High Throughput Phenotyping Research Associate – Strawberry Breeding

Driscoll’s•Watsonville, CA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The High Throughput Phenotyping Research Associate – Strawberry Breeding will support the strawberry breeding program in executing research-level breeding trials on time, with high precision and accuracy, in a safe and compliant manner, to generate high-quality data for identifying superior-performing products during the growing season. The role contributes to cultivar development, germplasm curation, and advancement of key traits that improve yield, flavor, and fruit quality to meet market demands. The position reports to the local Strawberry Breeding Scientist and contributes data and insights to support breeding decisions, applying and refining established analytical approaches to enhance data use across the organization. In alignment with Driscoll’s long-term breeding strategy, this role will support the implementation and continuous improvement of high-throughput phenotyping approaches under the direction of the breeding program, including scalable data collection systems, imaging technologies, and AI-enabled tools to support phenotypic data capture and integration into genomic prediction workflows. The position is expected to execute breeding operations with high precision while contributing to improvements in phenotyping efficiency and data quality.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree with ~5 years of relevant experience, in Agronomy, Crop Science, Plant Breeding, Statistics, or Data Science.
2–4 years of experience in applied research, agronomy, plant breeding support, phenotyping, spatial analytics, or agricultural data science.
Strong understanding of agronomy, plant physiology, experimental design, and field trial execution.
Skilled in data management and analysis tools; familiarity with genotyping workflows and breeding databases is preferred.
Strong attention to detail and commitment to accurate, high-quality data collection and reporting.
Demonstrated ability to coordinate field activities, supervise seasonal staff, and manage multiple priorities in dynamic field and research environments.
Effective communication, organizational, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Proactive mindset with initiative to improve workflows, protocols, and operational efficiency.
Flexible and capable of working effectively across field, greenhouse, laboratory, and office environments.
Commitment to safety, teamwork, and alignment with Driscoll's values of passion, humility, and trustworthiness.
Valid California driver’s license and eligibility for company vehicle insurance.
Valid passport and willingness to travel domestic and international as required.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with AI-enabled, image-based, or data-driven phenotyping tools and technologies.
Exposure to statistical analysis, visualization, or programming tools such as R, Python, Tableau, GIS, or related platforms.
Experience supporting multi-location agricultural or breeding trials.
Familiarity with plant breeding, nursery operations, or genotyping workflows.
Interest in improving phenotyping efficiency, standardization, and data quality through technology-driven approaches.

Responsibilities

Support execution of specialized breeding trials under the guidance of the Northern District Strawberry Breeder.
Coordinate field, greenhouse, nursery, and farming activities to ensure timely and accurate trial execution.
Evaluate seedlings, collect phenotypic data, maintain trial organization and inventory, and support advancement decisions.
Supervise and coordinate seasonal staff during key evaluation, harvest, and operational periods.
Execute fruit quality and postharvest evaluations including Brix, pH, flavor, shelf life, bruising, rot/mold, and color assessments across breeding stages.
Support field layout, planting, phenotyping, harvest, tissue collection, and sample coordination for genotyping and genomic selection workflows.
Drive adoption and implementation of high-throughput phenotyping approaches to enable AI- and data-driven decision-making within the breeding program.
Support high-throughput phenotyping initiatives, including imaging validation studies, trait evaluation, and integration of phenotypic data into breeding analytics and decision-support pipelines.
Apply established imaging and AI-enabled tools to support phenotyping, data quality assessment, and efficient data collection workflows.
Maintain fruit lab organization, equipment, labeling systems, and phenotyping workflows.
Validate datasets and support timely delivery of high-quality data through established analytical and statistical approaches.
Prepare summaries, reports, and analyses to support advancement, selection, and breeding decisions.
Communicate work status, priorities, and operational needs effectively across teams.
Assist with varietal newsletters, presentations, reports, grower communications, and occasional breeding program tours.
Collaborate across the global strawberry breeding network by sharing updates, learnings, and operational support as needed.
Perform additional job-related duties to support breeding operations, research initiatives, and team objectives.