Location
Durham, NC | United States
Job description
Avalo is a sustainable crop development company using AI to massively accelerate gene discovery and breeding. We are collaborating in major row crops and pioneering projects in understudied systems to create a new kind of crop breeding company. We're a fast-growing, dedicated group of scientists, gardeners, and engineers all rolled into one, and we're looking for people passionate about linking science and practice to create the next generation of crops. We're based in Durham, NC, but fully open to remote work, depending on the position and needs.
Please note: we're eager to train the right candidates for this role, and encourage those who meet at least two thirds of the criteria to apply.
Reports to: This position reports directly to the CSO
Location: Durham, NC ( candidates must live locally )
Compensation range (dependent on experience): $120,000-$135,000 annualized salary
Role & Responsibilities
As a Breeding Specialist at Avalo, you will play a pivotal role in advancing our mission to develop high-performing and resilient varieties of our crops. You will leverage the next generation of breeding, phenotyping, and genomic tools to the development of novel varieties, with particular emphasis on Avalo's core crop, cotton. Additionally, you will collaborate, consult, and leverage your expertise to build key datasets in other trait development projects at Avalo.
The successful candidate will be responsible for contributing scientific knowledge, technical and problem-solving expertise, and developing innovative solutions for our pipeline, as well as supporting partnerships and business development activities through your expertise as required. You should be well-organized, have great communication skills, and a passion for Avalo's mission.
Responsibilities include:
General
- At the direction of the CSO, carry out independent research with tight deadlines to achieve company goals related to discovery, research, development, project support, and commercialization
- Ensure focus on key outcomes and delivery on key objectives and milestones set by the company
- Contribute to research strategy
- Ensure scientific robustness and rigor is maintained
- Prepare and / or review study protocols, reports, and presentations
Phenotyping and data management
- Implement and oversee field trials to collect accurate and comprehensive phenotypic data on varieties
- Develop and utilize advanced phenotyping technologies, such as remote sensing, digital imaging, and spectrometric analysis to enhance phenotyping efficiency and accuracy.
- Collaborate with molecular biologists and geneticists to integrate phenotypic data into the breeding program
- Integrate field trial data with secondary phenotyping data from greenhouse trials
Variety Development and Evaluation
- Execute the quantitative genetics strategy to develop improved germplasm that are aligned with established targets
- Assess and evaluate key agronomic traits, disease resistance, and other relevant characteristics
- Contribute strong technical expertise in algorithms and systems for breeding program design and optimization, breeding goal definition, optimization of automated crossing processes, genetic evaluation, and optimization of data acquisition at scale
- Support greenhouse and growth chamber breeding activities, as well as subsequent analyses and decision reports
- Develop and manage germplasm repositories
Experimental Design
- Design and implement field experiments, considering statistical rigor to ensure reliable and reproducible results
- Work closely with data scientists to analyze and interpret phenotypic data.
- Establish and manage contract research
Collaboration
- Collaborate with interdisciplinary teams, including geneticists, biotechnologists, and agronomists, to integrate phenotypic and genotypic information for informed breeding decisions
- Engage collaborators in both academia and industry to solve novel problems and improve key agronomic traits in Avalo's breeding programs
- Technology Integration: Stay abreast of advancements in phenotyping technologies and contribute to the incorporation of new tools and methodologies into the breeding program
Other
- Fulfill a minimum operating position as necessary
- Other duties as assigned
Skills & abilities
- A Ph.D. or M.Sc. degree in plant biology, crop sciences, evolutionary biology, or a related field
- Demonstrated expertise in:
- Innovative methods of crop improvement and trait development
- Knowledge of advanced breeding technologies, advanced analytics and statistics, and/or quantitative/evolutionary genetics
- Strategic planning and allocation of breeding resources, and in product development
- Use of AI/ML to advance breeding processes
- Demonstrated excellence in scientific productivity through either peer-reviewed publications in high impact journals as lead contributor or variety releases
- Demonstrated excellence in directing collaborative research efforts and teams
- Highly motivated and tenacious, self-starter who can work independently and proactively and is able to assimilate new information quickly in a fast-moving start-up environment
- Ability to organize among competing priorities and to transition efficiently to new and emerging priorities without mishandling or failing to deliver
- Detail oriented with the ability to see the big picture and to work effectively at both high and detailed levels with the leadership and science team
- Strong sense of responsibility and high comfort level with accountability
- Willingness and capability to contribute to tasks and responsibilities outside of their job description
- Exceptional critical thinking, data analysis, and problem solving skills; experience presenting results to influence strategy and decision making
- Decisiveness - ability to make decisions in difficult or ambiguous situations when time is critical
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Intellectual curiosity and attention to detail
- Highly proficient with Microsoft and Google software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the Google equivalents), in particular spreadsheets and slide software, video conferencing software (such as Zoom, Google Meets, Teams and others), tools such as Adobe Acrobat, Notion, DocuSign, etc.
- Passion for Avalo's mission
Attendance
This is a full-time, in-person position at 40 hours per week job at our location in Durham, NC, with some opportunity for hybrid work as research activities allow
Travel
Moderate travel, including international, may be required
License/Certificate Requirements
None
Language Requirements
English
Job tags
Salary
