Rice Breeder at Olam

The Rice Breeder, under immediate supervision of the General Manager/Business head. H/She will undertake activities related to the breeding pipelines development for Olam Rice Farm.

The successful candidate will:

• Develop high yielding varieties corresponding to desired product profiles, in close collaboration with farm and mill teams, by combining good agronomic traits, desirable grain quality, and tolerance/resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses through conventional breeding approach.
• Plans and carries out breeding studies to develop and improve varieties of Rice: Improves specific characteristics, such as yield, quality, maturity, and resistance to drought, disease and insect pests in plants, utilizing principles of genetics and knowledge of plant growth.
• Produce pure parent line, breeder and foundation seed for multiplication.
• Breeds plants, using methods such as inbreeding, crossbreeding, backcrossing, outcrossing and selection.
• Select progeny having desired characteristics and continues breeding and selection process to reach desired objectives.
• Lead the testing of advanced breeding lines developed at inhouse Center for various breeding product segments (Early duration, Mid duration, long grains, High amylose content, High yielding germplasm)
• Coordinate with external stakeholders (Private organization/Public institutes) for new germplasm introduction and breeding collaborations.
• Facilitate varietal release and adoption at farm and create demand for superior varieties;

Qualifications /Selection Criteria Education and work experience:

• PhD in breeding, genetics or other related fields with a minimum of 2-year experience in Rice breeding; or M.Sc. in breeding, genetics or other related fields with a minimum of 5-year experience in Rice breeding in a reputed seed company or research institution.

Knowledge and Key Competencies:

•  Highly self-motivated, detail-oriented, and innovative;
•  Strong record of innovation and process improvement in breeding;
•  Excellent knowledge of statistics in field experimental design and data analysis;
•  Good project management, communication and interpersonal skills;
•  Strong scientific writing skills;
•  Ability to work in multicultural environments;
• Language: The candidate should communicate fluently (oral and writing) in English.