Sakata Seed America, a subsidiary of Sakata Seed Corporation located in Yokohama, Japan, was established in 1977.  We are headquartered in Morgan Hill, California and have facilities around the U.S. and in Mexico and Guatemala.

POSITION REPORTS TO:  Senior Breeder – Spinach

JOB SUMMARY: :

Responsible for assisting in performing and/or coordinating diverse tasks such as sowing, transplanting, crop maintenance, sanitation, harvesting, evaluation, record keeping, and seed extraction for the spinach breeding program. Seasonal responsibilities collaborating/assisting activities in beet, chard, and pumpkin breeding programs.  Most activities will be performed at/from the Mount Vernon, Washington Station and be conducted in accordance with specific directions and protocols. This role is responsible for assisting in the evaluation, development, and identification of competitive spinach, beet, chard, and pumpkin varieties.  Some overnight travel may be necessary, but not frequently.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assists in evaluation of trials. Takes detailed phenotypic notes as the varieties approach horticultural maturity. Assists the project leader in their evaluation or completes the evaluation as required.
• Assists in writing summary reports for each trial.  Provide project leader with supporting data, photos, and notes.
• Assists in coordinating the harvesting and evaluation of yield for designated entries.
• Assists in coordinating the harvesting and cleaning of selections made in each trial.
• Manages the greenhouse program ensuring that pollination, plant training, and pruning is done at the appropriate times and without undue injury to the plants.
• To insure that crops remain reasonably free of insect pests and foliar diseases (in cooperation with agents from scouting services and designated station personnel) this individual must make sure that crops are sprayed as needed with the appropriate chemicals.
• May assist in trial design. Responsible for managing the delivery of the plants to the field and the accurate planting/transplanting of the entries to their map designated locations. Responsible for seeing to it that each entry is visibly labeled for ease at evaluation.
• Sows and prepares seed for field trials.
• Takes every reasonable opportunity to enhance the quality of transplants before taking them to the field.
• This position requires serving as a work leader for a group of field workers or technical employees by assigning work, providing technical direction and coordinating activities to assure timely completion of tasks.
• Assist in the maintenance and development of the Plant Breeding Database.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES:

• Ability to do accurate detailed work under time constraints and deadlines
• Must be able to keep accurate and timely records.
• Ability to communicate well in written and spoken English. Bilingual English/Spanish and/or English/Japanese desirable.
• Must be able to use a spreadsheet, database, and word processing program.
• Must be able to work extra hours or weekend duty as assigned.

EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• BA/BS degree in agricultural or biotechnology related field required.  Higher levels of education and/or related work experience preferred.

EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND:

• Agriculture experience and/or crop experience desired.
• Farm background desirable.
• Thorough competency in basic computing skills required.  Experience with databases, spreadsheets, and statistical software preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

• Must have valid driver’s license.
• Must already be eligible for employment in the USA – visa sponsorships will not be considered for this role.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Must have ability to perform work in all necessary weather conditions.
• Must be able to travel as necessary.
• Must have ability to lift over 50 pounds on a regular/daily basis.
• Must be able to work with chemicals and other irritating substances.
• Must be able to wear personal protective gear when required.
• Must be able to work in hot, cold, dusty, windy, and wet conditions.
• Must be able to stand and/or walk for long periods of time.

APPLICATIONS

Please send application and CV to hr@sakata.com 

Sakata is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty (as described above) satisfactorily.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.