Assistant Plant Breeder: Drive Global Vegetable Varieties

A. Duda & Sons Inc; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Duda Farm Fresh Foods in Salinas, CA is seeking an ambitious Assistant Plant Breeder to join our Research & Development team. The position contributes to a large international program focusing on celery, radish, kale, collards, cilantro, and other specialty crops.

Reporting to the Vice President of Research & Development, you will plan and evaluate breeding trials, maintain records, and collaborate with production, harvest, and processing teams while applying modern breeding technologies.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Horticulture, Biology, or a related field.
• Ph.D. preferred.
• One or more years of experience in plant breeding, agricultural research, field trials, or related responsibilities.

Responsibilities

• Assist in planning, coordination, execution, and evaluation of breeding and research trials.
• Collect, organize, analyze, and interpret breeding and field trial data.
• Participate in variety development activities including plant selection, crossing, evaluation, and advancement of breeding lines.
• Maintain accurate breeding records, databases, and trial documentation.
• Support seed production, breeding cage operations, isolation trials, and seed harvest activities.
• Prepare technical reports, presentations, and summaries of research and breeding results.
• Collaborate with production, harvest, processing, and research teams to evaluate crop performance and quality attributes.
• Contribute to implementation of modern breeding technologies and tools, including marker-assisted breeding and genomic selection.
• Travel to trial locations and research sites as needed.

Skills

Data collection

Analysis

Excel

Database management

Plant breeding principles

Statistics

Communication

Independent work

Education

Master’s degree in Plant Breeding or related field

Ph.D. preferred

Tools

Excel

Database management systems

Job description

Duda Farm Fresh Foods in Salinas, CA is seeking an ambitious Assistant Plant Breeder to join our Research & Development team. The position contributes to a large international program focusing on celery, radish, kale, collards, cilantro, and other specialty crops.

Reporting to the Vice President of Research & Development, you will plan and evaluate breeding trials, maintain records, and collaborate with production, harvest, and processing teams while applying modern breeding technologies.