Junior Breeder

Title: Junior Breeder

Location: USA

Experience: 5 years

Education: Bachelor of Science in Genetics, Plant Breeding, Horticulture or related field, Mater’s of science desired.

About Us:

US Agriseeds is a leading vegetable seed breeding company specializing in open-field cultivation. For over 20 years, we have delivered high-performing cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, melons, watermelons, and squash. With research facilities in California, and Sinaloa, Mexico, we ensure year-round breeding using natural counter-seasons. Our expert team leverages cutting-edge technology to develop innovative, high-yielding, and disease-resistant varieties.

Job Summary:

US Agriseeds is seeking a Junior Breeder who will manage the logistics of Watermelon and Cucumber performance trials in the Americas while actively gleaning the experience and education required to lead a full-fledged breeding program in the future. The Junior Breeder will coordinate seed movements, sowing, trial establishment, trial evaluation, data collection to ensure the successful execution of variety trials in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. This role will interact with and support multiple breeding programs and will participate in molecular genetics and plant pathology discovery projects.  This role requires extensive travel within and outside the US. The successful candidate must have proficiency in a programming language such as R, Python, Perl, or similar and the ability to integrate AI tools for the creation of new applications. As a Junior Breeder, the successful candidate will be expected to ‘learn by doing’ everything related to the execution of a successful breeding program from organizing and executing performance trials and breeding nurseries to interacting directly with other key business functions such as sales, product development and supply chain. The ideal candidate will be bi-lingual in English and Spanish and will be deeply motivated to seek further education in Plant Breeding and Genetics in preparation for more senior positions within our growing research team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage trial logistics for remote cucurbit breeders located in India and the Middle East to ensure that seed movements, sowings, trial establishment, tissue sampling, data collection, data upload and analysis occur within targeted planting dates and locations.
• Develop new AI based applications to support data collection and efficient trial evaluations
• This role will support the development of commercially superior Melon, Cucumber and Squash hybrids for the Americas and the Middle East and may evolve into a fully-fledged breeding role for grey zucchini after the completion of a master’s degree and the successful demonstration of core competencies in plant pathology, molecular genetics, statistics and team play.

• Manage germplasm resources, and the collection of data in breeding nurseries.
• Drive the selection, characterization, and conservation of elite breeding materials, Collect and record genotypic and phenotypic data and curate it within the germplasm database.
• In consultation with your manager and other breeding team members, design, execute and analyse data from multi-location field trials to evaluate variety performance under diverse environmental conditions and support advancement decisions.
• Support the molecular biology and plant pathology discovery efforts in US Agriseeds research locations and through public/private partnerships.

• Collect and curate field trial data to facilitate informed breeding decisions and optimize variety selection.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams, including seed production, sales, and marketing, to understand market trends and help align breeding objectives with market needs.
• Prepare reports, presentations, and technical documentation to communicate research findings.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in plant Breeding, Genetics or related Crop Science; minor in Plant Pathology desirable.  M.S. degree in plant breeding or data science a plus.

• Experience: Minimum 3 years of experience working in the field of plant breeding in support of commercial plant breeding programs. Experience and willingness to travel in Mexico, Guatemala and other Spanish speaking countries to support breeding trials is a must.
• A background in Squash Breeding, Melon breeding, Watermelon Breeding, Cucumber Breeding, Tomato Breeding or Pepper breeding would be a plus.  
• Experience with data management, statistical analysis and the use of analytical software

Knowledge & Skills:

• Knowledge and experience with molecular breeding techniques including marker-assisted selection and marker assisted backcrossing.
• Knowledge of field trial design, data analysis, and statistical software.
• Familiarity with plant pathology and entomology screening related to vegetable breeding.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and data management skills.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and teamwork abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and work independently as well as within a multidisciplinary team.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Language skills: Fluent English required, Conversational Spanish and ability to navigate basic field situations with Spanish speaking employees or colleagues.
• Experience in an international work environment; ability to interact well and navigate diverse cultures and work habits.
• Must be willing to travel for extended periods of time nationally and internationally.

Work Authorization: U.S. Work Authorization

Start Date: ASAP

Position: Full time

Compensation: Salary is based on experience and skill set and offers a competitive benefits package. The current pay scale for this role is from $78,000 to $98,000 plus benefits. A good faith estimate of the pay range the company reasonably expects to pay a successful applicant for the current opening is in that range. The pay scale for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; degrees, licensure, and certifications; and other organizational needs. 

Location: Woodland, California, USA

Application Instructions: Please send resume (and brief cover letter). Apply via Email to HR@usagriseeds.com  with “Junior Breeder” in the subject line.

US Agriseeds is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, colour, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.