Head of Wheat Breeding

At Wild Bio we are radically enhancing crops to feed the world sustainably and promote a wilder planet. Wild plants have had half a billion years to evolve natural solutions for thriving in almost every environment on Earth. Our proprietary genetics platform harnesses these wild innovations to enhance the world’s most important crops. Wild-enhanced crops would simultaneously boost farm yields and promote gigaton-scale carbon mitigation strategies. If you’re looking for a start-up that has enormous potential for impact on growers, consumers, and the planet, please read on.  
 
Wild Bio is a well-funded, fast-paced Oxford University spin-out working from state-of-the-art labs and offices at Milton Park, Oxfordshire and breeding operations in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. We are about to enter an exciting phase of growth and are looking for a driven, and curious Head of Wheat Breeding to join us and significantly contribute to delivering the change we believe in.  
 
More at www.wildbioscience.com
 
Our Values
 
Our work is guided by three core values that define who we are and how we approach our mission:
 

• Curiosity: We fuel our desire to explore the unknown, pushing the boundaries of knowledge and sparking innovation. We ask questions, seek answers, and embrace lifelong learning.
• Community: We believe in the strength and support gained through collaboration and inclusion. As part of a global community, we nurture connections to drive meaningful impact for both people and planet.
• Courage: We face challenges head-on, take calculated risks, and stand up for our beliefs. Our bravery propels us to take action, even in the face of adversity.

 
If these values resonate with you, we invite you to join our team of passionate scientists and innovators working at the cutting edge of bioscience.

Location

We’re headquartered in Milton Park, a business and technology park in Oxfordshire and our breeding station is located near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. This role will be located at our breeding station, however periodic travel to our headquarters in Milton Park will be required. 
 
The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of eligibility to work in the UK. 

Responsibilities

The Head of Wheat Breeding at Wild Bioscience is a senior operational and technical leader responsible for directing the organization’s plant genetic development strategy and crop portfolio pipeline.
 
Key responsibilities:

• Develop and implement breeding strategies to create new varieties and build a competitive portfolio. Manage breeding trials, make selections, pursue variety registration, purify seed stocks, and release cultivars for commercial grain production.
• Propose, develop, and implement the most appropriate methods and innovations for wheat breeding: strategies for reducing the breeding cycle, optimising the use of molecular marker technologies, growth room facilities, disease screening, and quality evaluation.
• Build and manage the wheat breeding team and ensure that adequate training and direction is provided in order that the team members complete their own responsibilities to a high standard. Create a strong team ethos.
• Co-create target product profiles for the UK wheat market together with the marketing lead.
• Support trait/event selection and optimize pipelines for trait introductions.
• Ensure that all team members followed the company standards for health, safety and the environment.
• Propose an annual budget for the UK wheat breeding effort, manage the approved budget, and provide updates as required by the Senior Management Team.
• Develop and maintain relationships with public sector wheat research both within the UK and globally and manage germplasm exchange with public and private collaborators.
• Provide technical support and information as required for product development and marketing purposes. Represent Wild Bioscience and present varieties and information in field days, grower meetings, regional and national meetings.

Requirements

• PhD in Plant Breeding and Genetics, or closely related field, is preferred.
• Strong demonstrated knowledge in plant breeding, genetics, agronomy, and application of marker assisted selection, genomic selection, Double Haploids, life cycle shortening for improvement of cereals.
• Experience as a plant breeder of wheat or other small grains, preferably in a successful commercial program, is necessary.
• Knowledge of the target production region, associated biotic and abiotic stresses, and relevant germplasm base would be highly advantageous.
• Knowledge of cereal chemistry principles and their application to breeding for the key end use markets
• Ability to use software for data analyses, management, presentation, and reporting; general competence in statistics and data management is required
• Strong interpersonal, organizational, and analytical skills are needed
• Leadership skills and experience in managing people and programs is essential
• International exposure would be a plus

Benefits

• Group life cover x 4 of base salary 
• Pension scheme with a 5% Company contribution
• Private medical insurance including dental and optical
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Regular company socials 
• Training and development opportunities 
• Flexible working opportunities 
• Opportunity to work with cutting edge scientists