Winter Nursery Station Lead- Pto Vallarta

Job Id: 10297

City: Jalisco, Jalisco, Mexico

Department: BREEDING

Employee Type: Permanent Full Time

Seniority Level: Mid-Senior level

Company Overview

Advanta is a global seed business adapting to rapidly increasing food insecurity and climate change by providing farmers with innovation and new technologies. As part of UPL Group, Advanta aims to deliver high-quality seeds with excellent agronomic practices and crop protection solutions. Advanta operates in over 80 countries under global brands of Advanta, Alta, and Pacific Seeds. Advanta holds a leadership position in tropical and sub-tropical geographies in corn, grain and forage sorghum, sunflower, canola, rice, and a variety of vegetables. With over 60 years' experience in plant genetics, Advanta provides seed technology that ensures crop performance and farmer prosperity.

Main Objective of the Role
To provide leadership and management oversight of corn and sorghum Winter nursery Station in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Main Responsibilities

• Responsible for performing all aspects of the station’s winter nurseries supporting breeding program:
  • Seed packaging, planting, pollinating, note taking, harvest and shelling.
  • Administer breeding nurseries, crossing blocks, and germplasm shipments.
  • Inventory and maintenance of seed stocks.
  • Manage import/export seed shipments and official phyto-certificate applications.
• Recruiting, training, and supervising work with crews in field trials, nurseries, and seed lab.
• Cost-effectively manage the day-to-day operation of the Station, providing recommendations for the purchase of needed equipment and assisting in hiring needed professional researchers and field operation team members.
• Accountable for the effective execution and coordination of all research, corn, and sorghum winter nurseries activities at the Station. Ensuring that high-quality trials and nurseries are implemented, maintained, assessed, and the resulting data reported to stakeholders in a timely and efficient manner.
• Establish and maintain, at the Station, a seed bank, corn and sorghum increase, and crossing blocks as required to execute projects successfully.
• Search for and implement innovative technologies and ensure that state-of-the-art research is implemented at the Station.
• Ensure that technical know-how on products and technologies is maintained internally and effectively transferred to concerned departments.
• Create an efficient network with internal stakeholders and other R&D departments.
• Take all measures needed in obtaining and/or maintaining EOR accreditation for the Station.
• Use of MS Office programs especially Excel, Word, and Outlook, and learning in-house plant breeding software programs.
• Maintain the highest level of confidentiality, customer service, and professionalism that promotes a positive image of the company and the research department.

Qualifications

• Able to work well independently and with team members in a professional and respectful manner.
• Ability to organize and oversee multiple projects concurrently to meet deadlines.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Flexibility to travel approximately 10 nights per year and to work extended hours, including weekends, during planting, pollination, and harvest seasons as needed.

Education / Experience Requirements:

• Master’s Degree or equivalent / B.S. degree in an agricultural field with more than 5 years of experience in seed research or breeding.
• Experience operating and repairing agricultural equipment desired.
• Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint preferred) and common PC-based software.
• 5 years of experience in the relevant field.

Location
Puerto Vallarta - MX

Company Culture
We are one team, for maximum impact. One team with shared goals. We all play for the team and no one plays against the team. We have a laser-like focus on what our customers need and want, on anticipating their future needs and on how we can create innovative solutions and experiences for them.