Blueberry Breeding Seasonal Employee

JOB DESCRIPTION

TITLE: Blueberry Breeding Seasonal Employee

DEPARTMENT: Blueberry Breeding

LOCATIONS: Sandy Ridge Farm, Albany OR (main location) and Driscoll’s Commercial Cooler, Canby, OR.

HOURLY PAY: $20.00 [40 hours per week]

SEASON DURATION: June 10 to September 13, 2024

JOB SUMMARY:

The seasonal Blueberry Breeding employee will be involved in day-to-day breeding program activities and data collection in both field and lab settings. These responsibilities will include (but not limited to) packing fruit, collecting yield data, postharvest berry evaluations, and test plot management that includes irrigation, fertigation, and weed management.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Have 1-3 year’s experience working with horticultural crops.
• Experience in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Candidate must be self-motivated and have the ability to work independently with minimal instruction.
• Must be able to stand or walk for extended periods of time.
• Have flexibility in working hours (Monday through Friday), some days may start as early as 5:30 AM.
• Have reliable transportation to work location. Be able to work in an office, commercial cooler, and an outdoor field environment where temperatures and conditions can be variable.
• Candidate must have strong written and verbal communication skills to effectively collaborate with other team members.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Oregon driver’s license and the ability to be covered under company-sponsored vehicle insurance program.
• Be focused, detail oriented, and able to work independently.
• Be reliable, honest, passionate, and trustworthy.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist in the development and management of experimental plots in both soil and substrate. This includes, but is not limited to, weeding, pruning out diseased plants, checking and fixing irrigation lines, and measuring EC and pH of substrate pots.
• Accurately and efficiently collect and enter in-field and post-harvest phenotypic data of blueberry test plots for successful breeding decisions.
• Assist in packing harvested fruit for post-harvest analysis.
• Collect and prepare soil and plant material for pathology and nutrient analysis.
• Ensure Driscoll’s confidential and proprietary information and materials.
• Adhere to food safety requirements while on the job sites.
• Other duties as assigned.*

ABOUT THE COMPANY:

Driscoll’s is the global market leader for fresh strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. With more than 100 years of farming heritage and hundreds of independent growers around the world, Driscoll’s is passionate about growing fresh, beautiful and delicious berries. Our values of humility, passion and trustworthiness have guided our mission to delight consumers around the world.

Driscoll’s exclusive patented berry varieties are developed through years of research using only natural breeding methods – meaning, no GMOs. From farm-to-table, we focus on delivering a high quality, premium berry experience with our many supply chain partners.

Driscoll’s is the trusted brand for Only the Finest Berries ™.

*This job description is intended to describe the general nature of the work performed by employees in this job. It is not an exhaustive list of all the job's responsibilities. At Driscoll’s, all of our jobs include broad responsibilities for continually improving the processes we use to develop our products.

Job Type: Temporary

Pay: $20.00 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Referral program
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Farming: 1 year (Preferred)
• Horticulture: 1 year (Required)

License/Certification:

• Oregon DL (Required)

Work Location: In person