The small grains breeding program at UC Davis is seeking a highly motivated Junior Specialist to join our team. This role focuses on trait introgression and speed breeding, working under the guidance of Dr. Xiaofei Zhang. The ideal candidate will collaborate closely with breeders and graduate students to create and assess breeding populations aimed at developing superior small grains varieties.

Opportunities:
1) Work alongside experienced breeding scientists who provide training and career development support
2) Engage in publishable research projects and contribute to the advancement of planting and genetics.

Per UCD-APM 330, it is inappropriate to appoint an individual with a Master's or Doctoral degree in the relevant discipline or a baccalaureate degree plus three or more years of experience as a Junior Specialist. Candidates who hold a Masters or Doctoral degree will be disqualified from this search.

I. RESEARCH IN SPECIALIZED AREAS (85% EFFORT)
A. Collaborate with other research and extension personnel affiliated with research activities involving planting and maintaining plants in the greenhouse, pollinating parents, harvesting seeds, running diagnostic DNA markers in the lab, and assisting in other breeding activities.
a. Care for wheat, barley and oat plants, including planting, maintenance, pollination, and harvest activities. These activities will produce breeding populations for variety development meeting the growers' needs in California, and develop genetic study populations to study the issues the growers have.
i. Coordinate with team members and student assistants to ensure optimal plant health and productivity
b. Engage with greenhouse, field, and collaborator personnel to maintain all plant materials.
c. Assist in lab and greenhouse maintenance, including organizing supplies and setting up equipment
d. Provide innovative solutions to problems or issues in lab and greenhouse activities.
B. Record and report details on planting, handling, and harvesting plant materials and populations. These details will help track research activities and troubleshoot.
a. Use electronic field data capture techniques and analyze data using Excel or R. The data include the pedigree, list of parents, number of plants per line in the greenhouse, number of crosses made, number of seeds harvested per parent, planting date, harvesting date, genotypic data, and seed inventory.
C. Actively participate in research projects related to gene function validation, speed breeding, genomic selection, and germplasm registration.
D. Contribute to scholarly manuscripts in plant breeding and genetics, including drafting manuscripts, developing figures, and creating outreach materials.
E. Occasionally work non-standard hours, including early mornings and late nights during peak seasons for planting, pollination, and harvesting.
a. Travel occasionally to other research stations as needed.

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (10% EFFORT)
A. Attend/participate in seminars on topics related to plant breeding, agronomy, and plant sciences.
B. Participate in conferences and field days, such as Plant Science Symposium, UC Davis Plant Breeding Retreat.
C. Participate in training (informal or formal), such as vendor seminars or campus workshops, for written communication, R programming, speed breeding, and statistical analysis.

III. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5% EFFORT)
A. Present to and engage with visiting scientists, industry partners, and other stakeholder groups.
B. Coordinate and schedule research activities among team members and collaborators.

A. Bachelor's degree (BS) in plant biology, genetics, plant science, agriculture, or a closely related field (must be obtained at the time of appointment)
B. Knowledge of plant breeding and genetics, greenhouse plant maintenance, and marker-assisted selection.
C. Experience in planting, irrigation, pest monitoring, weeding, pollination, data collection, and harvesting in the greenhouse.
D. Experience conducting laboratory research, including running DNA markers
E. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks in both greenhouse and laboratory settings.

F. Excellent written and verbal communication skills
G. Eager to learn new skills
H. Experience with data analysis software such as R or Python

• 3-5 required (contact information only)

UC Davis is a smoke and tobacco-free campus (http://breathefree.ucdavis.edu/).

We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

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