Junior Potato Breeder

Job Description

Job Description

Position Title: Junior Potato Breeder

Location: Aptos, CA

Type: Full-time

Ohalo™ is seeking an organized and detailed-oriented Junior Potato Breeder to take ownership of greenhouse nursery activities as well as field portions within our innovative potato program. This role is ideal for a driven early-career scientist with at least two years of experience in potato breeding, who is eager to innovate and grow professionally in a fast-paced, high-impact startup environment. The breeder will play a critical role in the execution of Ohalo's groundbreaking Boosted Breeding™ platform, managing key processes in greenhouse, data collection, and material advancement to enable revolutionary gains in crop yield and breeding efficiency.

Responsibilities:

• Take full ownership of planning and executing nursery activities to ensure high-quality seed production
• Assess plant vigor, yield, and desirable agronomic characteristics across greenhouse and field trials to identify top-performing genetic material
• Maintain accurate and organized records of plants, seed inventory, and breeding progress across environments and generations
• Collaborate with greenhouse operators to ensure optimal plant health and generation time
• Work with Research Associates and Scientists to execute experiments, analyze data, and communicate results for a variety of experiments simultaneously
• Participate in scientific discussions, contribute to continuous improvement in breeding operations, and present research outcomes to peers and leadership

Qualifications:

• 2+ years experience in experience in a potato breeding program
• Ability to successfully juggle multiple projects to meet intertwined deadlines
• Meticulous approach to planning with failsafes to prevent pitfalls
• Ability to accurately follow, develop, and communicate detailed plans
• Hands-on approach with a history of success
• Must be detail-oriented, well-organized, and good at record keeping
• Positive attitude and good interpersonal skills
• Enthusiastic about potato breeding technology with a desire to overturn conventional breeding and production systems
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to work creatively in a dynamic, data driven start-up environment

Preferred Qualifications:

• Hands-on experience with potato crossing and germplasm curation/management
• Experience managing data and using statistical analysis to drive decisions

The anticipated pay range for this role is $95K - $110K per year for our Aptos, CA location. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.

A bout Ohalo Genetics:

Ohalo™ aims to accelerate evolution to unlock nature's potential. Founded in 2019, Ohalo develops novel breeding systems and improved plant varieties that help farmers grow more food with fewer natural resources, increasing the yield, resiliency, and genetic diversity of crops to sustainably feed our population. Ohalo's breakthrough technology, Boosted Breeding™, will usher in a new era of improved productivity to radically transform global agriculture. For more information, visit

Notes: If you previously applied for a job at Ohalo Genetics, we encourage you to restate your interest in the position by submitting your application.

No visa sponsorship is available for this position at this time.

No recruiters, please.