Potato Breeding Technician

About the role

PepsiCo is a major food enterprise sourcing a variety of raw materials of agricultural origin such as tuber, grain, and fruit & vegetable crops around the world. A motivated, hands-on breeding technician with a passion for plants and experience working in a greenhouse, nursery, growth room, or horticultural/agricultural production environment is needed to execute breeding activities primarily across potatoes and oat, with potential expansion to other crops at a PepsiCo breeding facility in Rhinelander, WI. The breeding technician will play a critical role in the propagation, cultivation, maintenance, and evaluation of breeding materials, while helping ensure healthy plant growth and successful breeding operations. This position will work closely with breeders, assistant breeders, and other technicians to execute breeding activities and maintain high-quality plant production in greenhouses, large walk-in growth chambers, field environments, and seed storage facilities. The position sits in the Agro Raw Materials Discovery function within PepsiCo foods R&D and is located at the PepsiCo research facility in Rhinelander, WI.

Responsibilities

• Work with potato and oat breeders, assistant breeders, and other technicians to perform tasks primarily in greenhouses and growth room settings with additional responsibilities in supporting the work completed in the fields and phenotyping facilities.
• Support daily greenhouse, growth room, and controlled-environment operations that are essential to successful breeding activities.
• Perform plant propagation activities including seeding, transplanting, cuttings, tuber handling, vegetative propagation, and establishment of healthy breeding materials.
• Prepare growth areas, growing media, containers, irrigation systems, and environmental controls to ensure optimal crop growth.
• Conduct routine plant care activities including watering, fertilization, pruning, staking, training, integrated pest management, and general crop maintenance.
• Monitor plant health and environmental conditions and proactively identify and address crop issues related to growth, pests, diseases, or abiotic stress.
• Assist with crossing, pollination, seed extraction, tissue collection, pathogen testing, harvest activities, and inventory management.
• Maintain accurate records of plant materials, growth stages, breeding activities, and greenhouse operations using PepsiCo's digital systems.
• Work with breeders and assistant breeders to phenotype breeding trials in the field and at the phenotyping facility, including in-season phenotyping, oats milling and phenotyping operations, raw potato grading at harvest, and chip frying and processing traits.
• Support field activities including pulling seed, planting, transplanting, seed cutting, sample pulling, roguing, and harvesting.
• Ensure accurate records are taken and entered in a timely fashion.
• Utilize barcoding and inventory software to track and store seed, tuber, plant, and seed samples.
• Continuously identify opportunities for improving efficiency and quality of breeding operations, including processes, techniques, and workflow.
• Comply with local EHS requirements, including prevention, incident reporting, and remedial actions. Support local EHS efforts onsite through ownership or co-ownership of a safety program, completion of required training, and attendance at all EHS meetings.
• Adapt to unexpected delays and changes in workflows to maintain overall productivity.

Qualifications

• BS preferred in Horticulture, Plant Science, Plant Breeding, Agronomy, Greenhouse Management, Crop Science, Biology, Agricultural Science, or a related discipline.
• Relevant experience in an active breeding/genetics program, greenhouse, nursery, plant production, or horticulture is preferred, but all qualified applicants will be considered.
• Experience with plant propagation techniques such as seeding, transplanting, cuttings, grafting, or vegetative propagation is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated passion for working with plants and maintaining healthy, high-quality crops in controlled-environment systems.
• Experience monitoring plant health, diagnosing crop issues, and performing routine plant care activities.
• Experience collecting plant data and maintaining accurate records is preferred.
• Familiarity with greenhouse environmental controls, irrigation systems, fertility programs, pest management, and crop maintenance practices is beneficial.
• Ability to work independently while managing multiple plant production and research activities simultaneously.
• Meticulous attention to detail and ability to maintain precise, reliable records; demonstrate consistency and accuracy in completing repetitive or routine tasks.
• Ability to adapt effectively to shifting priorities, fluid schedules, and evolving responsibilities while sustaining high standards of performance.
• Demonstrated experience in collecting data from plants and curating them for consistency and quality prior to uploading in company databases.
• Demonstrated ability to manage activities within assigned resources/budgets.
• Ability to distinguish mission-critical priorities from nonessential tasks; exercises sound judgment in identifying next impactful actions.
• Excellent communication and networking ability with the local PepsiCo community and remote team.
• Proficiency in basic software and communication technologies such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Webex, Outlook, and relational databases.
• Proven ability to work closely with colleagues on activities with a high degree of flexibility and comfort with change.
• Ability to be an ambassador of change and build consensus among others to enable activities and projects at the local facility.
• Ability to balance the need to deliver on time, on target, within resources, and with expected quality and quantity.

Pay

The expected compensation range for this position is between $54,700 - $82,050. Location, confirmed job-related skills, experience, and education will be considered in setting actual starting salary.

Benefits

• Paid time off subject to eligibility, including paid parental leave, vacation, sick, and bereavement.
• Comprehensive benefits package to support employees and their families, subject to elections and eligibility:
  • Medical, Dental, Vision
  • Disability, Health, and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Insurance (Accident, Group Legal, Life)
  • Defined Contribution Retirement Plan