Remote Plant Breeding Scientist - Horticulture

Placements24; Pretoria; Hybrid; ZAR 1,200,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Fully remote work

Flexible schedule

Health benefits

Retirement savings plan

Generous leave entitlement

Global collaboration opportunities

Job summary

Placements24 seeks an innovative Horticultural Scientist specializing in Plant Breeding to develop new varieties with disease resistance, higher yields, and enhanced nutrition. The role is fully remote, enabling collaboration with global teams from home base, potentially near Pretoria.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD and 5+ years in plant breeding, with strong genetics knowledge, experimental design, and publication history.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Horticulture, Genetics or closely related field.
• Minimum 5 years of plant breeding research experience in horticultural crops.
• Strong background in quantitative genetics, molecular breeding and experimental design.
• Proficiency in statistical software and bioinformatics tools.
• Excellent scientific writing and publication record.
• Ability to work independently and manage remote research projects.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute plant breeding programs for selected horticultural crops using modern techniques.
• Evaluate germplasm, conduct field trials, and collect data on performance, disease resistance, yield, and quality.
• Maintain detailed records of breeding lines, experimental data, and progeny performance.
• Identify and introduce new genetic resources and technologies to boost efficiency.
• Collaborate with geneticists, plant pathologists, and researchers to address crop-improvement challenges.
• Analyze breeding data with statistical software and guide selection decisions.
• Prepare scientific reports and papers for publication; present findings at conferences.
• Oversee quarantine, testing, and seed increase of new varieties.
• Ensure biosafety and ethical standards in plant breeding research.

Skills

Quantitative genetics

Molecular breeding

Statistical analysis

Bioinformatics tools

Scientific writing

Communication skills

Education

Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Horticulture or Genetics

Tools

R

SAS

JMP

Job description

Placements24 seeks an innovative Horticultural Scientist specializing in Plant Breeding to develop new varieties with disease resistance, higher yields, and enhanced nutrition. The role is fully remote, enabling collaboration with global teams from home base, potentially near Pretoria.

The ideal candidate holds a PhD and 5+ years in plant breeding, with strong genetics knowledge, experimental design, and publication history.