Wheat Breeding Jobs in Kansas (NOW HIRING)

Research Technician - Perennial Wheat
Who We Are & What We Do:
The Land Institute co-leads the global movement for perennial, diverse, regenerative grain agriculture at a scale that matches the enormity of the intertwined climate, water, and food security crises. An independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit founded in 1976, the organization seeks to reconcile the human economy with nature's economy, starting with food. The transdisciplinary team of scientists, together with global partners, is developing new perennial grain crops, like Kernza©, and diverse cropping systems that function within nature's limits while researching the social transformation required for a just, perennial human future.
How You'd Fit In + Stand Out
The perennial wheat program is dedicated to the development of new perennial wheat cultivars as a viable crop for wheat growers. We generate new cultivars by crossing wheat cultivars with various wheatgrass species and conducting selection in the greenhouse and field with the aid of molecular markers. The latest breeding lines provide excellent materials for further breeding and comprehensive studies to address some key issues in perennial wheat breeding. They have shown greater improvement in longevity, grain yield, and agronomic traits.
This research technician will assist the lead scientist primarily in the implementation and management of greenhouse and field experiments. Depending on experience, expertise, and interest, he/she may choose to develop his/her personalized research projects in areas such as field breeding, wide hybridization, and molecular breeding.
Primary Responsibilities + Expectations
Field & Lab Work

• Make crosses to create new wheat and wheatgrass hybrids in the greenhouse.
• Carry out laboratory procedures such as:
• Conduct tissue culture to rescue hybrid embryos when necessary.
• Collect plant tissue, extract DNA or RNA, perform PCR assays, and assist with sequence analysis occasionally.
• Lead or assist with planting, harvesting, and threshing samples for field and greenhouse experiments.
• Help to oversee and maintain research plots through sowing and transplanting, weeding, irrigating, fertilizing, and organizing.
• Process samples via drying, grinding, weighing, washing, sieving, threshing, extracting, etc.
• Carefully record, enter, and manage field and laboratory data in alignment with specific project guidelines
• Ensure that equipment and supplies needed for all tasks are available, clean, and in good working order before, during, and after use

Communication & Outreach

• Maintain relationships and communication with external collaborators; help to coordinate and participate in cross-project field and lab work.
• Engage with visitors by leading guided tours and participating in community and scientific outreach or presentations.
• Assist the lead scientist with implementing research projects and maintaining collaborative partnerships with researchers at TLI and other institutions.

Research, Data synthesis, & Writing

• Assist with data collection and statistical analysis of experiments.
• Synthesize and present project results at meetings
• Research & develop protocols

Organization & Management

• Assist with experimental design and management in the field and greenhouse.
• Help to refine field & lab protocols based on program needs
• Assist with purchasing supplies and maintaining budget records.
• Direct & oversee the work of interns and research assistants in the lab for field and lab tasks, as well as assisting with any necessary training

Organizational Competencies:

• Mission Driven: You are passionate about the mission of The Land Institute and are interested in aligning your skills and personal genius to benefit this work.
• Courageous: You do not retreat or shy away from hard things. You face challenges and conflict with professionalism, grace, and resolve.
• A Boundary Spanner: You bring an interdisciplinary skill set, and you model self-awareness in your own preferences. You are motivated to always be learning, and you adapt to span boundaries with people across a range of different perspectives.
• Inspiring and Inspired: You are inspired by the people around you, finding and harnessing the genius in your colleagues to meet the organizational objectives, and you are inspiring others through example, and your own genius applied.
• Growth Mindset: You have the vulnerability to know what you don't know, admit your flaws, and learn from others to grow and develop yourself and the organization.
• A Creative Collaborator: You believe in the power of a diverse collective to generate ideas and solutions. You excel at strategic thinking, being open to new perspectives, and managing innovation. You bring a playful, positive approach to the work and like meeting new people and deepening connections with those you already know.
• Excited by change: You embrace nascent and evolving situations and enjoy engaging new people, ideas, and possibilities. You think about change holistically: internal, external, organizational, and cultural. You like iterating systems, building efficiency, and operationalizing design. You are willing to jump in and contribute to new projects as needed.

Who you are:

• Bachelor's degree in an agriculture-related field or equivalent relevant experience.
• Good communication skills, both written and oral
• Be willing to work in unpleasant weather conditions, such as summer heat, to ensure urgent tasks are completed on time.
• Must be able to lift heavy seed bags (<50 pounds) at a time.
• Must hold a valid driver's license or be willing to get a license.

Qualifications that could help you succeed:

• Experience in agronomy, plant breeding, or genetics.
• Experience in the scientific research of field crops, including wheat.
• Experience operating farm equipment such as tractors, combines, and threshing machines.
• Experience in greenhouse management.

Hours
Generally available to work forty hours per week, via in-person and digital meetings, primarily during 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Central Time on weekdays when most of our staff and collaborators are working. We are flexible for caregivers who might need to provide rides or support, attend appointments, or be available for caregiving. Some early morning, evening, or weekend working hours will be needed for weather or time-sensitive tasks/experiments.
Location & Travel
This in-person role is grounded in the Central Great Plains at our Salina, KS, campus. No frequent travel is required except between field sites in the immediate area.
Environmental & Working Conditions

• Prolonged periods of sitting or standing in a greenhouse to emasculate or pollinate wheat plants.
• Prolonged period of working outdoors, sometimes in inclement weather.
• Work primarily in the field in the summer, often in extreme heat
• Willingness to train and safely apply pesticide treatments to plants as needed.
• Work in pest-infested areas in the greenhouse.
• Work in laboratory research settings - follow safety and general lab protocol, work with chemicals that are common for DNA and RNA extraction, wide hybridization, and mutation breeding.
• Repetitive tasks requiring fine motor skills/Good eyesight (e.g., emasculations, pollinations, embryo rescues, colchicine treatment, plant preparation with scissors, tweezers, and scalpels).

Compensation & Benefits
The Land Institute offers an excellent benefits package and a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
The salary range for this position is $45,968 - 51,000 annually.

• Remote-friendly work environment
• Paid parental leave
• Competitive, equitable compensation
• 403(b) Retirement
• 403(b) Employer contributions
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employer-Provided Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Dependent Care
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Voluntary Life Insurance
• Accidental Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid holidays
• Generous paid time off
• Complete laptop workstation and set up for remote work

To apply: Please submit your resume/CV, letter of interest, and contact information for references.
The Land Institute is an equal opportunity employer and embraces the opportunity to provide employment to qualified individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability, or genetic information. We are pleased to provide reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Pay Range: $45,968 - $51,000 per year