Senior Plant Breeder: Lead Crop Improvement & Genomics

Placements24; Stellenbosch; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Highly competitive salary and benefits

State-of-the-art facilities and tech

Professional development funding

Retirement savings & health insurance

Generous paid time off

Impactful scientific discovery

Job summary

Placements24 seeks a Senior Plant Breeder for a premier agricultural research institution in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Lead crop-improvement initiatives, design breeding programs, and drive genetic gains on-site with a multidisciplinary team.

You will apply genetics, molecular breeding, and field trial methods to deliver new varieties with higher yield, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability, contributing to sustainable food production.

Qualifications

• PhD required in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Agronomy, or closely related field.
• Minimum 8 years hands-on experience in crop breeding programs with proven release track record.
• Strong knowledge of plant genetics, molecular breeding techniques, and field trial data analysis.
• Experience with breeding methods (conventional, MAS, GBS) and managing germplasm collections.
• Excellent leadership, mentoring, scientific writing, and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage plant breeding programs for selected crops.
• Use genetic and molecular tech (marker-assisted, genomic selection) to speed progress.
• Conduct field trials to evaluate germplasm under diverse environments.
• Analyze phenotypic and genotypic data to select parents for crosses.
• Develop strategies to improve yield, stress tolerance, and quality traits.
• Oversee germplasm generation and maintenance.
• Mentor junior breeders, RAs, and field technicians.
• Collaborate with pathology, agronomy, biotech researchers to meet breeding goals.
• Prepare proposals, secure funding, and manage budgets.
• Publish findings through papers and conferences.

Skills

Leadership

Mentoring

Scientific writing

Communication

Bioinformatics

Statistical software

Project management

Education

PhD in Plant Breeding / Genetics / Agronomy

Tools

Bioinformatics software

Job description

Placements24 seeks a Senior Plant Breeder for a premier agricultural research institution in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. Lead crop-improvement initiatives, design breeding programs, and drive genetic gains on-site with a multidisciplinary team.

You will apply genetics, molecular breeding, and field trial methods to deliver new varieties with higher yield, disease resistance, and environmental adaptability, contributing to sustainable food production.