Are you a driven and ambitious individual seeking an opportunity to make a meaningful impact in a dynamic startup? Do you have experience in trait development, breeding and agronomy? Are you passionate about addressing agricultural challenges to bolster food security in the face of climate change? If so, we could be the perfect match for you!

About Us

We are Olsaro Crop Biotech, a pioneering trait development and pre-breeding startup dedicated to developing solutions that empower agriculture to withstand a changing climate. Our focus is on enhancing crop resilience through innovative genetic materials, with the first focus on wheat. From tackling abiotic stresses like salinity and heat to improving nitrogen use efficiency, we are at the forefront of trait development innovation to support resilience and global food security.

Having closed a successful seed funding round, we are scaling our efforts both technologically and commercially, aiming for food system resilience for future generations.

Role Overview

As our Agronomist and Trait Breeder, you will play a pivotal role in our trait development initiatives. Your expertise in agronomy, crossing, field trials, trait development and evaluation will drive our mission forward by developing robust and climate-adapted wheat. Your contribution will be essential in creating foundational genetic materials that address the challenges of tomorrow’s agriculture.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement efficient crossing via marker assisted selection for validating and developing pre-breeding materials in key crops, starting with wheat.
• Technical coordination of field trials performed at the fields of our partners globally. Including development of trial protocols, coordination of trial execution, ensuring accurate and harmonized reporting as well as interpretation of results.
• Ensuring good agronomic practice in field and greenhouse operations.
• Conduct field and greenhouse experiments to evaluate traits such as salinity tolerance, heat resistance, and nitrogen use efficiency. Including plant phenotyping for trait selection.
• Crossing and introgression to develop elite material with desirable traits.
• Contribute to phytosanitary processes and seed logistics to ensure on time delivery of seeds for field seasons. 
• Support in germplasm management and maintenance to ensure quality and consistency.
• Taking part of customer/partner dialogs with regards to field trials, as well as taking part of field trial partner identification
• Collaborate closely with our research and development team to design and execute experiments, analyze data, interpret and communicate results.

Required Qualifications

• M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Plant Breeding, Agronomy, or a related field. With experience in wheat or other field crops.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in trait development, plant breeding, agronomy, or pre-breeding.
• Knowledge of the seed industry and agricultural sector. Experience from working in a commercial setting is a strong plus.
• Proficiency in trait development, including marker assisted crossing methodologies, field trial design, phenotyping, and data analysis (preferably in wheat)
• Proficiency in good trialing and agronomic practices e.g. supervising pest and weed control operations, conducting surveys of insect or plant diseases, production processes such as harvesting
• Excellent ability to work as part of a team, sharing responsibilities, communicating results, and collaborating on solving complex problems.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines in a fast-paced research environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to design and execute experiments independently.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills to work closely with diverse teams and stakeholders both internally and externally.
• Attention to detail and commitment to quality, safety, and research integrity.
• Ability to thrive in a fast phased commercial R&D environment with curiosity and constant development as part of the organizational DNA.
• Proficiency in English.

Preferred Experiences

• Experience managing field and greenhouse operations.
• Experience in agricultural biotechnology.
• Familiarity with plant tissue culture, gene editing (e.g., CRISPR), or related lab techniques.

Join Us

If you're an ambitious Agronomist and Trait Breeder with a passion for making a meaningful impact in agriculture, we invite you to join our journey to revolutionize crop pre-breeding and to contribute to our mission of advancing climate adaption in cereals.

Position Details

• Type: Full-time, permanent (6-month probationary period applies)
• Start Date: From 1^st of April, 2025 (flexible based on candidate availability)
• Location: Gothenburg, Sweden (Medicinaregatan 9C). Physical attendance required.

How to apply

Please provide your CV and cover letter outlining your qualifications and relevant experience.

Application Deadline: February 24th 2025. Applications will be evaluated continuously.

For more information and questions

Website: http://olsaro.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/olsaro