Breeding Technician I

Fall Creek®; Lowell (OR); On-site; USD 40,000 - 64,000; Full time

Job summary

Fall Creek is seeking a Breeding Technician I to support our breeding and variety development program in Lowell, Oregon. You will perform field data collection, plant seedlings, map plots, and assist with controlled crosses and seedling care in field and greenhouse settings.

Requirements include a Bachelor’s degree in horticulture or related field, strong data-entry and Excel skills, and the ability to communicate effectively across departments.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, botany or related field.
• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite and ability to report using Excel.
• Strong data entry skills and general database knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Field data collection, recording, and data entry to support the breeding program.
• Planting, field mapping, tagging, and recording of seedlings and selections.
• Assist with fruit evaluations including sample collection and testing.

Skills

Data entry

Reporting

Communication

Organization

Project management

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in horticulture / botany

Tools

Microsoft Office

Excel

Job description

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Breeding Technician I. This position will be located in Lowell, OR.

The Fall Creek Breeding Technician I is responsible for assisting with the Fall Creek breeding and variety development program. The Breeding Technician I reports to the US Breeding Program Manager and collaborates with other members of the department. This position works with other employees at the nursery and has frequent interactions with customers, visitors, and guests of Fall Creek.

What you’ll do at Fall Creek:

• Responsible for the accurate field data collection, recording, data entry, and extraction of data in the Fall Creek database to support the variety development program.
• Planting, field mapping, tagging, and recording of seedlings and selections.
• Assists with field fruit evaluations including fruit sample collection and testing.
• Assists with controlled crosses and grows seedlings as directed by the assistance breeder, including emasculation, pollination, tagging, and record keeping in field and greenhouse settings.
• Provides routine care and maintenance of plants used as parents in controlled crosses, R&D foundation plant collection, and breeding inventory.
• Responsible for shipping of plants to trial sites, both international and domestic, establishes, and cares for field plots, both on and off-site.
• Assists in organizing and hosting field days and visits for growers and colleagues.
• Perform tissue collection for clonal propagation and keep accurate records of each selection.
• Assists with collection of botanical information for patent applications on Fall Creek’s breeding program selections.
• Responsible for plant tissue/media sampling and obtaining phytosanitary permits for import/export of plant material. Works closely with sales, propagation, and logistics team to ensure that permits needed for shipments are obtained in a timely manner.
• Responsible for potting, routine cultural care, inventory, and quarantine inspections of new plant introductions.
• Works closely with other departments and international teams on various R&D activities such as plant shipping, data reporting, and trial planning.

What you bring to Fall Creek:

• Typically requires a Bachelor’s degree in horticulture, botany or related field in a breeding program, nursery environment, or other horticultural operation.
• Solid knowledge and experience working with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to provide detailed reporting using Excel spreadsheets.
• Strong alpha-numeric data entry skills. Requires general database knowledge.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills to present and exchange information and report daily activities in the field and in reports.
• A proactive approach with the ability to communicate on all levels, transmitting information to different audiences and serving distinct purposes.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work after hours and/or weekends as requested.
• Ability to prioritize work within established guidelines and follow through on a variety of requests.
• Ability to identify problems as well as plan and manage multiple projects.
• Ability to work with and manage a high level of detailed information.

Who is Fall Creek?

We’re a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world’s premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have wholly-owned nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, China, and Chile. Additionally, we have built a global team of the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We’re a deeply-planted link in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia, and Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence. To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we’re helping to build A World with Better Blueberries™.