R&D Manager - Potato Variety Commercialization
$110,700–$185,250 year
On-siteRhinelander, Wisconsin, United States
Job Summary
Design and lead storage research trials to evaluate variety-specific performance across harvest timings, temperature regimes, and physiological conditions, including pressure bruise risk, sugar accumulation, and chip quality. Oversee operational execution by coordinating intake, storage management, and weekly bin evaluations with partner farms and internal teams. Lead the North America Variety Qualification process from trial design through field and processing execution, consolidating outcomes to drive data-based decisions for varietal advancement. Partner with breeding, supply chain, and manufacturing teams to shape product profiles and support go-to-market messaging. Consolidate findings into annual reporting deliverables and variety review meetings. Requires a PhD or MSc in agronomy with >5 years of potato storage research experience. Compensation ranges from $110,700 to $185,250, with a 12% performance bonus.
Required Qualifications
- PhD (with >5 years industry experience) or MSc or BSc (with >7 years industry experience) or in Agronomy, Crop Science, Plant Breeding, or a related field, with deep expertise in potato storage research and varietal performance evaluation
- Must have potato or onion storage research experience
- Proven experience designing and managing field and storage trials, capturing phenotypic and environmental data, and analyzing post-harvest quality attributes
- Familiarity with commercial manufacturing environments and the ability to coordinate field-to-factory trial logistics
- Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to engage growers, internal stakeholders, and senior leadership
- Strong project leadership, team management, and organizational skills
- Proficiency in data tools and reporting systems
- Ability to travel ~20% domestically
- indefinite right to work in the United States
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