About Row 7 Seed Company:

Row 7 is an organic seed company built to reimagine food from the ground up. Working in collaboration with chefs, farmers and breeders, our mission is to introduce new plant varieties that bring unique culinary, nutritional and ecological value to growers and eaters. Through our online marketplace, Row 7 sells seeds that are 100% organic, unpatented and produced in the US. Row 7 also collaborates with stakeholders across the food chain in order to make delicious ingredients—and the stories behind them—more accessible to all.

The Breeding R&D Director is responsible for overseeing Row 7’s variety development pipeline, including collaborative efforts with over 40 public and independent breeders. This position works closely with our research farmers, culinary R&D team, project managers and external trial community of chefs and farmers to advance projects through to commercialization, soliciting input from a diverse group of stakeholders.

Location: Westchester County, NY
Position: Full-time, salaried

Responsibilities

R&D General

• Oversee all grain and vegetable projects in the breeding pipeline, working with team stakeholders to advance projects through the variety development and trialing process
• Collaborate with the team to develop near- and long-term objectives for Row 7’s crop portfolio, strategizing around key market opportunities and breeding goals
• Draft proposals for new internal and external breeding projects, including project goals, timeline/path to market and royalty agreements
• Support the development of grower feedback / data gathering systems for early trials. Implement these systems in coordination with Row 7 team
• Distill trials data and input to inform decision-making and recommendations around Row 7 pipeline
• Communicate research goals and updates across the team during weekly meetings
• Maintain clear and accurate records using project management tools

Breeder Community Relationship Management

• Build and maintain long-term relationships with the breeder community, including visits to their labs and/or field trials
• Manage breeding contracts and agreements
• Procure seeds/produce of new breeding material for evaluation
• Establish regular cadence for breeder communications, sharing feedback from internal and external trials

Research Farm

• Work with Research Farm Manager to establish annual Research Farm goals
• Support development of seeding lists, data sheets, harvest timeline to achieve goals
• Track all experimental seeds and produce during the growing season
• Make regular visits to the Research Farm

Internal Breeding Projects

• Support and manage team members involved in ongoing breeding projects, including:
  • Crossing block and nursery planning, including seeding lists and pollinations
  • Pollinations management
  • Nursery plant maintenance and evaluation
  • Seed harvest, cleaning, drying and inventory organization

Seed Production Support

• Facilitate communication of seed production specs as available
• Coordinate seed production timelines with Seed Contract Manager
• Support planning and implementation of foundation seed production on the Research Farm
• Coordinate genetic testing/disease screening as needed

Other

• Represent the company at workshops, conferences and other events, including through educational programming
• Coordinate nutritional analysis of new varieties
• Support high-value strategic partnerships

Required education and experience:

• BA/BS required
• Seed industry and/or management experience
• Research/trials experience and knowledge of plant breeding techniques
• A strong understanding of organic agriculture practices and plant science
• Ability to travel to Row 7 Research Farm / warehouse (Newburgh, NY) and office (Tarrytown, NY) regularly

The ideal candidate is

• detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple ongoing projects and timelines
• a skilled oral and written communicator
• experienced in project management
• collaborative, with the desire to work closely with other team and community members to achieve shared goals
• experienced in motivating and mentoring team members
• aligned with Row 7’s mission and values
• eager to learn and grow with expanding organization

Details

• Competitive salary and benefits, including:
  • Health Insurance
  • Dental Insurance
  • Employee Discount
  • Paid Time Off
  • Volunteer Time Off

To apply

Please submit a resume, cover letter and two references to hello@row7seeds.com with Breeding R&D Director in the subject line.