Sorry, this listing is no longer accepting applications. Don’t worry, we have more awesome opportunities and internships for you.

Plant Pathologist

Conception Nurseries

Plant Pathologist

Sacramento, CA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    POSITION SUMMARY

    Conception Nurseries is the industry leader providing clean, ready-to-grow TrueCloneTM tissue-culture cannabis plantlets. Our team is seeking an experienced Plant Pathologist to screen, identify, and characterize plant pathogens, viruses, and viroids in cannabis. This role is part of the discovery R&D team which will be engaged in disease screening, developing strategies for pathogen elimination, and running in-house molecular pathogen detection and diagnostics. This primarily is a bench scientist role who will work cross-functionally to support the production team, the business team, and customers to advance Conception's business interests. The role is positioned to advance science in a new crop with the potential to establish as an expert pathologist in the area. In this role, you will consult with upper management and the Research & Development team and make recommendations based on research findings and product performance. This position will report to The Director of Research & Development.

    KEYS TO SUCCESS:

    ●        Strong foundational knowledge and experience working with plant pathogens, pathogen genetics and biology, and plant diseases caused by viruses, fungi, and bacteria

    ●        Demonstrated experience in molecular plant pathology, virology, pathogen-screening, identification, and characterization

    ●        Experience developing effective and comprehensive disease control strategies by harnessing plant and/or viruses

    ●        Strong interpersonal and management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and geographically dispersed teams

    ●        Demonstrated experience in meeting project timelines and deadlines, including but not limited to, meeting schedules, tracking weekly action items, and utilizing other project management tools

    RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE

    ●        Develop, implement and manage an in-house plant pathology program to ensure intake of clean explant material for tissue culture, pathogen elimination strategies to address plant health, and deliver of pathogen-free tissue-culture clones to customers 

    ●        Characterize, identify and manage viruses/viroids of interest

    ●        Identify, screen, and characterize plant pathogens both in the laboratory and under field conditions using classical pathology tools

    ●        Experience applying DNA, RNA- based molecular tools and evaluating 3rd party reagents for pathogen screening

    ●        Keep up to date on regulatory policies pertaining to cannabis pathogens

    ●        Stay current on surveys for new or re-emerging high-consequence plant pathogens

    ●        Demonstrate the capability to be collaborative and effective in transitioning to new ideas and projects

    ●        Provide training, technical information, and guidelines to mitigate the risk of plant diseases for internal and external customers

    ●       Be visible and available for customers and partners, and occasional industry/social events or conferences

    ●        Personal credibility and effectiveness, including but not limited to, technical capacity, ability to deliver results, teamwork, time management, and project management skills

    ●        Work with the executive team as requested to respond to the needs of the business.

    ●      Live Conception Nurseries' core values

    REQUIREMENTS & QUALIFICATIONS

    • 3+ years of commercial research experience in agricultural and/or horticultural industries in a plant pathologist/virologist position
    • Strong scientific background with problem-solving skills
    • A strong team player who can work well with others
    • Detail-oriented, excellent organizational and communication skills 
    • Disciplined and rigorous approach to hypothesis-driven research, process improvement and change management 
    • Willing to accept and embrace priority shifts and refocus on the most critical tasks set by the business and managers 
    • Must be a strong mentor capable of getting the most out of team members
    • Thrives in a fast-paced, start-up environment

    EDUCATION: Master's degree or Ph.D. in agriculture, plant pathology, virology, or related field

    PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

    ●        Communication Impact – strong written, verbal communication and presentation skills 

    ●        Collaboration – team player who can work in a high activity, fast-paced environment

    ●        Problem Solving – ability to utilize the scientific method for critical thinking

    ●        Quality and Procedures – attention to details, data and metrics driven, maintain high quality of research, implement best-practices, draft SOPs, and ability to  anticipate and identify opportunities at strategic level

    ●        Self-Starter – Can work independently and able to collaborate with scientists to make appropriate and timely decisions to meet deadlines on experiments and projects

    ●        You are data and metrics-driven with experience analyzing research and product trends, anticipating and identifying opportunities, and developing insight at a strategic level

    ●        You can manage departmental change rapidly with the business and community needs.

    ●        You possess an entrepreneurial spirit and have a passion for growing the business.

    ●        You have a willingness to continually learn and grow.

     Travel:  Travel is 20%-25% designed around business needs.