Breeding Specialist

Overview

We are hiring a Breeding Specialist (Corn) for our Telangana, India location. The Breeding Specialist will be responsible for supporting breeding activities involving development of high-performing maize hybrids and varieties through modern breeding techniques. The role involves supporting maize product development research to meet product needs of a key market segment of India, in line with business growth. He or she is involved directly in conducting maize breeding activities, focused on yield improvement, disease and pest resistance, abiotic stress tolerance (Heat, Drought), and regional adaptability. The position requires close collaboration with Testing team, Centralized seed production team, Site operation team, molecular breeding team, population development team, pathology team and data analysis team to deliver commercially competitive corn products.

Responsibilities

Breeding & Research

• Works in conjunction with Research scientist to determine breeding methodologies/ technologies, breeding strategies including breeding population selection and management, testing, technology, application, for the identification of superior inbreds and hybrids
• Supervise the planned inbred/nursery testing program activities of seed packeting, shipping, planting, crop maintenance, labeling, harvesting and record keeping etc.
• Conduct parental selection, crossing, advancement, new population development, developing new inbred lines and evaluation programs
• Knowledge of Genetic Purity, hybridization, and pollination activities
• Assists in organizing/estimating field supplies, funds and operating logistics necessary. Serve as first contact to reach required levels of quality and productivity.
  
  

Trial Management & Data Analysis

• Maintain accurate breeding records, inventory management and germplasm documentation
• Field data compilation, conducting data quality check, generate basic reports from experiment data as per PRISM/BD protocols and help in inbred/nursery/hybrid advancement process.
  
  

Germplasm & Trait Development

• Manage corn germplasm collections and ensure proper characterization
• Execute temperate introgression and heat tolerance introgression activities
• Execute introgression of key traits such as: High yield potential, Disease and pest resistance and Quality traits (grain type, maturity, standability)
  
  

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with partners:
• Molecular breeding team for genetic purity, CMS activities and trait introgression activities
• Population development team for DH Induction activities of new Breeding populations
• Pathology team for screening inbreds and hybrids
• Centralized seed production team for Rainy North Hybrid seed production
• Site Operation Team for annual nursery activities requirements
• Hybrid trailing team for field requirements
• Site EHS team in driving Safety in all activities, reviewing JSAs, site audit etc.
  
  

Continuous Improvement

• Stay updated on advances in corn breeding, genomics, and breeding tools
• Propose innovative approaches to improve breeding efficiency and cycle time
• Contribute to intellectual property development, patent documentation and AICRP-VIC documentation
  
  

Qualification & Experience

• Graduation or Post Graduation in Plant Breeding, Genetics, Crop Science, or related field
• Specialization or thesis work in corn/maize breeding preferred
• 3–5 years of hands-on experience in corn breeding or related crop breeding roles
• Experience in hybrid development and multi-location testing
• Exposure to tropical/subtropical maize breeding is an advantage
  
  

Additional Desired Experience

• Strong knowledge of corn genetics and breeding systems
• Experience with statistical tools (e.g., R, SAS, GenStat, or similar)
• Familiarity with molecular breeding tools and genotyping platforms
• Field trial design, execution, and data interpretation
• Knowledge of seed systems and hybrid commercialization