Genome-Guided Plant Breeder – Open Position
Full-time position located in Davis, California
Contact Kathryn Cook, CEO at NuCicer to apply - kcook@nucicer.com
About Us
At NuCicer we believe everyone should have access to high-quality, affordable, and nutritious
protein. We also believe our food sources should contribute to sustainable solutions without
compromising on quality or affordability. As our global population continues to grow, demand for
protein increases along with the environmental impacts of our food system, making this an urgent
and complex challenge.
Our team at NuCicer is reinventing the chickpea with high-protein content, customized functional
and nutritional properties, and improved environmental resilience to enable a sustainable,
nutritious future!
Job Description
We are looking for a Senior Plant Breeder to lead our accelerated lifecycle, molecular breeding
programs and develop market-winning chickpea varieties. As part of our genomic crop improvement
team, you will design and implement a “speed breeding” platform that incorporates molecular
breeding to leverage the full potential of NuCicer’s unique chickpea germplasm. You will work
closely with our computational biologists, geneticists, and research scientists to drive innovation
through our product development pipeline.
Role & Responsibilities
• In coordination with the CSO, define breeding methodologies and develop molecular breeding
programs to create new parent lines and commercial-ready varieties in line with market needs.
• Design and implement innovative breeding techniques, working with a team of computational
biologists and geneticists to improve breeding efficiency and maximize genetic gains.
• Design, implement, and manage an accelerated lifecycle growth platform (“speed breeding”) to
streamline generational advancement and significantly reduce time to market.
• Introduce breeding database software and tools.
• Evaluate the latest research developments in molecular and accelerated lifecycle breeding and
adopt tools and technologies as appropriate.
• Train and supervise assistant breeders to support the breeding programs.
• Actively participate in tactical planning and hands on execution to meet near-term goals that
connect with long-term vision for our breeding platform.
• Manage breeding programs, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
• Manage the transition of breeding material into field trials, including designing field trial
experiments and working with internal team members and partners to implement the trials.
• Effective communication and teamwork are essential for the success of this position to
translate predictive breeding theory into applied breeding practices.
Skills & Qualities
• PhD in a relevant discipline within Plant Sciences, including Plant Breeding, Genetics,
Genomics Plant Biology, or related discipline.
• Or Master’s Degree with significant work experience. Academic specialization in Agricultural
or Plant Sciences, which may include Plant Breeding, Genetics, Genomics, Plant Biology, or related
discipline.
• Several years’ experience successfully designing and implementing crop breeding programs
(either as a PhD thesis or applied commercially).
• Knowledgeable in plant breeding techniques with experience applying quantitative genetic,
computational biology, and statics in plant breeding programs.
• Skilled at observation, phenotyping, and optimizing selection strategies.
• Proficient in R or Python for statistical analysis of large databases.
• Experience working with software and algorithms for optimizing breeding efficiency.
• Basic understanding of bioinformatics and genomics.
• Strong program management skills – defining vision, planning projects, launching new
activities, driving execution, and managing tradeoffs between schedule, quality, and budget.
• Effective communication, written and verbal.
• Organized, self-starter with prior experience working in small teams.
• Remains abreast of scientific and technological developments in field of expertise.