Lead Plant Breeder – Drought-Resistant Crops & Genomics

Placements24; Polokwane; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement plans

Relocation assistance

Professional development and training

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Lead Plant Breeder in Polokwane, Limpopo, to drive drought-tolerant breeding programs for arid environments. You will lead breeders and geneticists, guiding germplasm evaluation, field trials, and product release in a hybrid work model with on-site and remote data analysis.

The role demands Ph.D. with 8+ years in stress-focused breeding, expertise in quantitative genetics, MAS/GS, and strong leadership.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Crop Science, or a related field.
• Minimum 8 years in plant breeding with focus on stress-tolerant varieties.
• Demonstrated drought physiology and phenotyping for water-use efficiency.
• Proficiency in quantitative genetics, SAS or R, and molecular breeding techniques.
• Experience leading research teams and managing complex breeding projects.

Responsibilities

• Lead breeding programs to enhance drought tolerance in key crops.
• Develop phenotyping strategies for water-limited conditions.
• Utilize MAS and GS to accelerate progress.
• Mentor breeders, geneticists, and technicians.
• Oversee field trials, data collection, and statistics.
• Collaborate across genetics, physiology, and agronomy.
• Stay current with drought-stress research.
• Contribute to publications, grants and IP.
• Communicate progress to stakeholders and partners.

Skills

Quantitative genetics

Molecular breeding

Marker-assisted selection

Genomic selection

Leadership

Education

Ph.D. in Plant Breeding / Genetics / Crop Science

Tools

SAS

R

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Lead Plant Breeder in Polokwane, Limpopo, to drive drought-tolerant breeding programs for arid environments. You will lead breeders and geneticists, guiding germplasm evaluation, field trials, and product release in a hybrid work model with on-site and remote data analysis.

The role demands Ph.D. with 8+ years in stress-focused breeding, expertise in quantitative genetics, MAS/GS, and strong leadership.