Research Farm Technician

Fall Creek is creating a world with better blueberries through its friendly, collaborative team spread across the globe. To help us accomplish this, we are seeking a qualified Research Farm Technician. This position will be located in Lowell, OR.

The Fall Creek Research Farm Technician position is responsible for assisting with the Fall Creek research farm operations. The Research Farm Technician I will be contributing to a world class research and development farm that produces some of the best blueberry varieties in the world. This position would be a valuable member of and a large contributor to the Global Research and Development team. This position reports to the Applied Research Program Manager and collaborates with other members of the department. This position works with other employees at the nursery and has frequent interactions with customers, visitors, and guests of Fall Creek.

What you'll do at Fall Creek:

• Responsible for the accurate field data collection, recording, data entry, and extraction of data in the Fall Creek database to support the variety development program.
• Planting, field mapping, tagging, and recording of seedlings and selections.
• Leads the high chill machine harvest fresh data collection including pre-harvest and post-harvest activities.
• Responsible for managing all applied research post-harvest trials.
• Responsible for coordination, set-up, and cleanup of fruit tastings with Sales and Grower's Support throughout the harvest season.
• Leads collection of botanical information for patent applications on Fall Creek's Breeding program selections.
• Assist with field fruit evaluations including fruit sample collection and testing.
• Assists with shipping of plants to trial sites, both international and domestic, establishes, and cares for field plots both and off-site.
• Assists with all applied research trials including, but not limited to, field prep, trial setup, data collection, data analysis, and reporting.

What you bring to Fall Creek:

• Typically requires a Bachelor's degree in horticulture, botany, agriculture or a related field or at least 4 years of work experience in a related field.
• Solid knowledge and experience working with Microsoft Office Suite and the ability to provide detailed reporting using Excel spreadsheet
• Strong alpha- numeric data entry skills. Requires general database knowledge.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills to present and exchange information and report daily activities in the fields and in reports.
• A proactive approach with the ability to communicate on all levels, transmitting information to different audiences and serving distinct purposes
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work after hours and/ or weekends as requested
• Ability to prioritize work withing established guidelines and follow through on a variety of requests.

Who is Fall Creek?

We’re a US-based company with a keen focus on blueberry genetics, plants, and grower support delivered to the world’s premier blueberry growers. From our humble beginnings in Lowell, Oregon more than 40 years ago, we now also have wholly-owned nurseries in Mexico, Peru, Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, Chile, China, and expanding nurseries in North Africa and Eastern Europe. Additionally, we have built a global team of the finest breeders, researchers, propagators and nursery professionals, grower support technicians, sales and customer service experts and more. We’re a deeply-planted link in a global chain, ready to serve our customers and our industry throughout North, Central, and South America, Greater Europe, Asia and Africa. Our mission is to serve the growers and to support the blueberry industry, helping to ensure growers maximize success through our delivery of the best genetics and plants, technical know-how and global market intelligence. To fulfill our mission, we focus on cultivating exceptional plants, building strong relationships and providing responsive customer service. This is all part of how we’re helping to build A World with Better Blueberries™.  

Fall Creek Farm & Nursery® offers a competitive salary and benefit package which includes health, vision, and dental insurance, paid time off, company-paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance, and 401K plan. . EOE

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Referral program
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift

Work Location: In person