Senior Plant Breeder - Cereal Crops (Remote, Leadership)

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

Benefits offered by this job

Global health coverage

Stock options

Remote work

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Plant Breeder to lead cereal crop breeding programs within a fully remote, globally distributed research team. You will guide crosses, trials, and data analysis to deliver yield, disease resistance, and climate resilience across wheat, maize, and rice, using MAS, GS, and genomic data.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands‑on breeding, mentoring scientists, managing germplasm, and publishing results, all while advancing global food security from

Qualifications

• PhD in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Agronomy, or related field with emphasis on quantitative genetics.
• 7+ years progressive experience in plant breeding with track record of successful varieties.
• Experience designing large-scale breeding trials and analyzing complex genotypic/phenotypic data.
• Proficiency in statistical software and genomic analysis tools.

Responsibilities

• Lead breeding programs for key cereal crops to improve yield, drought tolerance, disease resistance, and nutrition.
• Employ MAS and GS to accelerate breeding progress.
• Design and manage multi-location field trials and collect robust phenotypic data.
• Collaborate with cross-disciplinary teams and mentor researchers and technicians.

Skills

Quantitative genetics

Breeding program design

Statistical analysis

Remote team leadership

Education

PhD in Plant Breeding or Genetics

Tools

R

SAS

JMP

Genomic analysis tools

Job description

Placements24 is seeking a Senior Plant Breeder to lead cereal crop breeding programs within a fully remote, globally distributed research team. You will guide crosses, trials, and data analysis to deliver yield, disease resistance, and climate resilience across wheat, maize, and rice, using MAS, GS, and genomic data.

The role combines strategic leadership with hands‑on breeding, mentoring scientists, managing germplasm, and publishing results, all while advancing global food security from