Careers: Mars Wrigley

Mars Wrigley - Cacao Research Collection Manager

An exciting opportunity to work on Cacao, a unique and understudied tropical tree that is the source of chocolate, in 25,000 ft2 of recently completed, state of the art greenhouses on the UC Davis campus. The Research Collection Manager will be responsible for the ongoing care and maintenance of a germplasm collection currently consisting of 500+ mature cacao accessions and a seedling nursery, and assisting with new introductions, transplanting and ongoing maintenance to continue building the collection in coming years. Position will support the Mars Wrigley Genetics and Breeding program as well as graduate student research at UC Davis through plant propagation, irrigation and nutrition management, pruning and pest scouting, inventory management and setup of infrastructure (benches, irrigation, sensors) to support research.

Candidate will also be responsible, in collaboration with the UC Davis Greenhouse Core staff and facilities, for the upkeep, maintenance and monitoring of greenhouse functions, and programming and monitoring environmental conditions in six separate climate rooms.


Candidate should have background in horticulture and strong experience with growing container plants- (experience with woody perennials and tropical plants a plus). Strong background or experience in plant nutrition, pest and disease management, and woody plant propagation sought.

Required Qualifications

  • Undergraduate degree in horticulture, plant sciences, agronomy or related field
  • Graduate work or equivalent industry experience (3+ years) in horticulture
  • Demonstrated leadership skills and an ability to supervise, train and manage technicians
  • Strong intrapersonal skills in interfacing with researchers, visitors, students and team members
  • Proactive self-starter with attention to detail and willingness to learn
  • Ability to lift 50+ pounds, and operate under hot greenhouse conditions over 90F
  • Current Driver’s License
  • Effective time management, ability to oversee multiple research projects with overlapping timelines
  • Data entry and analysis in excel, familiarity in using and maintaining databases and inventories
  • Ability to work in the U.S.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience in image based and physiological phenotyping platforms
  • Data entry and analysis in excel, familiarity in using and maintaining databases and inventories
  • Experience working with Argus Titan or comparable greenhouse control system
  • Ability to travel for occasional trainings

Please send cover letter and resume to ashley.duval@effem.com before August 5th.