PhD Intern: Tomato Harvesting & Field Trials

Bayer; Woodland (CA); On-site; USD 31,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

PTO

Retirement plan

Vision

Job summary

Bayer Crop Science invites a PhD candidate to join its on-site Precision Genomics–adjacent tomato harvesting project in Woodland, CA for a 3‑month internship. You will help develop a machine-harvesting process for tomatoes, working with scientists, phenotyping specialists, and breeders to advance yields and harvest efficiency.

The role emphasizes field trials, data collection, protocol development, and collaboration across teams.

Qualifications

• PhD candidate in Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Plant Genetics, or Plant Science.
• Experience with field trialing, protocol development, independent project management, and mechanization/automation.
• Well‑versed in experimental design, quantitative analysis, and data interpretation.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in teams.

Responsibilities

• Assist in development and testing of tomato harvester designs.
• Conduct field trials to evaluate harvester efficiency and effectiveness.
• Conduct field experiments to develop and test inbred lines for crop resilience and quality.
• Collect and analyze data on plant performance and harvesting effectiveness.
• Engage in field trials to assess quality of tomato varieties and post‑harvest innovations.
• Design data collection protocols and execute field experiments with detail.
• Communicate results clearly to technical and non‑technical audiences.
• Adhere to safety guidelines and complete required training sessions.

Skills

Field trialing

Protocol development

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

PhD candidate in Plant Breeding/Plant Genetics/Plant Science

Tools

-

Job description

Bayer Crop Science invites a PhD candidate to join its on-site Precision Genomics–adjacent tomato harvesting project in Woodland, CA for a 3‑month internship. You will help develop a machine-harvesting process for tomatoes, working with scientists, phenotyping specialists, and breeders to advance yields and harvest efficiency.

The role emphasizes field trials, data collection, protocol development, and collaboration across teams.