Director of Breeding
About the role
Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Director of Breeding. This position will be located as a remote position.
Responsibilities
Shape and lead our global blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry breeding strategy, building innovative genetics pipelines and partnering across the organization to bring differentiated varieties from breeding through commercial release.
Lead Fall Creek's global breeding strategy and provide leadership across our blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry breeding programs.
Set the long-term direction for our breeding pipeline while ensuring our programs continue to improve genetic gain, selection accuracy, efficiency, and commercial impact.
Develop and lead a multi-year global breeding roadmap aligned with Fall Creek's business and product strategies.
Build and advance strong genetics pipelines from breeding through commercial release.
Improve breeding processes, selection accuracy, efficiency, and genetic gain.
Advance the use of genomics, phenomics, data science, statistical analysis, and other tools within the breeding program.
Partner closely with Applied Research, Commercial, Production, and other teams to ensure breeding priorities align with customer and business needs.
Lead, develop, and mentor breeding team members while building strong technical and organizational capabilities.
Manage breeding resources, budgets, external partnerships, and priorities.
Communicate breeding progress, opportunities, risks, and recommendations to key stakeholders and leadership.
Support a collaborative, innovative, and results-focused breeding culture across Fall Creek's global organization.
Travel domestically and internationally as needed, approximately 25%.
Requirements
Graduate degree in plant breeding, genetics, horticulture, agronomy, biology, or related field; PhD preferred.
10+ years of progressive experience in plant breeding, with 5+ years direct leadership responsibility.
Deep experience with perennial crop breeding; Berry crop experience preferred.
Proven track record of moving genetics from concept through commercial release.
Strong working knowledge and in-field deployment experience in phenomics, genomics, and breeding data management systems and statistical analysis.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and influence stakeholders at all levels.
Experience managing field programs, budgets, and external research partnerships.
Strong communication, organizational, and decision-making skills.