Media Preparation Supervisor, Plant Tissue Culture Lab

Driscoll’s • Watsonville, CA

3d • $24 - $29

About The Position

The Nursery is a critical component of the Driscoll’s business model, enabling berry production and revenue growth through the propagation of plants for our growers. The Nursery motto is to deliver plants In-Volume, On-Time, On-Grade and Within Cost. The Media Preparation Supervisor plays a critical role in supporting Driscoll’s Plant Tissue Culture Laboratory by overseeing the daily preparation, formulation, and sterilization of culture media used across tissue culture operations. Culture media quality and consistency are essential to successful plant propagation, and this role ensures that all media is prepared accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with established laboratory protocols and quality standards. This position supervises the media preparation team and coordinates daily workflows to support laboratory production needs. The Supervisor ensures adherence to laboratory procedures, safety standards, and documentation requirements while maintaining reliable production schedules and media availability for tissue culture operations. The role also monitors inventory of raw materials and supplies, supports equipment maintenance, and assists in troubleshooting issues that may affect media preparation quality or workflow efficiency. By providing operational leadership and maintaining strong quality control practices, the Media Preparation Supervisor helps ensure the laboratory consistently delivers high-quality culture media to support plant propagation and research activities.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Plant Science, Biology, Horticulture, Biotechnology, Chemistry, or a related field.
• 2+ years of hands-on experience in culture media preparation, laboratory reagent preparation, or related sterile-technique work in academic or industry laboratory settings.
• 2+ years of experience working in plant tissue culture laboratories, biological laboratories, or related production environments.
• Experience with laboratory media preparation and sterile laboratory environments, plant tissue culture or biological laboratory operations, laboratory production workflows and quality control, and inventory and laboratory materials management.
• Aseptic laboratory techniques and contamination prevention – Advanced.
• Operation of laboratory equipment including autoclaves, balances, pH meters, filtration systems, and media preparation equipment – Advanced
• Knowledge of plant tissue culture media components including macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, gelling agents, and plant growth regulators – Intermediate.
• Inventory management and laboratory documentation practices – Intermediate.
• Troubleshooting laboratory production issues and root-cause analysis – Intermediate.

Responsibilities

• Oversee daily preparation, sterilization, and dispensing of plant tissue culture media in accordance with established protocols and production requirements.
• Supervise, coordinate, and prioritize the work of media preparation technicians to ensure safe, efficient, and timely completion of tasks.
• Train and mentor laboratory staff on aseptic techniques, equipment operation, safety procedures, and standard laboratory practices.
• Ensure all media preparation documentation, batch records, and quality control logs are completed accurately and maintained according to laboratory standards.
• Monitor inventory levels of media components, chemicals, and laboratory supplies; coordinate reordering to prevent shortages or production disruptions.
• Support scheduling and workflow planning to align media preparation output with tissue culture production needs.
• Identify, troubleshoot, and resolve routine issues related to media preparation, sterilization processes, equipment operation, or contamination events.
• Recommend and support improvements to laboratory workflows, processes, and practices to enhance efficiency, quality, and safety.
• Coordinate with tissue culture production teams, laboratory staff, and management to meet operational priorities and production timelines.
• Ensure compliance with laboratory safety standards, chemical handling requirements, and applicable regulatory guidelines.
• Travel domestically and internationally as required, up to 10%.

Benefits

• Driscoll’s is committed to a culture of care and offers an attractive benefits package that includes comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, life insurance, and disability coverage for positions working more than 30 hours per week.
• Other benefits include: 401(k) with employer match, profit-sharing participation, paid sick time, paid vacation, paid personal and family care leave, and a free Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees