Breeder Assistant - Onion

Limagrain; Gilroy, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 73,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

Hazera, part of the Limagrain Group, seeks a breeding program assistant based at the Gilroy, CA facility to support line development and data management within an international team. You will assist the Onion Breeder, participate in crosses, and help run trials across on-site and off-site locations.

Ideal candidates have a life sciences background, hands-on attitude, and strong Excel/database skills, with English proficiency and willingness to travel domestically as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in agriculture or 4-5 years of equivalent work experience.
• Hands-on attitude, flexible, and can-do attitude.
• Excellent administrative and computer skills (MS Office with Advanced in Excel; Databases).
• Well organized, proactive and able to multitask.
• Experience in working in an agricultural environment.
• Proficient in English, intermediate level of Spanish is a plus.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Able to perform duties in varying weather conditions, on uneven agricultural terrain, and during seasonal periods of increased activity.
• Domestic travel required (add 5-10 %)

Responsibilities

• Organize and perform assigned tasks related to the Breeding program, which includes collaborating with operations.
• Support the breeder in organizing on-site and off-site trials, including line development.
• Collect and analyze crop phenotypic data
• Manage and administer the breeding database
• Assist the Onion Breeder in carrying out crosses, pollinations and molecular markers use
• Implement and monitor compliance of company policies on safety, health and environment
• Organize harvesting, threshing, seed cleaning, inventory, packaging, shipping, and phytosanitary certificate

Skills

MS Excel (Advanced)

Communication skills

Multitasking

Agricultural environment experience

Travel availability 5-10%

Education

Bachelor’s in Agriculture

Tools

Databases

MS Office

Job description

Hazera is a global leader in the seed industry. Hazera brings expertise, commitment and support, combining decades of experience with state-of-the-art technology. Hazera breeds, develops, produces and markets varieties and seeds in a wide range of vegetable crops around the world. Hazera's headquarters are situated in Israel and in The Netherlands, with subsidiaries in twelve countries and an extensive distribution network providing services in over 100 additional markets. In The Netherlands, Hazera is located in Made (headquarters), Rilland and Tuitjenhorn (research and development).

In this position you will assist our Breeder with line and hybrid development, for a Breeding program targeted at one of the global onion markets. You are part of and interact closely with a multidisciplinary, international team of breeders and researchers, with different disciplines. You will have close interaction with the local operational team and with colleagues in different departments and countries. You will report to the Onion Breeder and are based at our breeding facilities in Gilroy, CA.

Responsibilities

• Organize and perform assigned tasks related to the Breeding program, which includes collaborating with operations.
• Support the breeder in organizing on-site and off-site trials, including line development.
• Collect and analyze crop phenotypic data
• Manage and administer the breeding database
• Assist the Onion Breeder in carrying out crosses, pollinations and molecular markers use
• Implement and monitor compliance of company policies on safety, health and environment
• Organize harvesting, threshing, seed cleaning, inventory, packaging, shipping, and phytosanitary certificate

What we expect of you

Requirements

• Bachelor’s in agriculture or related fields within the Life Sciences, or 4-5 years of equivalent work experience
• A hands‑on attitude, flexible, and can‑do attitude
• Excellent administrative and computer skills (MS Office with Advanced in Excel; Databases)
• Well organized, proactive and able to multitask
• Experience in working in an agricultural environment
• Proficient in English, intermediate level of Spanish is a plus
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to perform duties in varying weather conditions, on uneven agricultural terrain, and during seasonal periods of increased activity
• Domestic travel required (add 5-10 %)

The rewards of working here: You join an expert team of innovators and creators that collaborate with farmers around the world to sustainably enhance the taste and quality of healthy food. Our goal is to form teams that inspire and learn from each other as they work to elevate our products from seed to table. We recognize our employees as our most valued resource and work to create an atmosphere that is supportive, healthy, and progressive. We promote an environment of wellness and well-being and hybrid schedules when it is appropriate for the position. It is an important and expanding piece of our local and global mission for Diversity & Inclusion programs and support groups in the corporate world.

Hazera offers a strong compensation and benefits package to its employees:

• Competitive salary
• This position’s range is $72,500 - $74,000

Our total compensation and pay ranges reflect our market pay structures. As such, individual salaries or hourly rates are determined by a variety of factors including, but not limited to: local geographical market conditions, internal equity, as well as candidate qualifications, such as job related skills, education, and experience.

Hazera is a global leader in the development of high-quality hybrid seeds. As part of the Limagrain Group, an international agricultural cooperative based in France, we have headquarters in Israel and the Netherlands. With 11 subsidiaries and a vast distribution network in over 130 markets worldwide. We represent a global community of experts and stakeholders, committed to making a positive impact on the present and future of agriculture. We take this responsibility seriously, striving to make a greater impact and recognizing the importance of every seed, person, and partnership.

Limagrain is a global company with deep local roots. Our parent company is an agricultural cooperative based in the Limagne-Val d’Allier plain, in the heart of Central France’s Auvergne region, while we are an international seed and agri-food group with some 9,600 employees working in 53 countries. As the 4th largest seed company in the world, we achieved sales of 2.522 billion euros in 2023-2024, with additional sales of 729 million euros from activities carried out in collaboration with our strategic partners.