R&D Technician

PART-TIME: R&D Technician – Strawberry Breeding

Location: Watsonville, CA

Salary Range: 17.00 – 20.00

Work Schedule: 16 – 29 hours per week. We are flexible on an exact schedule based on what works for the candidate butwould need them at least for two days early in the week (Mon-Tue-Wed).

Season Length: May 2024 to August 2024 (4 months, flexible between April and September)

About the Role

The technician supports the strawberry breeding team by assisting in seasonal data collection. Responsibilities include measuring and evaluating strawberry germplasm and seedling populations in fields, greenhouses, and laboratories for horticultural, physiological, pathological, and post-harvest traits. In particular, this position will support the Associate Strawberry Breeder in projects aimed to understand heritability of traits of interest in both cultivated and wild strawberry material.

In addition, this position may assist in crosses, testplot logistics, data entry, reports, and execution of related research projects.

About Driscoll’s

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 ™. For more information, please visit our website at www.driscolls.com.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for measuring and evaluating plants and fruits characteristics of strawberry germplasm, testplot or seedling populations in the field, greenhouse, and/or laboratory as directed by Research Associate, Principal Scientist or Global Director.
• Operation of instruments to measure plant and fruit quality traits.
• Responsible for accurate and timely entry of data.
• Preparation of summary and reports of data collected.
• Work as a part of the strawberry breeding team to conduct independent evaluations of hybrid seedlings and selections for horticultural characteristics, encompassing field ratings, yield, shelf life, and flavor.
• Work collaboratively with staff from other departments as needed, such as Plant Pathology, Entomology, Post-harvest Physiology and Consumer Lab to implement plant and fruit evaluation techniques.
• Preparation of plants and fruit for experiments.
• Act as a team member for the Strawberry Breeding Group. Consult and provide input to other colleagues.
• Exhibit Driscoll’s values of passion, humility and trustworthiness in all interactions. Works well in a team environment by supporting fairness, a strong work ethic, accountability to the team and leading by examples. Utilize team building and communication skills to create strong department and company alignment.
• Follow company policies and practices while representing Driscoll’s in an ethical and business-like manner in all interactions with employees, government agencies, growers, etc.
• Ensure the safekeeping of propriety varieties and confidential information.
• Maintain a safe and professional office and other work-related areas.

Qualifications

• Being enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree in plant science or agriculture discipline is required.
• Hands-on experience in plant breeding, horticulture, plant pathology, or molecular biology is desirable.
• Experience with Excel and statistical software (R, JMP, SAS) is desirable.
• Candidates must be disciplined, self-motivated, detail-oriented, and have good verbal communication in English, with Spanish language skills a plus.
• This position requires the candidate to work independently and as part of a team and collaborate with other scientists in achieving team goals.
• Must be able to work in field and agricultural settings.
• A driver’s license valid in California is required.

*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.

Job Types: Part-time, Temporary

Pay: $17.00 - $20.00 per hour

Expected hours: 16 – 29 per week

Benefits:

• Employee discount

Schedule:

• 4 hour shift
• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Monday to Friday
• No weekends

Ability to Relocate:

• Watsonville, CA 95076: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person