Plant Breeder & Crop Improvement Specialist (Hybrid)

Placements24; Gqeberha; Hybrid; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Research grants

International collaboration

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Placements24 invites a PhD-level Plant Breeder to join a leading agricultural research institution in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. You will design breeding programs, conduct field trials, and integrate MAS/GS tools to advance crop genetics for South Africa.

You will collaborate with molecular biologists and agronomists, maintain detailed records, and prepare reports for conferences. The role blends on-site laboratory work with field activities and remote data analysis.

Qualifications

• PhD required in a relevant field.
• Minimum 6 years' experience in plant breeding research.
• Experience designing and executing field trials and analyzing genetic data.
• Familiarity with MAS and GS techniques.
• Proficiency with statistical software (SAS, R, GenStat).
• Strong understanding of Eastern Cape crop conditions.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement plant breeding programs for target crops focusing on yield, quality, disease resistance, and stress tolerance.
• Conduct field trials, collect data on performance, and perform statistical analysis of breeding data.
• Use conventional breeding with MAS/GS to accelerate breeding.
• Evaluate germplasm and select promising lines for development.
• Manage seed increase and purification of improved varieties.
• Collaborate with molecular biologists, agronomists, and pathologists to integrate multidisciplinary breeding strategies.
• Maintain breeding records, research notes, and databases.
• Stay updated on plant genetics and breeding technologies.
• Prepare research reports and presentations for conferences.

Skills

Plant breeding

Quantitative genetics

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Agronomy, or a related field

Tools

SAS

R

GenStat

Job description

Placements24 invites a PhD-level Plant Breeder to join a leading agricultural research institution in Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. You will design breeding programs, conduct field trials, and integrate MAS/GS tools to advance crop genetics for South Africa.

You will collaborate with molecular biologists and agronomists, maintain detailed records, and prepare reports for conferences. The role blends on-site laboratory work with field activities and remote data analysis.