Research Associate-Sweet Corn

Illinois Foundation Seeds - Arlington, VA

Full-time - Entry Level

Arlington, VA

Administration of Economic Programs

About the position

The Research Associate for Sweet Corn at Illinois Foundation Seeds, Inc. is responsible for supporting the sweet corn research program through various activities including breeding, evaluation, and development of superior germplasm. This role emphasizes collaboration, integrity, and excellence in research practices, contributing to the company's mission of fostering growth in both research and relationships within the agribusiness sector.

Responsibilities

• Organize and lead activities in the breeding nursery including nursery design and seed preparation.
• Coordinate fertilizer, herbicide, and field management of nurseries and trials with third-party cooperators.
• Lead in the collection and summary of disease resistance data in the breeding nurseries.
• Oversee tissue sampling and obtain necessary phenotypic data for marker-assisted breeding projects.
• Execute research project protocols, generate high quality data, and assist in the interpretation and communication of results.
• Ensure all tasks are completed in a safe, accurate and efficient manner and lead process improvement in these areas.
• Assist in the hybrid evaluation process through collection of phenotypic data in hybrid trials and interpretation and dissemination of results.
• Participate in product advancement decisions.
• Assist in the operation, maintenance, and repair of research equipment.
• Support the production and product teams across the vegetable business unit.

Requirements

• M.S. Degree or B.S. Degree with equivalent experience in Horticulture, Crop Science, Plant Breeding and Genetics, Agronomy, or a related field.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and possess good team leadership and management skills.
• Excellent computer skills for data acquisition and reporting.
• Attention to detail and accuracy in all activities.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data.
• Ability to travel to contra-season nursery locations and various hybrid trial testing locations.
• Ability to work extra hours in a day and on weekends as needed.
• Ability to obtain and maintain pesticide applicators license.

Benefits

• Salary commensurate with experience
• Full benefit package: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, LTD, STD, 401k