147
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Description
We are a global leader in food & beverage ingredients. Pioneers at heart, we operate at the forefront of consumer trends to provide food & beverage manufacturers with products and ingredients that will delight their consumers. Making a positive impact on people and planet is all part of the delight. With a deep-rooted presence in the countries where our ingredients are grown, we are closer to farmers, enabling better quality, and more reliable, traceable, and transparent supply. Supplying products and ingredients at scale is just the start. We add value through our unique, complementary portfolio of natural, delicious, and nutritious products. With our fresh thinking, we help our customers unleash the sensory and functional attributes of cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices so they can create naturally good food & beverage products that meet consumer expectations. And whoever we’re with, whatever we’re doing, we always make it real.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of Ag Research & Development, the Plant Breeder will be responsible for improving onion, garlic and/or peppers for dehydration, developing parent lines and hybrids, and preparing varieties for commercial use in California and around the world. This position will work closely with other members of the R&D Department and provide support for onion seed production, garlic seed production, and Ag production operations.
Position Responsibilities
- Provide leadership, management, and support to the local breeding team.
- Manage all components of a commercial breeding program including management of germplasm, elite line development, hybrid development and evaluation, and elite seed production.
- Develop a thorough knowledge of the crops through interaction with crop production managers, processing plant managers and farmers.
- Stay informed on developments in crop improvement/seed production and effectively implement new and better techniques. Review literature, attend professional meetings and conduct research trials as needed.
- Collect data for plant characterization and lead efforts protecting ofi intellectual property.
- Manage the safety program for the work group to meet the established safety objectives.
- Identify new growers and fields for seed production.
- Contract and place all assigned seed crops.
- Manage all harvest and post-harvest activities.
- Mange the planting, harvesting, grading and storage of all onion bulbs used for seed production.
- Manage all facets of the variety development programs including but not limited to: plant/bulb selection, breeding cage work (planting, agronomics, pollination, harvest, seed conditioning), etc.
- Manage the development of crop trial plans/programs.
- Promote a positive company image through interaction with local students, growers, etc.
- Provide technical assistance to Ag Operations and other ofi employees as necessary.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Position Requirements
- Master’s degree required, Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, or related field is strongly preferred.
- Five (5) years of plant breeding experience is required.
- Ability to think creatively, adapt to new situations, solve problems, and focus on details is required.
- Previous experience in field research and variety testing is required.
- Knowledge of statistics, experimental design and data analysis is required.
- Understanding of molecular plant breeding techniques is required.
- Proficiency in marker discovery research, variant calling, bioinformatics software and analysis is preferred.
- Understanding of crop management and ability to operate assorted agricultural equipment (e.g. planters, sprayers, tractors, etc.) is required.
- Knowledge of seed production operations is desirable.
- Ability to work independently and in groups is required.
- Excellent communication skills, including verbal and written are required.
- Excellent planning and leadership skills are required.
- Bilingual, English, and Spanish is highly desired.
- Valid State issued Driver’s License and good driving record is required.
- Ability and willingness to travel up to 25% of the time is required.
The pay for this role in the state of CA is $77,000 - $102,000 and is based on the position responsibilities and geographic location.
Note: This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive. Employee may perform other related duties as negotiated to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.
ofi provides equality of opportunity for all persons with respect to hiring without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, age, disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. All employment will be decided on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us for support at: [email protected]
At ofi, we celebrate our diversity. Olam Americas LLC is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.
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